Sand trout: Do you keep or release?

[Silver Wolf]

I keep them, seal wrap them, freeze them, and I've never had them go mushy. That's just me. Lord Bless.
robert

[scanoefisher]

Kept my first one last week, got it home and left it on ice overnight, and found it to be mushy when i went to filet it the next morning. I intend to clean them as soon as I get home in the future.

[plugger]

That all sums it up .

[JT]

Moonpie has turned into a ---

[R C]

Moonpie has turned into a ---

Uh oh,.......jt is trying to say a word he can't spell.

[kenny]

They make great offshore bait.

[Milkjug]

Do not notice the difference between them and specks. Frozen or not. Generally let them go just cause they are smaller. If you were to chop the fillets into chunks no one would know (just like black drum and red drum).

Like Kenny said, they make good bait. Shark bait, offshore, or even running juglines in the river. When I used to live by the yacht basin there were some lights that you could load up on every time.

[coachlaw]

Well, I never heard of a sand trout until I moved to Texas. In Louisiana, we call them white trout, but most I catch there seem to be a different breed than most I catch in Texas. Someone explained to me years ago that the ones caught most often inshore here are "Sand Trout" and the ones most often caught offshore or in the surf are "Gulf Trout". I'm no biologist, but I do see a difference. The ones I catch off my dock do not look exactly like a speck without the speckles. They have a purple iridescent hue to them. In the surf and offshore, the ones I catch look exactly like a speck, yellow mouth and all, but with no speckles. I assume these are the gulf trout. In La, I rarely catch what are called sand trout here. I usually catch the gulf variety. Someone 'splained to me they differ in the length of their fins. I don't know. I'll keep either, but both must be cleaned pretty quick or the skin is hard to fillet off the meat. As for freezing, I've done it with different results. I think the gulf variety is firmer meat.



On another note, I've just sworn out a restraining order against DB, just to be cautious.

[westbaytroutassasin]

cook em up.

[ubermensch1324]

always keep...sand trout salad