How old is the speckled trout you just caught?
Anglers know that super-sized specks are mostly female but what about the age of the specks we catch? Here’s a breakdown from Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Age and Growth of Spotted Seatrout
Males:
- Age 1: 9 inches
- Age 2: 14 inches
- Age 3: 17 inches
- Age 4: 18 inches
- Age 5: 18 inches
- Age 6: 19 inches
- Age 7: 19 inches
- Age 8: 20 inches
- Age 9: 21 inches
- Age 10: 21 inches
Females:
- Age 1: 8 inches
- Age 2: 17 inches
- Age 3: 20 inches
- Age 4: 23 inches
- Age 5: 24 inches
- Age 6: 25 inches
- Age 7: 26 inches
- Age 8: 27 inches
- Age 9: 27 inches
- Age 10: 28 inches
The record trout taken by rod and reel in Texas measured 37.25 inches and weighed 15.6 pounds. It was caught by Carl “Bud” Rowland May 23, 2002 in Lower Laguna Madre.
How does this formula work for a trout like that? Is it older than the basic theory here suggest or was this a fish that simply surpassed all age-growth markers?
It’s a fun question to contemplate.
