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Rio Grande Anglers Endure Scorching September
Published 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
September 3rd out here on the Lower Rio Grande has been another scorcher, locals waking up to a warm, muggy sunrise around 7:14 a.m. and expecting sunset right at 7:53 p.m. According to Texas Border Business, the heat’s just been hanging on, with mid-90s temps by noon, humidity lingering near 70%, and winds clipping along at 10 to 15 mph out of the southeast. No rain to shake things up—but that's good news for consistent fishing, with steady river levels and clearer water.
Tide-wise, the river’s not tidal this far upriver, but folks chasing action toward the Boca Chica mouth or in nearby Laguna Madre have seen low tides through the morning and a moderate push high mid-afternoon, according to Captain Experiences' guide network. That’s given waders and bank anglers a shot at the drop-offs and channel edges while boaters are sliding into skinny water just as things heat up.
The water’s running a little low this week as reported by Inside Climate News, with regional drought pressing flows and the ongoing legal wranglings over water rights in the news. Still, there’s enough moving current to stir up feeding activity—especially at dawn and dusk, when the heat eases and baitfish move into the shallows.
Fishing’s been mixed but plenty promising. Catfish have continued to bite along deeper holes and under the shade of old cypress stumps near Rio Grande City and Roma. Bigger blue cats and the occasional flathead are taking fresh-cut shad and small sunfish on heavy rigs, with nighttime soaking especially productive.
Bass anglers are finding largemouth still cooperative, especially early—best on watermelon or black soft plastics worked around submerged structure, and topwater frogs or buzzbaits thrown near the grassy banks. Some nice fish in the 2–3-pound class are being caught, with an occasional hawg over five stretching a line. Shoal Creek’s all-tackle records show there’s potential for even larger catches this time of year.
Those targeting the Rio Grande cichlid—the piña, a true local favorite—are having good luck on bits of worm or small Beetle Spins. These spirited little fish are crowding up in slackwater pools and seem to fire up once midday clouds drift in.
On the saltier side, reports from Captain Experiences guides down at Boca Chica and the mouth say redfish are running strong as they start pre-fall schooling. Several crews hit limits on slot reds using gold spoons and live mullet drifted over grass flats just inside the passes. If trout are your target, soft plastics in white or chartreuse have drawn steady strikes along South Bay edges, especially on a light southeast wind.
If you’re hunting for hotspots, don’t overlook:
- The old ferry crossing at Los Ebanos for big cats at dusk.
- Downstream bends near Hueco Chiquito for consistent bass action.
- The tidal flats just east of Brownsville, around Boca Chica, for redfish in the late afternoon push.
Best lures today have been:
- Whopper Plopper and Pop-R’s for those dawn topwater surges.
- Texas-rigged Senkos and creature baits, fished slow for pressured largemouth.
- Gold and silver spoons for redfish; they’ve been visible tailing in shallow grass early and late.
- Cut shad, chicken liver, or nightcrawler balls for soaking up cats.
- Beetle Spins (white/black) or live worm bits for cichlids and panfish.
Fish activity overall has been best at dawn and an hour before sunset, with a slowdown midday. Recent catches have been steady: blues into the teens, stringers of bass, and solid reds, along with the odd bonus flounder creeping in on live mud minnows.
That’s the wrap for this local check-in along the Rio Grande—stay hydrated, keep your hooks sharp, and don’t forget that early fall run is just about to start kicking. Thanks for tuning in, and be sure to subscribe for your daily dose.
This has been a quiet please produc
Tide-wise, the river’s not tidal this far upriver, but folks chasing action toward the Boca Chica mouth or in nearby Laguna Madre have seen low tides through the morning and a moderate push high mid-afternoon, according to Captain Experiences' guide network. That’s given waders and bank anglers a shot at the drop-offs and channel edges while boaters are sliding into skinny water just as things heat up.
The water’s running a little low this week as reported by Inside Climate News, with regional drought pressing flows and the ongoing legal wranglings over water rights in the news. Still, there’s enough moving current to stir up feeding activity—especially at dawn and dusk, when the heat eases and baitfish move into the shallows.
Fishing’s been mixed but plenty promising. Catfish have continued to bite along deeper holes and under the shade of old cypress stumps near Rio Grande City and Roma. Bigger blue cats and the occasional flathead are taking fresh-cut shad and small sunfish on heavy rigs, with nighttime soaking especially productive.
Bass anglers are finding largemouth still cooperative, especially early—best on watermelon or black soft plastics worked around submerged structure, and topwater frogs or buzzbaits thrown near the grassy banks. Some nice fish in the 2–3-pound class are being caught, with an occasional hawg over five stretching a line. Shoal Creek’s all-tackle records show there’s potential for even larger catches this time of year.
Those targeting the Rio Grande cichlid—the piña, a true local favorite—are having good luck on bits of worm or small Beetle Spins. These spirited little fish are crowding up in slackwater pools and seem to fire up once midday clouds drift in.
On the saltier side, reports from Captain Experiences guides down at Boca Chica and the mouth say redfish are running strong as they start pre-fall schooling. Several crews hit limits on slot reds using gold spoons and live mullet drifted over grass flats just inside the passes. If trout are your target, soft plastics in white or chartreuse have drawn steady strikes along South Bay edges, especially on a light southeast wind.
If you’re hunting for hotspots, don’t overlook:
- The old ferry crossing at Los Ebanos for big cats at dusk.
- Downstream bends near Hueco Chiquito for consistent bass action.
- The tidal flats just east of Brownsville, around Boca Chica, for redfish in the late afternoon push.
Best lures today have been:
- Whopper Plopper and Pop-R’s for those dawn topwater surges.
- Texas-rigged Senkos and creature baits, fished slow for pressured largemouth.
- Gold and silver spoons for redfish; they’ve been visible tailing in shallow grass early and late.
- Cut shad, chicken liver, or nightcrawler balls for soaking up cats.
- Beetle Spins (white/black) or live worm bits for cichlids and panfish.
Fish activity overall has been best at dawn and an hour before sunset, with a slowdown midday. Recent catches have been steady: blues into the teens, stringers of bass, and solid reds, along with the odd bonus flounder creeping in on live mud minnows.
That’s the wrap for this local check-in along the Rio Grande—stay hydrated, keep your hooks sharp, and don’t forget that early fall run is just about to start kicking. Thanks for tuning in, and be sure to subscribe for your daily dose.
This has been a quiet please produc