Inshore Fishing: Speckled Trout

Inshore fishing along our Alabama Gulf Coast is plentiful this time of year and one species you can find is speckled trout. These fish are not members of the trout family, but rather the drum family. Speckled trout are popular for commercial and recreational fishing in coastal waters, with recreational being the vast majority of the catch. According to the NOAA, spotted or speckled trout are in the top ten species for recreational fishing in the United States.

These fish can be found along inshore waters located in grassy flats, estuaries, bayous and back bays. Speckled trout tend to spend their entire lives on one place and don’t migrate. They enjoy squid, mullet, crabs and other small baitfish, but live shrimp tends to work the best. Spawning for speckled trout occurs from May to June and adults can reach 19 to 32 inches in length and 3 to 15 pounds in weight. They are an elongated fish with prominent canine teeth and provide quite the fishing experience.