Fishing for Speckled Trout in the Texas Coastal Bend

  • Speckled Trout

Throughout the bays of the Texas Coastal Bend the most frequently caught game fish is the Speckled Trout.  Known by the scientific community as the Spotted Seatrout, locally it is referred to simply as a “trout” or a “spec”.

Not actually a trout at all but a member of the drum family, the speckled trout is an aggressive feeder and will often school up in large numbers making for an exciting day of fishing when they are found congregating.

It is widely distributed throughout the bays of the Texas Coastal Bend and along the surf of the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.  Speckled trout prefer shallow bays with oyster reefs or shallow grass beds, but will move into deeper cuts or channels, up estuarial rivers and into the Gulf when temperatures drop or a lack of rainfall cause a rise in salinity in the bays.

Because of its relative abundance, excellent flaky meat and good flavor, speckled trout are very popular not only as a sport fish, but also as table fare.

Articles about speckled trout in this series: