Episode Details

Good morning Anglers, Artificial Lure here with your September 26th fishing report for the Rio Grande Valley and mighty Falcon Lake, coming to you just after sunrise—officially 7:24 AM today, with sunset set for 7:29 PM. We’ve got a muggy start down here, temps already working their way into the low 80s and heat indexes pushing up fast—expect high heat into the upper 90s today, so bring plenty of ice and water, especially if you’re beating the banks or braving the sun out on Falcon.

Winds are rolling out of the southeast at 10 to 15 knots this morning according to MarineWeather.net, so your drift will be decent but not unmanageable. Offshore, look for 2 to 3 foot seas and an off-and-on chance of a quick thundershower rolling through, especially in the midafternoon, so pack a slicker and keep your eye on the sky. These humid, overcast mornings and scattered showers often mean active feeding windows, so be ready when bait starts popping near the shallows or structure.

Recent action from local guides and daily reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife say the cooling trend hasn’t kicked in yet, but fish are on the move. Falcon Lake water sits around 85°F and the levels are about 47 feet below pool—still low, so watch for rocks and stay mainly to marked channels or well-known drops. Catfish have been fair to good on the main lake points and in shallow timber; fish 5–10 feet using fresh-cut shad, tilapia, or even store-bought shrimp. Shrimp and stinkbait are pulling in solid keeper catfish up shallow—look for shaded timber in 3–5 feet.

If you’re targeting **alligator gar**, fresh carp or tilapia cut bait is producing well on rod and reel, especially along mud banks. Bass folks, you’ve got good shots in 8–20 feet off hard bottoms—plenty of bites coming on Texas-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits run along rocky points, and spinnerbaits just at daylight. Early and late, hit the shallows above submerged rocks or brush with square bills, then back out a bit deeper as the sun climbs and water heats up. Don’t sleep on Carolina rigs close to channel drops or creek mouths either.

Word from several recent guide trips is that variety’s the name of the game if you’re flexible—anglers this week put multiple species in the box, including largemouth, catfish, drum, gar, and the occasional big hybrid or white bass when working deeper humps with heavy spoons and jigs. One group even tangled with a tarpon near the river mouth on heavy gear—have to say that’s rare but just goes to show what the Rio can produce if you’re persistent and a little bit lucky.

Top baits right now:
- **Catfish**: Fresh shad, cut bait, shrimp, and stinkbait in the timber and points
- **Bass**: Watermelon or green pumpkin plastics, deep and medium diving crankbaits, chartreuse/white spinnerbaits, and black/blue jigs
- **Gar & Drum**: Cut tilapia or carp

Best lures run with solid color contrast thanks to the stained water—chartreuse, black, and deep blues are killer. For top action, throw topwater early if wind is light; switch to weighted plastics once the sun’s up.

Best spots to fish:
- **Veleno Bridge and timber field**: Great for catfish and bass on both plastics and cut bait.
- **Marker 8 drop-offs and State Park coves**: Shallow early, then move deeper as the day heats up.
- **Zapata County Ramp area**: Limited launch access so be early, but plenty of action near the main channel edges.

Crappie has been slow, so focus your time where bait’s thick and cover is dense—try vertical jigging on brush, but don’t expect a limit this week.

That’s your rundown for today, folks! Thanks for tuning in—tight lines and stay safe out there. Don’t forget to subscribe for more daily updates and tips straight from the water.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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