Sand Seatrout

Season in Upper Texas

Sources conflict: the TPWD Sea Rim tip sheet lists sand seatrout in the surf in spring and summer, while a Port Arthur News column names sand trout among winter surf fish at Sea Rim, McFadden and Bolivar. Charted as in season all year. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Deeper bays, channels, passes and the shallow Gulf over sand or mud; inshore reefs and oyster beds in Alabama; passes and deeper bay water at South Padre.

Almost always on or near the bottom, unlike speckled trout; they tend to hit a falling bait.

What to look for

Pale seatrout with a yellowish or tan back and no spots, a pair of large canine teeth at the tip of the upper jaw and a yellow to orange mouth. Silver seatrout is all silver with no yellow (FWC, TPWD, LSU).

What to throw

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Bait

Live or fresh dead shrimp, Small pieces of cut bait, Squid. 1/4 oz jighead with a light-colored soft plastic grub hopped across reefs and oyster beds, or bait on the bottom.

Leader

Common mistakes

• Playing it hard: the mouth tears easily (Rainer)
• Letting the catch sit warm: the flesh softens quickly; ice it in slush at once (Rainer, Alabama field guide)
• Freezing the fillets: ice crystals leave the soft flesh softer (Horst; LSU)

Landing

Play it gently and swing or net small fish; recast to the same spot, more often follow (Rainer).

Handling

• Pair of canine teeth at the tip of the upper jaw

Unhook with pliers.

Keep or release

Good eating, best fried fresh (Rainer); LSU rates food value very good but hard to freeze. Ice immediately in a slush; well-iced fish can keep over a week (Horst).

Recipes for sand seatrout

Typical: 8 to 15 in and about 1 lb or less (FWC; LSU). Large: 3 to 5 lb in deep inshore holes and offshore (LSU); 2 to 4 lb fish at rigs off the Mississippi River mouth (Horst). Horst (2012) cites an 11 lb Louisiana state record white trout; FWC says the species is not eligible for a Florida record.

Limits

FishOS has not checked the TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.

Sources

• TPWD Sea Rim State Park fishing tip sheet, PWD LF P4504-055I (1/26), with a surf/marsh season column per species (Official source)
• Port Arthur News, Chester Moore Jr., Nov 19, 2016: don't forget winter surf (Sea Rim, McFadden, Bolivar) (Angler knowledge)
• Louisiana Sportsman, Jerald Horst (retired LSU fisheries professor), Dec 1, 2012: Don't knock whitey (white trout biology) (Angler knowledge)
• TPWD Sea Center Texas flora and fauna guide: sand seatrout (Gulf waters) (Official source)
• Florida FWC species profile: sand seatrout (Official source)
• LSU / Louisiana Sea Grant, Louisiana Fisheries: sand seatrout (Official source)

All the fish of Upper Texas