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Speckled trout, with a formal name of Spotted Seatrout, are also called specks and are plentiful and popular as a game fish in the Gulf of Mexico and in the inner marshes of Louisiana, as well as all along the gulf coast. Despite the name, the Speckled trout are not actually part of the trout family, but rather the drum family of fish. Thus, like all members of the drum family, males make a “drumming” sound to attract females during the spawning season. The speckled trout spawn from spring through summer. Speckled trout are a schooling fish, so if you catch one, you will often catch many.
Identifying features: Specks have long bodies with spots, hence the name. The spots are more prevalent when they are young and are mostly located on their backs. Specks are identifiable by their teeth, they have two large canine teeth, and their mouth, the inside of which is yellow. The average size of a speckled trout is about 1 lb, but some can grow to be as large as 16 lbs.
When and Where to catch them: Speckled trout can be caught year round. In the winter, they can be found in the warmer marshes along the coast, and in the spring and summer they can be found in the marshes as well as along the beaches, near shallow rigs, and in larger bays. The young fish stay close to the marshes for protection, so those fishing the marshes will catch the younger fish. The more mature and hence bigger fish can be found near shore. May is the beginning of the spawning season and the trout move to the beaches and passes where the spawning occurs. The larger specks can be found near the shore and in the passes during May when they are fat with roe.
What they eat: Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp, and as they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish. Trout are known to eat fish such as mullet, which can be up to half of their size.
Daily Limits: 25 fish per person, with 12″ minimum length.
Redfish, also called Red Drum, are a popular game fish all along the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Mexico. Redfish are found in the marshes and inner lakes, as well as along the coast and even into deeper waters near the oil rigs. Redfish can no longer be commercially fished, due to a decreasing population since the 1970s. Red drum have a moderate flavor and are not oily, readily lending itself to many delicious recipes. Like all members of the drum family, males make a “drumming” sound to attract females during the spawning season. The Redfish start their spawning season in May and it peaks in the summer. Redfish are a schooling fish, so you can often catch several in a short amount of time.
Identifying features: The most distinguishing mark on the Redfish is one large black spot on the upper part of the tail base. Red Drum are reddish to bronze in color with a white belly. The younger fish often have many spots on each side of their body, which decrease in number as they get older. Red Drum can grow as large as 60 lbs in the Gulf of Mexico. Once they are over 27″ in length, they are referred to as Red Bulls.
When and Where to catch them: Redfish can be caught year round. Similar to Speckled trout, Redfish can be found in the warmer marshes along the coast in the winter, and in the spring and summer they can be found in the marshes as well as along the beaches, near shallow rigs, in larger bays , and in passes. The young fish stay close to the marshes for protection, so those fishing the marshes will catch the younger fish which generally weigh up to 12 lbs. The more mature and hence bigger fish can be found in the passes, and along the shore near the beaches. The more mature Redfish, including Bull Red Drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as Oil Rigs. Fishing these areas can often yield fish up to 25 lbs and sometimes more.
What they eat: Redfish eat shrimp, small fish, or crabs. Spoons, spinner baits and jigs or the most frequently used artificial baits to catch redfish.
Daily Limits: 5 fish per person, with 16″ minimum length, and no more than 1 over 27″ in length.
Hit our limit on redfish
Jan 10 2015
Today we had three boats out fishing and boy did we hit the jackpot!!! Five fisherman on each boat and 75 redfish hit the cleaning table. It was a cold day out there but that’s why the redfish were piled up. When a strong cold front comes through (and we had 25+mph north winds the night before) it will push all the water out of the marsh and force the redfish into deeper pockets just making it easy once you locate them and we located them quick as they were at our first stop. We started working the bank with market shrimp under a cork and first casts by my crew had two poles screaming. The power pole went down and didn’t move until our five man limit was on ice. We played catch and release until our arms hurt then headed back to the dock. There’s no better way to forget about the cold then to have a redfish pulling out drag every time you put the bait in the water.
Black Drum are a cousin to the Red Drum (Redfish) and are often found in close proximity to the Redfish. Black drum are a firm, white-meat fish with a texture and taste very similar to red fish. The Black Drum can grow to be over 100 lbs, but the larger the fish, the tougher the meat. The larger fish may also contain a larval tapeworm in their flesh, which is not harmful to humans, but may be unpleasant to eat. The most valuable Black Drum is the 3- to 6-pound fish, which is perfect for many Louisiana recipes.
Identifying features: Black drum are heavy-bodied fish with large heads. Fish up to about 15 pounds have 4 or 5 wide vertical black bars set on a silver-gray body. The bars fade as the fish grow larger, eventually disappearing. All sizes of black drum can be identified by the whisker-like barbels under their chin. Black Drum can grow as large as 100 lbs in the Gulf of Mexico. Once they are over 27″ in length, they are referred to as Black Drum Bulls.
When and Where to catch them: Black Drum can be caught year round and is usually found in or near brackish waters. Larger, older fish are more commonly found in the saltier areas of an estuary (closer to the ocean) near plentiful food sources, such as oyster beds. Black drum are bottom feeders, so they are most commonly caught with bait either on the bottom or suspended within a couple feet of the bottom. An effective strategy for fishing from a boat is to select a spot with a sandy bottom or oyster bed where food is plentiful at a time of day with some tidal movement.
What they eat: Black Drum feed on a variety of things, such as small fish, crabs, shrimp, and oysters. Black drum aren’t usually caught on artificial baits. They lack the speed to chase down lures and depend heavily on smell. Shrimp, squid, and crab are common bait for Black Drum.
Daily Limits: 5 fish per person, with 16″ minimum length, and no more than 1 over 27″ in length.
Although 18 species of the left eye flounder family are found in the northern Gulf of Mexico, flounder in Louisiana usually means the southern flounder. The southern flounder is a “left-eyed flounder”, meaning the left side is pigmented and is the “up side”. The body color is brown with spots and blotches. Female southern flounders grow more rapidly than males. A research project in Louisiana did not find a male southern flounder over 13.5 inches long. A three year old female will be approximately 19″ long. Females can live up to seven years, whereas the males only live about three years.
Identifying features: The bodies of southern flounders are greatly compressed, with both eyes on the left side of their heads. None of the fins has spines. The lateral line is straight and well-developed. Females are larger than males and vary in size from 10″ to 20″ depending upon their age. Mature males are generally 10″ to 13″.
When and Where to catch them: In Louisiana, southern flounders can be found from 100 miles up the Mississippi River in pure fresh water, out to full-strength seawater off the coast, although most studies show that they are most common at moderate salinity. Male flounders stay in offshore waters year-round. Females spend most of the year in inshore waters, only migrating offshore during October to December to spawn. Flounders are ambush predators who lay in wait for their prey. Thus large numbers of flounders will concentrate in good ambush areas, such as current-swept points and channels that serve as choke points for tidal currents. A great time to catch them is in the October to December time period when the females are migrating offshore to spawn.
What they eat: Flounder in Louisiana eat mostly fish, primarily sardines and mullets. As flounders get larger they don’t eat larger fish, they just eat more small ones. Southern flounders take live bait, jigs, or even spoons that are fished near the bottom. Because their mouth opens side-to-side, rather than vertically, small hooks will produce more hook-ups than large hooks.
Daily Limits: 10 fish per person, with no minimum or maximum size limits.
Resources
Sea Grant Louisiana Fact Sheets: http://www.lsu.edu/seagrantfish/resources/factsheets