# 5/7 galveston channel



## Marlintini (Apr 7, 2005)

my buddy malcolm and i went fishing in the galveston channel today. the morning started out slow until the tide turned and started coming in. the bait followed and so did the bite. 

we also caught a specktacular jack trout. not certain if there is such a species but take a look at the picture. not having a camera on board, we kept the fish alive until we got back to the dock to get a pic. the fish was released. 

total catch for the day was 15 trout - 8 retained, an undersized red and puppy drum.


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## Alex3 (Mar 29, 2006)

What the heck is that thing???


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## txjoker (Jun 21, 2005)

That is one weird looking thing!


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

Thats the biggest Jack-trout I've seen in years. You should have mounted it!


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## willfish4food (Aug 13, 2005)

speckled Jack


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## SaltwaterAg (Oct 7, 2004)

wow talk about a face only a mother could love. that's pretty crazy!


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## Zork (Jan 11, 2006)

What is that? lol...WOW never seen one like that before.


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## jhj415 (May 22, 2005)

very very interesting


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## HoustonKid (Dec 29, 2005)

That is one weird looking fish. So, is there such a thing as a jack trout or is that a trout that got dropped on its head onto the jetties a kid?


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## KENNER_BOY (Sep 27, 2005)

Looks Like My Ex !!!!!!


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## Brian Castille (May 27, 2004)

Wow, that's crazy.... never seen anything like it. Did it have any teeth like a trout?


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## bobber (May 12, 2005)

Bizzare! 
Was Probably Worth At Least $10 Grand To The Scientific World.


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## Echoduck (Jul 21, 2004)

Weird Looking. I think I would have turned that one into the Game Warden. I would be worried about that things contribution to the trout gene pool. Could be one of those trout from north of the 146 bridge.


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## Marlintini (Apr 7, 2005)

Brian Castille said:


> Wow, that's crazy.... never seen anything like it. Did it have any teeth like a trout?


brian,

it didnt have a snaggled tooth like a trout does but man did this little guy fight. it made several strong runs similar to a jack. i was skeptical about filleting it and the meat being red. lol

i havent turned a fish in to tpwd before. once their experiment is complete, do they provide the findings or results?


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## luvflounder (Aug 15, 2005)

wow!!! jack/speck..... 
If only they can combine and flounder/trout...... can you imagine....


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## ray2 (Apr 13, 2005)

what the ????????


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## Belt Sanders (Jun 30, 2004)

That is a Pomp-a-Trout. But don't worry, they are good eatin.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Weird, I wonder if it would have been best to keep and see if the University had any interest in checking it out.


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## REPOFISH (Jul 19, 2004)

*that fish*

I emailed a pic of the fish to TPWD research biologist and this is what the reply I got was:

Yes, and I also asked the guys at our Perry R. Bass Genetic Lab as well as other spotted seatrout biologists. It appears to be damaged genetically or have some other type of mutation. Cannot say specifically, but it is a spotted seatrout. We see some pretty weird looking mutations on all types of fish that cause humps in the back, tails to be shortened, etc&#8230; For sure this fish's head looks damaged. If the fish had been kept frozen or a fin clip taken and put into ethanol right away we could have checked the genetic make up of the fish. It does not appear to be hybridized with another fish. If I had caught it I would have let it go too. 



Although the majority of the species all look the same. However, your buddy caught one that was not the same and I cannot say more about it other than I have seen worse anomalies than just a weird looking head. at least it had eyes, and fins.



Best Regards,

Jan Culbertson 



Dickinson Marine Lab

Coastal Fisheries Division

1502 FM 517 East 

Dickinson, TX 77539

281-534-0111

281-534-0120 fax

​


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## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

It came from the upper bay area.

Blackie


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## Marlintini (Apr 7, 2005)

thank you repofish.


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## shanegair (Feb 17, 2005)

REPOFISH said:


> I have seen worse anomalies than just a weird looking head. at least it had eyes, and fins.
> 
> 
> Best Regards,
> ...


hmmm....makes you wonder what all they see???


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## anomaly (Mar 25, 2006)

thanks for sharing the update. 2cool catch.


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## troutmanmike (Mar 15, 2006)

It must of come from north of the 146 bridge i have seen some weird stuff up there!


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## REPOFISH (Jul 19, 2004)

no prob marlintini-I suspect she will be getting back with me once she has a chance to actually speak with their speck specialist. he was out of the office today and would be in sometime tomorrow-I will post up if they respond. Curious myself as the head resembles that of a jack too much to be a mutation in my opinion but then again I am not a scientist or a biologist-


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## fishingking (Feb 19, 2006)

what the heck is that i have never seen or heard of that


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## podnuh (May 26, 2004)

perhaps you shouldn't eat the fish you caught in the ship channel(?)


