Each redfish is exclusive, and it’s not that uncommon for a Gulf Coast spot-tail to sport just a few additional spots. However the leopard redfish that Ryan Hernandez caught late final month on the South Texas Coast falls in a category of its personal.
The fish had so many spots that it regarded extra like a cross between a redfish and a speckled trout—which is what many commenters on social media identified when The Bubba’s South Texas Sportsman shared images of the fish on Fb.
“I feel it’s momma should have been hanging out with a bunch of speckled trout,” one commenter quipped.
Hernandez additionally chimed in and commented that the fish had over 300 spots per facet. He added that they caught the fish in Fowl Island Basin, which is positioned within the Higher Laguna Madre not removed from Corpus Christi, Texas.
In the event you’ve by no means seen or heard of a leopard redfish, you’re not alone. Capt. Danny Alvarez was guiding Hernandez alongside along with his son Eric Alvarez and a few of their prolonged household that day, and he’s been fishing the Laguna Madre for roughly 50 years. He’s caught who-knows-how-many reds throughout that point, and he’s by no means really seen a redfish like this in particular person. The best way Alvarez tells the story, he was fairly certain the redfish was a speckled trout at first.
“After I first noticed it, from 15 or 20 yards out, I noticed all of the specks and it regarded like a giant trout,” Alvarez informed Saltwater Sportsman. “I mentioned, ‘Man, that’s an excellent trout.’ He saved on combating it, and [the fish] saved on taking line, and as soon as it obtained nearer I mentioned, ‘Aw, that ain’t no trout: That’s a redfish.’”
Alvarez added that when they netted the uncommon redfish, everybody on board was mesmerized. As an alternative of the standard dulled copper hues that the majority anglers affiliate with redfish, Alvarez mentioned this one had “an actual shiny coloration to the pores and skin, like a turquoise shell throughout its prime half. It was lovely.”
After touchdown it, Hernandez determined to maintain the leopard redfish so he may have it mounted. As for the full variety of spots, Hernandez and one other angler onboard counted roughly 311 spots on only one facet of the fish, based on Saltwater Sportsman. They didn’t even trouble to rely the spots on the opposite facet.
“I’ll in all probability by no means see one other one prefer it,” Alvarez mentioned.
