"Texas Gulf Coast Fishing Report: Reds, Trout, and Sharks Heating Up"

Artificial Lure bringing you the latest from the Texas Gulf Coast for Friday, September 26, 2025. We kicked off the day under clear skies, warm temps sitting in the low to mid-80s, and a light offshore breeze—the kind of weather that just sings “get on the salt.” Sunrise was at 7:10 AM, sunset’s coming at 7:10 PM, so you’ll get a good stretch for that after-work wade or paddle run according to Tide-Forecast.com. Tides for Texas City show a high at 4:48 AM, a low around 2:00 PM, and another big push with a high near 11:11 PM—classic for stirring up some strong activity at both ends of the day. In East Galveston Bay the bite’s been reliably good. Captain Jeff Brandon with Get the Net Guide Service says the **redfish** are stacked up shallow, especially along grass lines and drain cuts in just a foot or two of water. Find active bait and you’ll find reds—if the bait’s scarce, don’t burn precious time, just move onto the next drain or patch of shell. Mornings and evenings are strongest. Key lures here are imitation shrimp and paddletail soft plastics under a popping cork, 1–2 foot leader; Monkey Milk and pink tint have been hot colors. For folks who love the topwater game, those walking baits—Skitter Walks or Zara Spooks—are drawing some aggressive strikes early and late. **Speckled trout** are showing on mid-bay reefs and over shell in 3–4 feet of water. You’ll catch a mess of smalls, but there are pockets of solid keepers, especially over shell pockets near current. Use soft plastics on light 1/8 oz. heads, and if the water’s slick calm, drop to a 1/16 oz. for a natural fall. Late summer crowds are thinning—those who know are sneaking out during the week and putting together great boxes. Still seeing some **flounder** around the grass and on shallow shell beds near structure, especially where you get good current flow. Gulp! swimming mullets or white curly tails on light jigheads have been reliable when bounced right along the bottom. If you’re venturing further south towards Corpus, the surf bite has picked up in the early hours. Bob Hall Pier made headlines a few days ago with a 10-foot-8 hammerhead landed by a local guide—sharks are still prowling in close, especially at dawn and dusk, so steer clear if you’re wading deep, but do break out the heavy gear if you want a real rodeo. According to MySanAntonio.com, sharks and bull reds are moving through the cuts and around piers, so throw large cut mullet or fresh whiting for your shot at a true drag-screamer. For bait, live shrimp is catching everything, but if the croaker or menhaden are thick, freelined live bait is best for pulling bigger specks and slot reds. Cut bait—especially mullet—is irresistible for reds and bigger predators. If you’re sticking artificial, scented soft plastics will help in murky conditions and can cover water faster than popping corks. Hot spots to try: - **East Galveston Bay:** Fish grass drains and shell on the north shoreline at first light for reds, or try Hann This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.