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Spotted Jackmacral.......


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

REPOFISH said:


> I emailed a pic of the fish to TPWD research biologist and this is what the reply I got was:
> 
> ... I cannot say more about it other than I have seen worse anomalies than just a weird looking head. at least it had eyes, and fins. ...


*Oddly enough, I am not encouraged by these words.*


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

a speck jack. that prob what it is.


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## TripleT (May 11, 2005)

He's got a HAIRLIP!!!!!


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## Marlintini (Apr 7, 2005)

ive seen a jackolope but not a jackotrout. 

here are a couple of more pics taken by a friend.


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## ydnark (May 26, 2004)

Saltwater Sportsman magazine has a section on odd fish species where reports such as yours are submitted to a distinguished panel of experts for the purpose of identification. A Dr. Bob Shipp is the one they use for Gulf of Mexice species. I am sure he would like to see your pictures and would probably give you a response. I think the magazine also will reward you for submitting the story for publication.

Dr. Ship can be reached at www.bobshipp.com


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## USMCBay (May 4, 2006)

Ya know - growing up as a taxidermist assistant (for Terry LaBlanc in Alvin) it makes my skin crawl to think you let it go... but the chance to hook in again is probably more feasable than wanting an "unusual mount" on the wall...

No... wait... I'd rather have the mount. No offense :dance:  

**GREAT** Photos!!

Ha ha...


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## 100% Texan (Jan 30, 2005)

I believe someone was cheating lol I would have liked to catch ten of them to eat later


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## Basstro (Nov 1, 2005)

It's called a Jackaspeck kin to the Jackalope


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## anchor-boy (Aug 11, 2005)

Yeah, let that baby grow.!!! Come on Bigge!!!!!!! me JUMBO jack-speck..!!


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## willfish4food (Aug 13, 2005)

imagine the possibilities.. the ferocity and power of a jack with the taste of a speck.. yesss


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## RatherBFishing (Jun 10, 2005)

***!!! haha Thats just to crazy. I wonder what that things offspring will look like if it meets the famous ""jackolope" lol


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

The pic of your fish got posted on TexasKayakFisherman.com and the guys there had some fun with it, too. More funny comments!

http://texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45896


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## Mdobson (Aug 12, 2005)

Very interesting. Just spent an hour looking for the answer, no luck. I think it's a deformed speck. Head, jaw, and fin deformities are apparently common in farmed fish. Maybe whatever happens to them happened to your catch.

http://www.vetcare.gr/pics_deformities_lesions.htm


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## BIG Flat Skiff (May 25, 2004)

Wood-eye, Wood-eye


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## AL-umineum (Jul 16, 2004)

!*?# you, Peg Leg!!!


BIG Flat Skiff said:


> Wood-eye, Wood-eye


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## Marlintini (Apr 7, 2005)

i emailed Dr. Bob Shipp. Maybe the picture will get published in Saltwater Sprortsman. 

can a brother get a greenie?


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## rambler (Sep 17, 2005)

Back east we used to catch the occasional "pug nosed" striper, basically the same kind of genetic deformation. One time I caught a rainbow trout that was shaped more like a pirana than a trout, just a genetic freak.


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## Mrs Backlasher (Dec 19, 2004)

BIG Flat Skiff said:


> Wood-eye, Wood-eye


Hair-lip! Hair-lip! :rotfl:


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

*crazy*

Ive caught some trout with strange abnormalities up north but most of them were healed wounds. That fish there looks like it was running hard around the Galveston Channel and ran into one of them moored barges. lol Its not a defect, the fish is blind! lol Wasnt watching where it was going. HeHeHe

I caught this trout in PM with McPsychoTrout and it had no tail. It wasnt a wounded tail as it was perfectly straight, just never developed. Nuttin but a nub on the end, I bet he couldnt swim for nuttin. lol Here is a pic, hope Im not hijackin here Marlintini. Nice catch BTW

Z


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## Fishspanker (Feb 8, 2005)

Thing is you have to have a boat that will run in a inch of water to catch one.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

"looks like a trout somewhere got raped by a jack. those dirty crevalles. you can never trust 'em."

Now thats funny!


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## scm (Apr 27, 2006)

It's Obvious The Hook Was Not Set Hard Enough!!! They All Look Like That Until You Stretch The Snout Out!!!!


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## buckdove (Oct 19, 2005)

We used to call them Dow Trout... as in Dow Chemical!


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## scotccrn (Jan 4, 2006)

Did you say that you caught it next to the oil refineries??????


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