Dataset: Collection locations, dates, and weight and length measurements of individuals of three fish species from the Matagorda Bay region of Texas in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from 2021 to 2023

Fish were collected from anglers or bait shops who had sourced their specimens from the study region in the Matagorda Bay complex in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Specimens were either obtained whole, or after the primary portion of the filets had been removed for angler consumption and the remainder of the carcass was provided to us. Because of this, in some cases, whole carcass wet weight could not be obtained for all samples. Collection locations are either where the specimens were obtained from anglers and bait shops themselves, or the locations where the anglers told us they had collected the fish themselves (if such location was known and provided). Three species were targeted for collection: Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus, Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma, and Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus. Specimens were weighed (if the whole carcass was present) with an Ohaus Scout balance, measured for fish total length using a fish measuring board, and then dissected to remove muscle tissue, eye lenses, and otoliths for subsequent chemical analyses.