These are the most common prey found in Lighthouse Lakes, Brown & Root, and other flats.

These are the most common prey items along Texas Gulf beaches.

These are the most common prey species found in Texas bays.

Gobies are small (2-3") bottom-dwelling fish commonly found darting around oyster reefs and seagrass beds.  They will kick up a puff of sand or mud when they flee, so a weigh

Scaled sardines (Harengula jaguana) are found in the nearshore Gulf and high salinity bays.  They are common along Gulf beaches and off the jetties.  They reach up to 5 inches in

Sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) share the same grassy shoreline habitat as killifish.   These are small fish, 2-3 inches in length.

This is sheepshead minnow h

Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) share the same shoreline habitat with longnose killifish.  They can get up to 8 inches in length.  Other names include mud minnows, cacahoe minn

Longnose killifish (Fundulus similis), also known as mud minnows, Cacahoe minnows, and mummichogs, live almost exclusively along grassy shorelines in our bays.  They can get up to 6 i

White mullet (Mugil curema) are not as common as striped mullet, but they do occur in our bays and the nearshore Gulf.  They do not possess the gray horizontal stripes of a striped mu

Inland silversides (Menidia beryllina) occur along our shorelines.  They are similar in appearance to anchovies, but anchovies are filter-feeders while silversides feed on amphipods,

Spanish sardines (Sardinella aurita) are found along the nearshore Gulf, although they are not as common as scaled sardines.  They are larger, up to 10 inches in length.

This

Shrimp eels (Ophichthus gomesi) are not typically considered as bait, but red drum prey upon them.  These fish stay burrowed in the sediment with just their head showing.  Reds h

The dusky anchovy (Anchoa lyolepis) is the smallest anchovy, only reaching just over 3 inches.  They migrate along the Gulf beaches in the fall and are the subject of feeding frenzies

Striped anchovies (Anchoa hepsetus) are found in the nearshore Gulf.  They are the largest anchovy, reaching up to 6 inches in length.

These fish range from Massachusetts to U

Three kinds of anchovies are commonly found in Texas.  The appropriately named bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchelli) is the most commonly found anchovy in the bay.  These fish reach a m

Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) are perhaps the most visible baitfish in the bays and along the nearshore Gulf.  They're EVERYWHERE!

Mullet bec

Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) are the most abundant fish along the Texas coast.  They are filter-feeders, spawn in the Gulf in late fall/early winter, and live up to 5 years.&nb

Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), also called golden croaker, are a member of the Drum family.  These fish spawn in the Gulf during the fall and reach 5

The three commercial shrimp species are the most important prey item in our bays and the Gulf.  Each spawns in the Gulf, with the larvae and juveniles migrating back into the bays to grow and

Grass shrimp (Palamonetes sp.) spend their entire lives in the bays, especially along grassy shorelines and seagrass meadows.  These small shrimp (under 2 inches) are the reason #6 an

Sargassum shrimp (Latreutes fucorum) are exclusively found living on floating mats of Sargassum.  They are well camoflaged.  When the Sargassum is in the surf, tak

Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) are preyed upon by red drum, which possess crusher plates in the back of their throat and can handle an angry crab.

They can grow to over 9 inches

Mud crabs (Family Xanthidae) are small, common crabs often found underneath objects, like oyster shell, debris, etc.  Red drum will turn things over looking for them.  They are&

Atlantic brief squid (Lolliguncula brevis) are very common in our bays.  These are small squid, rarely exceeding 3 inches in body length (excluding tentacles).  They live in open

Longfin squid (Loligo pealei) are found in the Gulf, not our bays.  They do venture close inshore and would be an effective pattern to use on the jetties.

Squid can change col

Snapping shrimp (Alpheus sp.) are distinguished by having one oversized claw, which, when rapidly closed, produces a loud "pop" that stuns small fish and crustaceans long enough

Mantis shrimp (Squilla empusa) are named for their praying mantis-like claws, which they wield with ferocity.  Shrimpers call them "thumb-splitters" because they ca

Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) are common in the bays.  The stae record is 16 inches.  They are notorious bait stealers.

Pinfish are found from Cape Cod to the Yucatan peni