Speckled Trout
The spotted seatrout, (Cynoscion nebulosus), commonly
called speckled trout, is one of the most popular sport fish along the Texas coast. The
fish is a member of the family along with the Atlantic croaker, red drum, black drum, and
sand seatrout. Its abundance, willingness to hit natural and artificial baits, and fine
eating qualities make it an extremely popular fish.
They are most common in the shallow bays during spring
and summer. As water temperatures decline during fall, fish move into deeper bay waters
and the Gulf of Mexico.
Small trout feed primarily on small crustaceans.
Medium-size trout feed on shrimp and small fish. Large fish feed almost exclusively on
other fish such as mullet, pinfish, and menhaden.
The most popular tackle for spotted seatrout is the
popping cork rig. The best bait for catching trout is live shrimp. Live fish such as
mullet or pinfish and dead shrimp can also be effective. Artificial baits are effective
for catching trout the year round. Baits such as silver spoons, fish-shaped plugs,
shrimplike plastic worms and jigs are good.
During warm weather, fish shallow areas early in the
morning and late in the evening. In the heat of the day, move to deeper areas such as the
dropoffs around grass flats, channels or around oyster reefs. When the weather is
moderate, the fish may remain in shallow water a greater portion of the day. During very
cold weather, try fishing the deeper harbors and channels. When fishing from a boat, look
for groups of feeding gulls. Trout will chase shrimp or small fish to the surface, which
attracts the gulls.
Texas Gulf Coast
Fishing
