In-Shore
Speckle Trout | Red Drum | Sheepshead
SPOTTED SEA TROUT (SPECKLED TROUT) – CYNOSCION NEBULOSUS
One of the most famous in-shore fish, these trout are really not trout at all but rather members of the drum family.
They are typically found in brackish coastal waters found along grass-lines feasting on shrimp and small baitfish, especially during strong tidal conditions.
Trout are also popular to catch at night around dock-lights where they lurk to prey on bait as it drifts by on the current.
RED DRUM (REDFISH) – SCIAENOPS OCELLATUS
Known for their silver to copper color with at least one dark spot on their tales, red drum is a very popular in-shore sport and food fish.
Like Speckled Trout, these predators love to feed during peak tidal activities and can grow quite large – over 40lbs. These bull reds are often caught post-spawn off the beach in the late fall and early winter as they are very hungry and easy to lure.
In-shore, redfish tend to be between 12-32” and from 1-10lbs.
SHEEPSHEAD – ARCHOSARGUS PROBATOCEPHALUS
The sheepshead is a unique striped fish with five or six dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans.
It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth – the frontal ones closely resembling human teeth – which help crush the shells of prey. Capable of putting up a good fight, the sheepshead is also very tasty to eat.
