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Rio Grande Fishing Report: Feisty Bass, Cats, and White Bass Bite Strong This Spring
Published 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Howdy y'all! Artificial Lure here with your Sunday morning fishing report for May 11, 2025, straight from the Rio Grande in Texas.
The sun's just peeking over the horizon now, rising at about 6:45 AM, and we're looking at a sunset around 8:15 PM, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. Weather's shaping up to be classic South Texas spring - warm but not scorching yet, perfect for a day on the water.
Water conditions are holding steady with temperatures around 70-71 degrees. We've seen water levels up about 2.8 feet above pool as of earlier this week, with slightly stained clarity[3]. That rise in water level from last week has been stirring up the action something fierce!
The mixed bag bite has been strong lately, folks! White bass fishing has been good on slabs in deeper water, about 25-30 feet down[3]. They've been biting steady since early May[4]. If you're after striped bass, they're hitting live bait at similar depths, and some anglers have even had luck with topwater baits early in the morning[3].
Catfish have been practically jumping in the boat! They're good on cut bait in shallow water[3]. Both channel cats in the shallows and flatheads have been active, with the flatheads taking minnows, shad, and sunfish around coves and creek channels[5].
Crappie fishing has been interesting - they've been moving from the spawning grounds upriver back toward structure. Look for them along main channels on timber in 14-17 feet of water. The smaller ones are hanging on brush, while the bigger slabs are preferring timber. Quarter-ounce jigs with double plastics have been the ticket[3].
For largemouth bass, focus on deep structure with soft plastics. The bite has been solid, especially during morning hours[3].
Hot spots this week include the confluence of the main river channel with larger creeks - that's where the white bass have been schooling. For catfish, try the flooded timber areas and creek bends. The dam area has also been producing, though the action has slowed a bit compared to last week[5].
If you're looking for a change of pace, head up toward Amistad where some folks have been having luck with topwater action early and late in the day for largemouths.
Bait-wise, can't go wrong with live minnows for crappie, cut shad for cats, and those white/chartreuse soft plastics for bass. In-line spinners and small crankbaits are working well for white bass[5].
That's the word from the water today, folks. Remember, the big ones are always biting somewhere - you just gotta find 'em! This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines, y'all!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
The sun's just peeking over the horizon now, rising at about 6:45 AM, and we're looking at a sunset around 8:15 PM, giving you plenty of daylight hours to get those lines wet. Weather's shaping up to be classic South Texas spring - warm but not scorching yet, perfect for a day on the water.
Water conditions are holding steady with temperatures around 70-71 degrees. We've seen water levels up about 2.8 feet above pool as of earlier this week, with slightly stained clarity[3]. That rise in water level from last week has been stirring up the action something fierce!
The mixed bag bite has been strong lately, folks! White bass fishing has been good on slabs in deeper water, about 25-30 feet down[3]. They've been biting steady since early May[4]. If you're after striped bass, they're hitting live bait at similar depths, and some anglers have even had luck with topwater baits early in the morning[3].
Catfish have been practically jumping in the boat! They're good on cut bait in shallow water[3]. Both channel cats in the shallows and flatheads have been active, with the flatheads taking minnows, shad, and sunfish around coves and creek channels[5].
Crappie fishing has been interesting - they've been moving from the spawning grounds upriver back toward structure. Look for them along main channels on timber in 14-17 feet of water. The smaller ones are hanging on brush, while the bigger slabs are preferring timber. Quarter-ounce jigs with double plastics have been the ticket[3].
For largemouth bass, focus on deep structure with soft plastics. The bite has been solid, especially during morning hours[3].
Hot spots this week include the confluence of the main river channel with larger creeks - that's where the white bass have been schooling. For catfish, try the flooded timber areas and creek bends. The dam area has also been producing, though the action has slowed a bit compared to last week[5].
If you're looking for a change of pace, head up toward Amistad where some folks have been having luck with topwater action early and late in the day for largemouths.
Bait-wise, can't go wrong with live minnows for crappie, cut shad for cats, and those white/chartreuse soft plastics for bass. In-line spinners and small crankbaits are working well for white bass[5].
That's the word from the water today, folks. Remember, the big ones are always biting somewhere - you just gotta find 'em! This is Artificial Lure signing off - tight lines, y'all!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI