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Warm Fall Fishing on the Rio Grande: Catfish, Bass, and More in South Texas
Published 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
Artificial Lure here reporting from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, where we’re enjoying a warm, bright fall morning on Sunday, November 9, 2025. Out on the banks and boat ramps near Rio Grande City to Brownsville, anglers are kicking off the day under clear skies, with temps climbing fast—yesterday and today, the Rio Grande Valley has been locked into an early-November heat wave, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, according to KRGV’s weather team. Winds are light out of the southeast, which is making for slick water in the morning and an easy drift for those fishing both the river and the lower local resacas.
Sunrise came at 6:47 AM and sunset will fall at 5:44 PM today, giving us a solid window for extended action, especially early and late when the heat is less intense and the bite gets fired up. Tidal movement isn’t a hard driver this far upriver, but if you’re venturing toward the Laguna or tidal-influenced portions, Sabine Pass North’s NOAA station clocked the low tide around midnight and a solid high tide expected this evening, so bay anglers should watch for peaking currents near dusk.
Fish activity is robust this weekend thanks to the lingering summer warmth and stable conditions. River levels are healthy and clear. Water clarity is decent in the mainstream and off-channel cuts—perfect for targeting mixed bag action. Lately, the catch reports have included lots of **Blue catfish** and **Channel catfish** from the deeper river bends and brush piles, with several fish in the 3-8 pound range landed this week. The stretch near Falcon Lake and the Zapata boat ramp have been especially productive for catfish overnight with both cut shad and stink bait leading the way.
**Largemouth bass** are still active, particularly on rocky points and submerged brush—Texas Parks and Wildlife records show regular catches of quality largemouth up to 4 pounds in this stretch. Early-morning topwater bites are hot, especially on chartreuse buzzbaits and walking-style plugs, then shifting to Texas-rigged plastics (try watermelon red or junebug colors) and medium-diving crankbaits as the sun gets up. For fly anglers and ultralight spinners, the **Rio Grande cichlid** (locally called “perch”) are plentiful in shallow cover and hitting beetle spins, small poppers, and pink grubs.
Live bait—fresh shad, nightcrawlers, and shrimp—are top choices for numbers, while those chasing bigger cats and the occasional alligator gar should consider switching to cut carp or tilapia. Artificial lures are producing, too. Locals recommend gold and black Rapala-style jerkbaits and dark soft plastics on a slow retrieve. Captain Experiences reports that light tackle fishing with artificials is extremely popular here lately, especially around Falcon Lake’s brush lines.
Hot spots today include:
- **The pump station cut near Roma:** consistent catfish and bass, easy bank access.
- **Below the spillway at Falcon Lake:** always worth a shot for cats, stripers, and an occasional gar.
- **Resaca de la Palma:** for monster sunfish and cichlid action.
On the coastal side, any anglers stretching to South Bay or the mouth of the Rio Grande can expect good redfish and black drum action on cut mullet and shrimp, especially with water temps holding steady from the week’s heat.
That’s the picture for today around the Rio Grande—plenty of bites, lots of variety, and fall heat making for good conditions. Thanks for tuning in to this Rio Grande fishing report. If you found it helpful, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a hot bite.
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-generate
Sunrise came at 6:47 AM and sunset will fall at 5:44 PM today, giving us a solid window for extended action, especially early and late when the heat is less intense and the bite gets fired up. Tidal movement isn’t a hard driver this far upriver, but if you’re venturing toward the Laguna or tidal-influenced portions, Sabine Pass North’s NOAA station clocked the low tide around midnight and a solid high tide expected this evening, so bay anglers should watch for peaking currents near dusk.
Fish activity is robust this weekend thanks to the lingering summer warmth and stable conditions. River levels are healthy and clear. Water clarity is decent in the mainstream and off-channel cuts—perfect for targeting mixed bag action. Lately, the catch reports have included lots of **Blue catfish** and **Channel catfish** from the deeper river bends and brush piles, with several fish in the 3-8 pound range landed this week. The stretch near Falcon Lake and the Zapata boat ramp have been especially productive for catfish overnight with both cut shad and stink bait leading the way.
**Largemouth bass** are still active, particularly on rocky points and submerged brush—Texas Parks and Wildlife records show regular catches of quality largemouth up to 4 pounds in this stretch. Early-morning topwater bites are hot, especially on chartreuse buzzbaits and walking-style plugs, then shifting to Texas-rigged plastics (try watermelon red or junebug colors) and medium-diving crankbaits as the sun gets up. For fly anglers and ultralight spinners, the **Rio Grande cichlid** (locally called “perch”) are plentiful in shallow cover and hitting beetle spins, small poppers, and pink grubs.
Live bait—fresh shad, nightcrawlers, and shrimp—are top choices for numbers, while those chasing bigger cats and the occasional alligator gar should consider switching to cut carp or tilapia. Artificial lures are producing, too. Locals recommend gold and black Rapala-style jerkbaits and dark soft plastics on a slow retrieve. Captain Experiences reports that light tackle fishing with artificials is extremely popular here lately, especially around Falcon Lake’s brush lines.
Hot spots today include:
- **The pump station cut near Roma:** consistent catfish and bass, easy bank access.
- **Below the spillway at Falcon Lake:** always worth a shot for cats, stripers, and an occasional gar.
- **Resaca de la Palma:** for monster sunfish and cichlid action.
On the coastal side, any anglers stretching to South Bay or the mouth of the Rio Grande can expect good redfish and black drum action on cut mullet and shrimp, especially with water temps holding steady from the week’s heat.
That’s the picture for today around the Rio Grande—plenty of bites, lots of variety, and fall heat making for good conditions. Thanks for tuning in to this Rio Grande fishing report. If you found it helpful, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a hot bite.
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-generate