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U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Spotted Trout (Cynoscioti nebulosus) 



The habits of the spotted trout are not as well agreed upon as those 

 of the redfish. In order to secure as much information as possible 

 regarding the habits of this species, various fishermen and dealers 

 all along the coast were questioned. Mr. Cobolini reports that at 

 Point Isabel the trout are most abundant in winter; that is, during 

 December, January, February, and March many more of them are 

 caught than at any other period. Toward the latter part of Feb- 

 ruary, however, the catch begins to fall off as the trout leave. Mr. 

 Cobolini especially emphasized the highly migratory nature of the 

 species and how quickly temperature influences its abundance in 

 local waters. Cold weather sends these fish to deep water, where they 

 remain until the waters of the lagoon warm again. 



Table 9, copied by Mr. Cobolini from a fisherman's book, shows the 

 effect of an unusually cold spell on the abundance of trout near Point 

 Isabel during December, 1924. The amounts of fish recorded were 

 all landed by the same crews. 



Table 9. — Weather Bureau reports, Brownsville, Tex., and catch of spotted trout, 



December, 1924 



From the 1st to the 18th, inclusive, with an average mean temper- 

 ature for the period of 68°, the daily catch of trout averaged 1,400 

 pounds. From the 19th to the 30th, inclusive, the catch for the 

 entire period was only 535 pounds, an average of 45 pounds per day. 

 The average mean air temperature for this period was 42° F. Al- 

 though the unusual cold weather might easily have kept the boats 

 from fishing as intensively as usual, Mr. Cobolini reports that the 

 crews went out every day but returned with hardly any trout. This 

 continued until the daily mean temperature again reached 58°, and 

 on that day the catch amounted to 10,000 pounds. The trout were 

 supposed to be working again in great numbers from the Gulf into 

 the shallower waters of the Laguna Madre. If the trout had not 

 had free access to the Gulf of Mexico through Brazos Pass they 

 would have perished from the cold, as did the thousands upon 



