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Late December Fishing on the Lower Rio Grande
Published 4 months, 1 week ago
Description
Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from down here on the lower Rio Grande around Roma to Salineño and down-valley toward Brownsville.
We’re sitting in classic late-December South Texas conditions. National Weather Service Brownsville has us starting cool in the low 60s at daybreak, warming into the upper 70s this afternoon with light to moderate southeast wind and mostly clear skies. That light SE breeze is perfect for drifting the river edges and the backwater resacas. According to the Brownsville forecast office, no serious fronts pushing through today, so don’t expect a big pressure swing to fire up or shut down the bite.
Sunrise over the Valley is right around 7:10 a.m. and sunset just after 5:45 p.m., lining up nicely with the better solunar windows. Solunar tables for the middle Texas coast show a stronger feeding push late morning into early afternoon, with a secondary bump near dusk. Treat those same windows as your go-time on this stretch of the Rio.
Tide-wise, we don’t get true coastal tide in the upriver sections, but the coastal gauges at the mouth near Brownsville show a modest high mid‑day and a falling water level late afternoon. That gentle fall tends to pull bait off the flooded edges and set up ambush points on outside bends and inlet mouths along the lower river and connected resacas.
Recent word from local anglers and shop talk along the Valley is pretty consistent:
- **White bass** and **largemouth** are nipping along current breaks, especially early. Small schools of whites have been pushing shad up onto gravel bars below the deeper bends.
- **Blue and channel catfish** have been steady on deeper holes and along riprap near bridge pilings, with a few nicer blues reported after dark.
- In the backwater resacas, folks are still picking up **Rio Grande cichlids**, **bluegill**, and the occasional **gar** on small artificials and cut bait.
Lure-wise, keep it simple and local:
- For bass and white bass, throw **¼‑oz silver or pearl shad spoons**, small chrome Rat‑L‑Traps, and 3‑inch paddle‑tail swimbaits in “opening night” or plain white. Slow-roll them along the drop from the bank into the first channel swing.
- For finicky fish, a **1/8‑oz jighead** with a pearl or pumpkinseed grub, dragged just off bottom, has outfished flashier stuff this week.
- Catfish are best on **fresh cut shad, chicken liver, or punch bait** on simple Carolina or slip‑sink rigs. Anchor upcurrent of a hole, feed a light chum line of soured grain or mash, and give it time.
If you’re chasing panfish and cichlids around the resacas, a **small float with a piece of shrimp, red worm, or Berkley Gulp! crappie nibble** will keep the rod bent. Tiny 1/32‑oz marabou or tube jigs in chartreuse/white also play.
Couple of hot spots to circle on your mental map:
- **Salineño bend and the island just downstream**: classic deep outside bend with good current seams and rock. Work small crankbaits and spoons along the edge for bass and white bass, then soak cut bait in the deeper gut for blues.
- **Roma bridge area**: riprap, shade lines, and a little current make it a solid catfish and drum spot. Fish the downstream side, tight to structure, especially toward evening.
Downriver toward Brownsville, any resaca with decent depth and a little brush is worth a slow lap with a small swimbait or Texas‑rigged creature bait. Stay quiet, keep your casts low, and you’ll be surprised what slides out of that cover.
That’s the word from Artificial Lure on the Rio Grande today.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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
We’re sitting in classic late-December South Texas conditions. National Weather Service Brownsville has us starting cool in the low 60s at daybreak, warming into the upper 70s this afternoon with light to moderate southeast wind and mostly clear skies. That light SE breeze is perfect for drifting the river edges and the backwater resacas. According to the Brownsville forecast office, no serious fronts pushing through today, so don’t expect a big pressure swing to fire up or shut down the bite.
Sunrise over the Valley is right around 7:10 a.m. and sunset just after 5:45 p.m., lining up nicely with the better solunar windows. Solunar tables for the middle Texas coast show a stronger feeding push late morning into early afternoon, with a secondary bump near dusk. Treat those same windows as your go-time on this stretch of the Rio.
Tide-wise, we don’t get true coastal tide in the upriver sections, but the coastal gauges at the mouth near Brownsville show a modest high mid‑day and a falling water level late afternoon. That gentle fall tends to pull bait off the flooded edges and set up ambush points on outside bends and inlet mouths along the lower river and connected resacas.
Recent word from local anglers and shop talk along the Valley is pretty consistent:
- **White bass** and **largemouth** are nipping along current breaks, especially early. Small schools of whites have been pushing shad up onto gravel bars below the deeper bends.
- **Blue and channel catfish** have been steady on deeper holes and along riprap near bridge pilings, with a few nicer blues reported after dark.
- In the backwater resacas, folks are still picking up **Rio Grande cichlids**, **bluegill**, and the occasional **gar** on small artificials and cut bait.
Lure-wise, keep it simple and local:
- For bass and white bass, throw **¼‑oz silver or pearl shad spoons**, small chrome Rat‑L‑Traps, and 3‑inch paddle‑tail swimbaits in “opening night” or plain white. Slow-roll them along the drop from the bank into the first channel swing.
- For finicky fish, a **1/8‑oz jighead** with a pearl or pumpkinseed grub, dragged just off bottom, has outfished flashier stuff this week.
- Catfish are best on **fresh cut shad, chicken liver, or punch bait** on simple Carolina or slip‑sink rigs. Anchor upcurrent of a hole, feed a light chum line of soured grain or mash, and give it time.
If you’re chasing panfish and cichlids around the resacas, a **small float with a piece of shrimp, red worm, or Berkley Gulp! crappie nibble** will keep the rod bent. Tiny 1/32‑oz marabou or tube jigs in chartreuse/white also play.
Couple of hot spots to circle on your mental map:
- **Salineño bend and the island just downstream**: classic deep outside bend with good current seams and rock. Work small crankbaits and spoons along the edge for bass and white bass, then soak cut bait in the deeper gut for blues.
- **Roma bridge area**: riprap, shade lines, and a little current make it a solid catfish and drum spot. Fish the downstream side, tight to structure, especially toward evening.
Downriver toward Brownsville, any resaca with decent depth and a little brush is worth a slow lap with a small swimbait or Texas‑rigged creature bait. Stay quiet, keep your casts low, and you’ll be surprised what slides out of that cover.
That’s the word from Artificial Lure on the Rio Grande today.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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