Louisiana saltwater fishing require that anglers identify the specific species of fish that are being harvested. Knowing the different fish species is required to comply with Louisiana saltwater fishing regulations. If the species of fish are not correctly identify, fish that are to small for that species catch limit or fish that are protected species may be harvested.
Species that live in an inshore marshes and bays include speckled trout, red drum, and southern flounder. Speckled trout has black spots that cover their backs and tails, which allows them to blend in with the sandy bottoms of their habitats. Red drum have a single dark spot near the base of their tails, mimicking an eye to allow the red drum to avoid potential predators.
Know Louisiana Saltwater Fish and Rules
Southern flounder live on the bottom of the water, and their two eyes has migrated to one side of their bodies. Understanding the physical features of each species will help anglers recognize speckled trout with red drum, as each species has black spots in different area of their bodies. Nearshore areas and bays contains three different species: sheepshead, black drum, and pompano.
Sheepshead contain seven black bars that run across their bodies, as well as have teeth that is strong enough to crush barnacles. Black drum use barbels that hang from their chin to sift through the mud on the ocean floor for food. Pompano have deep bodies that are silver in color on their sides and have yellow bellies.
These fish can be spotted in the surf. You can identify sheepshead by their black bars running down there bodies. Offshore areas contain four different species: king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cobia, and red snapper.
King mackerel have lateral lines that dip sharply on either side of their bodies. Spanish mackerel has gold-orange dots on their bodies. Cobia have dark stripes on their bodies and are often spotted near underwater platforms.
Red snapper is entirely red in color and live near coral reefs. In order to determine the difference between king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, you must observe their lateral lines. King mackerel and Spanish mackerel has different bag limits for these two fish species.
The habitat that a fish live in will provide information about the type of fish that you can catch in these habitats. Marshes contain spartina grass that provides habitat for speckled trout and red drum. Bays provide a habitat for black drum and sheepshead fish, and cobia live in nearshore water.
Red snapper can be found living around offshore rigs. Offshore rigs is where you can commonly find red snapper fish. Fishing regulations are rules that you must follow to protect the fish populations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Red drum have a slot limit of 18 inches to 27 inches and any red drum outside of this size is not to be kept. Speckled trout have specific bag limits that must be checked as the limits can change. Tarpon are catch and release only and you must release them back into the waters where they were spotted.
It is always best to check with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries prior to going fishing in the Gulf of Mexico as the regulations and seasons for the fish change. Due to the type of fish that live in the different habitats, there are different methods that can be used to catch these fish. Speckled trout can be caught using popping corks and live shrimp in marshes.
Red drum can be caught using gold spoons and cobia can be caught using bucktail jigs. The correct fishing methods will provide the best chance of catching fish. Using the wrong fishing methods may result in difficulty fighting the current instead of the fish.
All of the fish described are edible, but the quality of the fish can vary. Speckled trout, flounder, pompano, cobia, and red snapper are all consider to be good food. Both fish should be kept cold with a fresh ice slurry and bled quickly when first caught from the boat to ensure the quality of the fish.
The only exception to this is tarpon, which is not considered good food due to its high amount of bone and the quality of it’s meat.
