This is Artificial Lure with your Rio Grande fishing report. We’ve got a hot, muggy start down here on the South Texas border. Around Rio Grande City and downstream, expect temps pushing the mid‑90s by afternoon, light southeast breeze 8–12 mph, and that typical heavy Valley humidity. Skies are partly cloudy with a chance of a passing shower late. Sunrise comes a little after 6:40 a.m., sunset just before 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got a long daylight window, but the best bite is stacked on the edges. On the coast side, folks running down toward Boca Chica and the lower Laguna Madre are seeing a moderate tidal swing: a low before mid‑morning and a building incoming tide through midday, leveling off late afternoon. That incoming has been the trigger, pushing bait up onto the edges of sandbars and into the mouths of cuts. River level on the Rio Grande itself is low to moderate, with decent clarity in the slower bends and backwater pockets, but a little stain in the main current. That’s helping the bite in tighter structure. Recent catches up and down this stretch: In the river, anglers are reporting good numbers of channel catfish and some solid blue cats in the 3–10 lb range, with the occasional bigger fish mixed in. Largemouth bass have been active early and late, mostly 1–3 lbs, with a few heavier fish pulled out of deeper laydowns. Warmouth and sunfish are thick in the brushy pockets, great for filling a cooler. Coastal runs toward the mouth have produced speckled trout in the 16–22 inch class and plenty of school‑size redfish on the flats and guts just inside the passes. A few black drum and mangrove snapper are hanging tight to rock and bridge structure where the water’s got a little more flow. Fish activity today should be strongest at first light until about 9 a.m., then again that last hour before dark. That incoming tide mid‑day can give you a second wind on the coast if the wind doesn’t blow it out too hard. Midday on the river, slide deeper or into the shade. Best lures right now: For the river bass: – Small shad‑pattern crankbaits, squarebills in chartreuse/black or sexy shad, ticking off rock and timber. – 4–6 inch green pumpkin or watermelon red soft plastics, Texas‑rigged or on a light shaky head, pitched into laydowns and riprap. – Topwater walkers and poppers in bone or chrome right at sunrise along submerged brush and current seams. For cats: – Fresh cut shad, chicken liver, stink bait, or punch bait on slip rigs and tight lines in the deeper outside bends and below any riffle or small rapid. Nighttime and low‑light hours are best. Coastal side: – Specks are chewing on soft plastic paddletails in white/chartreuse or opening night colors on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, especially over grass and sand potholes. – Redfish are eating gold spoons, natural‑colored shrimp imitations under popping corks, and small crab or mullet‑pattern soft plastics bounced along the bottom. – Live shrimp and small croaker are still hard to beat under a cork around jetties, bridges, and channel edges. A couple of hot spots to circle: – The deeper outside bends and rock banks just west of Rio Grande City, where there’s a mix of laydowns and slow current. Work crankbaits along the break and soak cut bait on the downstream side of the bends for cats. – Near the river mouth and adjacent coastal flats toward Boca Chica, especially the first gut inside the breakers and the cuts leading into the bay. Hit it on the incoming tide with soft plastics for trout and spoons for reds. Water’s warm, fish are active, but pace yourself and keep plenty of water on board. Watch out for sudden storms popping up with that Gulf moisture. This is Artificial Lure, thanking you for tuning in. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a 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
