Texas Gulf Coast Fishing Report: Redfish, Trout, and More Biting Strong on the First Warm Spring Days

Artificial Lure here with your Gulf of Mexico Texas coast fishing report for Friday, April 18, 2025. Today’s conditions are classic springtime on the Gulf. Sunrise hit around 6:50 am and sunset’s at 7:50 pm, so there’s a solid window for both morning and evening bites. The tide’s running low at 6:56 am and peaks to a high at 4:29 pm, making that midday to late afternoon stretch the prime time, especially around passes and jetties when fish get active on moving water[9]. Weather’s been mild, with highs in the mid-70s and water temps pushing the same. Light winds have kept water clarity good on most shorelines, though spring still brings those sudden changes, so always check just before heading out. Let’s talk about the fishing. Bolivar and the Texas City Dike are hot right now. The surf is producing big redfish, black drum, and some hefty speckled trout. If you’re fishing the jetties, you’ll pick up redfish, sand trout, black drum, sheepshead, and the occasional flounder. There are also more small sharks starting to move in but the real action for them is just about to kick off as things keep warming up. Wade fishermen along the levee report excellent bites, especially at dawn and dusk[1]. Over in Trinity Bay, trout are hot along west shorelines and up by Smith Point. Soft plastic paddle tails in peppered pumpkin or chartreuse have been the ticket, and live shrimp under a popping cork is money for redfish, drum, and sheepshead. Redfish are working shallow grass lines and scattered oyster—focus on those spots with paddle tails or shrimp[1]. Best lures for the day: Start the morning with topwaters like Skitterwalks in silver mullet or bone colors, switching to soft plastics like Texas Trout Killers or Norton Sand Eel Jrs in pumpkinseed or black/chartreuse as the sun climbs. For redfish in the grass and flats, buggs jigs in natural or blue crab colors work wonders, especially for sight-casting. Silver spoons are a solid bet on clear, sunny afternoons[7][10]. Live bait’s always effective: finger mullet and shrimp are producing steady action, especially for big drum and bull reds. For sheepshead and flounder, live shrimp close to structure is a sure thing[1][7]. Fish activity is high. Recent catches include plenty of slot reds, some 22-26 inch trout, black drum up to 40 pounds, sheepshead, sand trout, and a handful of flounder starting to poke around, especially in deeper pockets and around the rocks. There’s also reports of small blacktip and bonnethead sharks showing up in the surf and near passes[1][4][8]. Hotspots to hit: Try the Bolivar jetties and surf for numbers and mixed bags, or the Texas City Dike for steady action on trout, reds, and drum. Down south, Gas Well Flats and Three Islands in South Padre are putting out solid trout and redfish[1]. That’s your bite for today. Tight lines and remember, keep your hooks sharp and your bait fresh. It’s a great time to be fishing the Texas Gulf! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.