122 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • March/April 2018 TheCoastalBend.com Coastal Bend Most Popular Species Red Snapper • Found in 30’-200’of water offshore, especially around natural and artificial reefs like shipwrecks and oil drilling platforms • Reaches maturity at 2-5 years of age, can live up to age 50 and weigh up to 50 lb. • Texas state waters, within 9 miles offshore, is the only Gulf Coast jurisdiction where Red Snapper can be fished outside the 48-day federal season Speckled Trout aka Spotted Sea Trout • Lives in shallow estuaries along the Western Atlantic coastline to the Gulf of Mexico, from Massachusetts to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico • Most large“specks”are females, up to 9-10 years old • Prefers shallow seagrass and oyster beds in spring and summer, and will shelter from cold water in deeper channels and reef formations in winter Redfish aka Red Drum • Fast growing, reaching 22”-24”and 6-8 lb. in 3 years • Prefers shallow waters (1’-4’) along edges of bays with submerged vegetation, and shoreline breaks such as coves, jetties, and guts between sand bars • Black spot on tail fools predators into attacking tail • Texas record is 59.5 lb., US 94lb. in North Carolina