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South Texas Fishing Report: Hot Bite on White Bass, Largemouth, and Catfish
Published 11 months, 1 week ago
Description
Howdy anglers, Artificial Lure here giving you today’s fishing report for Sunday, May 18, 2025, from the banks of the Rio Grande near south Texas.
We’re rolling into that fine late spring stretch, and the bite’s been hot this week. Water temps have been steady right around 71 degrees, and the river is just a bit above normal pool and holding a slightly stained color, which is working to our advantage. We kicked off the day with sunrise at 6:43 a.m., and you’ll have daylight all the way until sunset at about 8:17 p.m., so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and fill a stringer.
White bass action remains top-notch. Early mornings, watch for birds working the shallows—there’s shad getting chased and whites are right behind them. Paddle tail swimbaits on light gear are putting numbers in the boat before 8 a.m. After that, switch to 1-ounce RSR minnow slabs and drop them into deeper water, around 25 to 30 feet, where bigger schools are stacking up. Sizable whites are coming in, and you’re likely to limit out if you put in the time.
Largemouth bass are biting real well, especially near structure along the shoreline. Crankbaits and plastic worms fished tight to cover are pulling in some chunky buckets. Spinnerbaits are also working great if you find submerged vegetation—focus on shaded spots in the early morning for your best chance at a big one.
Catfish are picking up too, with that steady warm water. Cut shad and chicken liver remain your best bets for channel cats in deeper holes and along current breaks. A few blues and the occasional flathead have also been reported for those soaking baits near brush piles.
Crappie are still consistent, with some post-spawn fish moving out to main lake structure in 5 to 15 feet. Jigging with a 1/16-ounce hair jig on light line remains the ticket around trees and flooded bushes.
Top baits for today: Paddle tail swimbaits in white or shad patterns for white bass, chartreuse or natural-colored crankbaits for largemouth, and live or cut bait for catfish. For crappie, stick to small hair jigs or mini-minnows in pink and chartreuse.
Hot spots this week include the stretch around Falcon Dam for bass and cats, and the coves near Zapata for white bass early in the day. If you’re after numbers, these are your best bet.
That’s the word from the water today—tight lines and don’t forget to keep your bait moving. The bite’s on. See y’all on the water soon.
Artificial Lure, signing off. Happy fishing!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re rolling into that fine late spring stretch, and the bite’s been hot this week. Water temps have been steady right around 71 degrees, and the river is just a bit above normal pool and holding a slightly stained color, which is working to our advantage. We kicked off the day with sunrise at 6:43 a.m., and you’ll have daylight all the way until sunset at about 8:17 p.m., so there’s plenty of time to wet a line and fill a stringer.
White bass action remains top-notch. Early mornings, watch for birds working the shallows—there’s shad getting chased and whites are right behind them. Paddle tail swimbaits on light gear are putting numbers in the boat before 8 a.m. After that, switch to 1-ounce RSR minnow slabs and drop them into deeper water, around 25 to 30 feet, where bigger schools are stacking up. Sizable whites are coming in, and you’re likely to limit out if you put in the time.
Largemouth bass are biting real well, especially near structure along the shoreline. Crankbaits and plastic worms fished tight to cover are pulling in some chunky buckets. Spinnerbaits are also working great if you find submerged vegetation—focus on shaded spots in the early morning for your best chance at a big one.
Catfish are picking up too, with that steady warm water. Cut shad and chicken liver remain your best bets for channel cats in deeper holes and along current breaks. A few blues and the occasional flathead have also been reported for those soaking baits near brush piles.
Crappie are still consistent, with some post-spawn fish moving out to main lake structure in 5 to 15 feet. Jigging with a 1/16-ounce hair jig on light line remains the ticket around trees and flooded bushes.
Top baits for today: Paddle tail swimbaits in white or shad patterns for white bass, chartreuse or natural-colored crankbaits for largemouth, and live or cut bait for catfish. For crappie, stick to small hair jigs or mini-minnows in pink and chartreuse.
Hot spots this week include the stretch around Falcon Dam for bass and cats, and the coves near Zapata for white bass early in the day. If you’re after numbers, these are your best bet.
That’s the word from the water today—tight lines and don’t forget to keep your bait moving. The bite’s on. See y’all on the water soon.
Artificial Lure, signing off. Happy fishing!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI