Corpusfishing.com

[gulftrout]

I caught four specks today wade fishing. Two were males, with the largest one being one of them. I tried looking up information about the age to size ratio for male trout and the only thing I have found is that virtually all 25" and larger speckled trout are females. This one weighed 6 1/4 lbs. and I guess that makes my trout older than dirt! I knew something was up when the large one started "Croaking!"

[Chef Lefty]

Interesting question. I always wondered too. Can't just count their gill rings?
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[gulftrout]

Today I was wading water a lot clearer than yesterday and caught these on three different colors. Two on "Morning Glory/Lime Tail", one on Plum/Chartreuse Tail and one on June Bug/Blue Belly. The first two colors were DIE DAPPER Salt Water Assassin Lures and the June Bug color is a DIE DAPPER Bass Assassin "Bang Lure" enhanced with Liquid Salt. I picked all these up at Roy's a couple days ago. I prefer to use the largest shank hook-jighead available and I was using them in 1/4 oz. size. The biggest speck of the day was the 2nd fish caught and I caught it on Morning Glory. I own a "Big Thanks" to Cliff Webb for showing me how to rig and getting me started, fishing these lures!

[gulftrout]

[TXHill]

Asked that question on a tour of the Harte Inst. I was told redfish and trout grow and average of 1" per month, both males and females. Jeff Wolda

[ltorna1]

Best way to age them is with the ear-stones (otoliths) inside the head. They are floating bones that have rings like a tree trunk. That is a big azz trout mr. gulftrout
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[Chef Lefty]

[wallhanger]

Very descriptive. All reports should be that good. Thanks and great fish.

[ltorna1]

[ltorna1]

OK, so apparently the florida fish and wildlife people aged the trout in the linked picture at 12 years. I guess it depends on which ring you start with. told ya I wasn't an expert
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[ironmanstan]

I have some some large ear stones in my shop. Becky of sunnybrooke farms showed me how to get them out. I'm going to my the bride a pair of earings out of one pair. It's pretty amazing that something like that actually grows inside their heads.
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I LIKE MINE FRIED.

[gulftrout]

Here are the three colors that caught fish yesterday. Cliff explained that you need the long shank lures with these soft plastics. If you use the smaller, short shank hooks(which I normally prefer) the bait may want to spin like a propeller. These baits are pretty soft(that's what gives them the great action) and you probably need the screw type jig head.

[shallowsport]

Another great post, GT. Sure that your Dad is proud.
Aging, ear stones is right. Slice them, and count the rings, just like a tree.

[Fishwish]

I have a large pdf file that is a study of speckled trout issued by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission that has a section on age of trout. They aged several male and female trout from several different bay systems. The largest male in the study was from Galveston Bay and just shy of 25 inches. They aged the fish at 12 years, In the Galveston system we have been catching some of the largest males we have seen in years. Last month, at the cleaning table, I saw a 25" male that went just a little over 6 lbs. Not sure what's up with all the large males. It has been interesting to catch a large 24" trout that is grunting. No doubt, a 27" male is OLD!

[Chef Lefty]