Fall Bite Heats Up on Texas Gulf Coast - Reds, Trout, Drum and Flounder Await

Artificial Lure here, reporting live from the Texas Gulf Coast, where the fall bite is heating up and the promise of cooler, crisper mornings has anglers restless to hit the water. Sunrise today is right at 7:27AM, with sunset on the early side at 6:38PM, leaving a nice chunk of daylight to chase the reds, trout, drum and flounder across the bays and jetties along the Gulf. Tidal movement is gentle but favorable, with early morning high water topping out at 2:58AM, followed by a dropping tide into a slack low at 1:27PM, before a strong push builds again toward an 11:02PM high. That outgoing water late morning through early afternoon helps concentrate bait and has the predators lurking on ambush[Texas City Tide Charts]. Weather is classic fall—mild winds and temps starting cool but climbing into the upper 70s. Light chop through midmorning but overall excellent for both inshore and jetty fishing. Cloud cover is light, which means fish will slide into those sand pockets and deep edges as the sun gets higher. Up the coast from Port Aransas, Captain Monty Graham at Texas Fishing Tips reports the barge channel and the ends of bulkheads are loaded with activity. Bull reds and slot reds are moving through in waves, and black drum are showing up in solid numbers. Cut baits—especially cut ladyfish, mullet, or perch—are the ticket for these big reds. If you can land a live pin perch, clip the tail and fins and you'll draw the right kind of attention. Live shrimp is producing well on the outside of the jetties, especially on trudging black drum and the occasional speckled trout. Early risers working the granite with live croaker or piggies are still finding trout hanging tight inside the rocks[Texas Fishing Tips, Oct 24, 2025]. For artificial lovers, soft plastics and paddle tails are working along the Lilianne Channel and all down the sand pockets behind the shrimp boat channel, especially on high tide. Stick with natural colors to match the copious mullet and piggies present. Double up piggies for stubborn reds, or move lighter with just one for better trout action. Flounder is a strong bet right now—live mullet slow-dragged tight to the bottom is getting the best hits, especially around ICW islands and near current breaks. Dead shrimp is also working well for black drum holding on the island points. Use lighter weight rigs for these, just enough to keep you on the bottom and drift with the current. Recent catches have been solid, with boxes filling out with reds, a few upper-slot trout, drum and an improving flounder showing as October wears on. Some days the bite is soft and patience is needed, but working sand pockets and potholes as the sun gets higher is bringing results. A couple of hotspots worth your time today: - South Jetty at Port Aransas, targeting 18-30 feet with cut baits for bull reds and drum. - Back islands and sand pockets behind shrimp boat channel, especially islands one through four, drifting live mullet or piggies for a mixed This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.