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Late Summer Slam: Trout, Reds, and Catfish Abound in the Rio Grande Valley
Published 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Good morning, this is Artificial Lure with your September 7th, 2025 fishing report for the Rio Grande Valley and nearby South Texas coastal waters.
Today’s forecast is a sweet one for anglers across the region. According to the National Weather Service in Brownsville, we’re expecting light winds out of the southwest at 5 knots early, swinging around southeast as we move into the afternoon. The bay will have a gentle chop—just enough to keep things interesting—and out in the Gulf, seas are running an easy 1 to 2 feet, perfect for bay boats and flats skiffs alike. The weather is classic late-summer coastal Texas: warm and humid, with a light breeze and only a slight chance of a passing thunderstorm late in the day. Sunrise was at 7:14 AM this morning, and you’ll get your last casts in until just past 7:45 PM tonight.
Tides are moderate with a low just before dawn and the incoming pushing through the morning hours—prime time for redfish and speckled trout around the spoil banks and creek mouths. Hot, humid, and a little water movement means the fish should be moving up onto the flats to hunt.
In recent days, anglers working the shrimp boats and nearshore rigs have reported good numbers of slot reds and speckled trout, especially around the South Bay and Boca Chica flats. Some solid flounder are starting to show in the deep cuts as they transition for the fall run. Those drifting the Laguna Madre are also reporting limits of trout in the early morning on bone and chartreuse soft plastics. Folks hitting the Rio Grande itself have landed some nice channel cats on cut shad and stinkbait, plus a few gar for those looking to tangle with something toothy.
As for lures, patterns have held steady this week. Your best bet is going to be a quarter-ounce jighead rigged with a soft plastic in chartreuse with red flake, or a shrimp imitation under a popping cork if you’re targeting pockets of deeper water or working the grass edges. For topwater action, especially in the low light of dawn, chrome or bone-colored walking baits like the classic Super Spook are drawing solid blowups from trout and redfish alike. Cut mullet and live finger mullet have been the ticket for the bigger slot reds along the deeper drop-offs.
Bay fishermen are also seeing success with live shrimp, especially under a popping cork near the spoil islands and along the deeper grass beds. Those looking for a mixed bag in the river itself should stick with chicken livers or cut bait for catfish, and inline spinners or crankbaits if you’re after bass or gar.
If you’re looking for hot spots, make a run out to South Bay just north of Boca Chica or slide over to the Port Isabel side, working the flats near the causeway or even trying your luck at Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier in Port Isabel—the longest pier in Texas and a local favorite for a reason. Closer to the river, just downstream of the Zapata boat ramp has been good for steady catfish action, and folks working the bends northeast of Falcon Lake have picked up some quality gar and even a few schoolie bass.
A reminder to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and keep an eye out for afternoon pop-up storms. That incoming morning tide should set you up for a memorable day, whether it’s trout and reds on the flats or cats and gar in the river. The fish are biting, and early September is tough to beat down here in the Valley!
Thanks for tuning in to your Rio Grande Valley fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for more local insights and updates.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Today’s forecast is a sweet one for anglers across the region. According to the National Weather Service in Brownsville, we’re expecting light winds out of the southwest at 5 knots early, swinging around southeast as we move into the afternoon. The bay will have a gentle chop—just enough to keep things interesting—and out in the Gulf, seas are running an easy 1 to 2 feet, perfect for bay boats and flats skiffs alike. The weather is classic late-summer coastal Texas: warm and humid, with a light breeze and only a slight chance of a passing thunderstorm late in the day. Sunrise was at 7:14 AM this morning, and you’ll get your last casts in until just past 7:45 PM tonight.
Tides are moderate with a low just before dawn and the incoming pushing through the morning hours—prime time for redfish and speckled trout around the spoil banks and creek mouths. Hot, humid, and a little water movement means the fish should be moving up onto the flats to hunt.
In recent days, anglers working the shrimp boats and nearshore rigs have reported good numbers of slot reds and speckled trout, especially around the South Bay and Boca Chica flats. Some solid flounder are starting to show in the deep cuts as they transition for the fall run. Those drifting the Laguna Madre are also reporting limits of trout in the early morning on bone and chartreuse soft plastics. Folks hitting the Rio Grande itself have landed some nice channel cats on cut shad and stinkbait, plus a few gar for those looking to tangle with something toothy.
As for lures, patterns have held steady this week. Your best bet is going to be a quarter-ounce jighead rigged with a soft plastic in chartreuse with red flake, or a shrimp imitation under a popping cork if you’re targeting pockets of deeper water or working the grass edges. For topwater action, especially in the low light of dawn, chrome or bone-colored walking baits like the classic Super Spook are drawing solid blowups from trout and redfish alike. Cut mullet and live finger mullet have been the ticket for the bigger slot reds along the deeper drop-offs.
Bay fishermen are also seeing success with live shrimp, especially under a popping cork near the spoil islands and along the deeper grass beds. Those looking for a mixed bag in the river itself should stick with chicken livers or cut bait for catfish, and inline spinners or crankbaits if you’re after bass or gar.
If you’re looking for hot spots, make a run out to South Bay just north of Boca Chica or slide over to the Port Isabel side, working the flats near the causeway or even trying your luck at Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier in Port Isabel—the longest pier in Texas and a local favorite for a reason. Closer to the river, just downstream of the Zapata boat ramp has been good for steady catfish action, and folks working the bends northeast of Falcon Lake have picked up some quality gar and even a few schoolie bass.
A reminder to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and keep an eye out for afternoon pop-up storms. That incoming morning tide should set you up for a memorable day, whether it’s trout and reds on the flats or cats and gar in the river. The fish are biting, and early September is tough to beat down here in the Valley!
Thanks for tuning in to your Rio Grande Valley fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for more local insights and updates.
This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.