Good morning, Gulf Coast anglers—this is Artificial Lure checking in with your all-coastal Texas fishing report for Friday, October 17th, 2025. If you’re headed out to the Gulf or working the bays and backwaters from Galveston to Port Aransas, today’s shaping up to be a classic October bite. Let’s run down what you need to know before wetting a line.

**Tides and Conditions:**
Across the mid and upper coast, the first high tide hits right around 3:45 AM, leveling off to a mid-morning low near 9:45, followed by a healthy second high at about 2:30 PM and another outgoing low just after dark around 9:30. According to tide-forecast.com, today brings a nearly 1.7-foot morning swing and the afternoon push should keep fish feeding—timing those moving waters is key. Sunrise comes at 7:22 AM, sunset at 6:46 PM—prime for those dawn patrol and sundown bites.

Weather-wise, National Weather Service Houston/Galveston is calling for light north wind and continued fall stable weather—temps warming fast to the mid-80s. Water clarity is solid after recent fronts, with bait thickening in the shallows and clean green surf on tap, especially after that high tide flips.

**Fishing Action:**
The fall run is officially on: reports from Texas Parks and Wildlife in Port Aransas say tarpon are still at the jetties, being picked off on live and free-lined shrimp as well as suspending lures. Redfish are schooling up predictably bigger and better, with oversized bulls gathering on the north and south jetties—try cut mullet or crab for the big ones, and silver spoons if you’re pounding the surf. The surf is also holding slot reds and speckled trout—best results with croaker or live shrimp early, before the water heats up by midday.

The Laguna Madre and Corpus Christi area are lit up for redfish working the flats and guts, especially around Bird Island Basin, JFK Causeway spoil islands, and Packery Channel, all highlighted this week by FishingReminder. Speckled trout are sliding up onto grass edges and potholes at first light, and flounder are stirring on the deeper channel edges as they gear up for their fall migration. Don’t overlook black drum and sheepshead tight to rocks and marina pilings—dead shrimp or crab pieces are solid producers.

**Lures and Baits:**
Top artificial picks today are a soft plastic paddle tail or Gulp! Alive Shrimp on a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jighead—these have worked reliably in both clear and slightly stained water. Classic gold spoons, especially the Johnson Silver Minnow, are hammering roaming reds. For early and late action, try a MirrOlure MirrOdine or Zara Spook topwater in mullet or bone: the “walk the dog” action has drawn some explosive strikes recently.

For the live bait crowd, shrimp and finger mullet under a popping cork are fooling both trout and redfish, especially along channel edges and oyster reefs. Cut mullet is the go-to for those bigger bull reds—fish it static on a Carolina rig or drift it with the tide.

**Hotspots:**
Two can’t-miss spots right now:
- **Port Aransas Jetties:** Tarpon, bull reds, and solid trout are all showing in the mix at first light and dusk, especially at high tide transition.
- **Bird Island Basin/Upper Laguna Madre Flats:** Reds are schooling at sun-up along the shorelines and over potholes, especially when bait is showering ahead of them.

Honorable mentions go to Galveston’s surfside near San Luis Pass for trout and the channel edges by Packery for flounder.

That’s your on-the-water lowdown this Friday. Keep safety sharp, check regulations before you keep, and don’t crowd your fellow anglers out there—everyone’s here for the fall payoff.

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