Rio Fishing Guide Service - SPI 

4.9/5 (175 reviews)
 
State licensed
 West Swordfish Street, South Padre Island, TX 78597, United States

Rio Fishing Guide Service - SPI 

Up to 9 miles
South Padre Island, TX, United States
24 ft
5
4.9/5 (175 reviews)

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Fishing trips aboard Rio Fishing Guide Service will take you exploring the flats and backcountry waters of South Padre Island. With a consistent stock of fish throughout the year, these waters offer superb Texas inshore fishing. Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Black Drum, Sheepshead – you name it, they're all biting around here.

Your guide for the day is Capt. Ruben who has been fishing for the past 20 years and has worked as captain for nearly a decade. He knows these waters well and will make sure you have a nice day out. One look at the photos of his fishing trips, and you'll understand why so many repeat customers come fishing with him over and over again.

Captain Ruben will welcome you aboard his 21' Shallow Sport Boats center console. She is powered by a 150 HP Yamaha engine and comes equipped with navigational electronics. There is an ice box onboard, as well as a live well, safety gear, and an assortment of rods, reels, and tackle. The vessel can take up to five anglers, which means you and your friends will have enough room for fishing.

Trip rates include all the fishing gear and catch cleaning. You need to purchase and bring along a valid Texas saltwater fishing license. If you want to fish with kids, come along! When packing for the trip, remember to bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, food and drinks, as well as a camera to take a nice shot of your catch.

You can try a variety of techniques: sight casting, which is interesting to both novice anglers and those with more experience, light tackle fishing, using artificial or live bait, you can learn a lot and have fun while you're at it. Get your friends and hop onboard!

Fishing trips aboard Rio Fishing Guide Service will take you exploring the flats and backcountry waters of South Padre Island. With a consistent stock of fish throughout the year, these waters offer superb Texas inshore fishing. Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Black Drum, Sheepshead – you name it, they're all biting around here.

Your guide for the day is Capt. Ruben who has been fishing for the past 20 years and has worked as captain for nearly a decade. He knows these waters well and will make sure you have a nice day out. One look at the photos of his fishing trips, and you'll understand why so many repeat customers come fishing with him over and over again.

Captain Ruben will welcome you aboard his 21' Shallow Sport Boats center console. She is powered by a 150 HP Yamaha engine and comes equipped with navigational electronics. There is an ice box onboard, as well as a live well, safety gear, and an assortment of rods, reels, and tackle. The vessel can take up to five anglers, which means you and your friends will have enough room for fishing.

Trip rates include all the fishing gear and catch cleaning. You need to purchase and bring along a valid Texas saltwater fishing license. If you want to fish with kids, come along! When packing for the trip, remember to bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, food and drinks, as well as a camera to take a nice shot of your catch.

You can try a variety of techniques: sight casting, which is interesting to both novice anglers and those with more experience, light tackle fishing, using artificial or live bait, you can learn a lot and have fun while you're at it. Get your friends and hop onboard!

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Customer reviews

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Rating

4.9
175 reviews
5.0
Boat & equipment
5.0
Captain & crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (355)

What anglers say

100%
Great experience
98%
Family friendly
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Good boat
98%
Recommended
95%
Caught fish

All reviews (175)

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Showing 15 of 175 reviews
Sven Proese
Sven Proese
us
Texas, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
Cpt Ruben is great with kids and beginners
Half day trip (pm) on March 29, 20261 adult1 child
My son's comment when I told him I'm gonna write a review: Just write 'Thank you for the awesome trip.' I couldn't agree more. Captain Ruben went out of his way to make sure my 5y old had a great time on the water. As it was just me and my son Cpt Ruben joined in to double the chances and happily handed over the rod to my son each time he had a fish on. He genuinely enjoyed teaching my son, was patient and as happy as me about my son's excitement. Every spot he took us to produced fish. He filleted our catch and a local restaurant prepared it for us in the evening. Just a great ending to a perfect day on the water.
Reported catch:
Redfish
Speckled Trout
Ray Trejo
Ray Trejo
us
Tennessee, US
Member since 2025
0
5.0
Verified
Cannot recommend Ruben enough!
Half Day Trip (am) on June 25, 20251 adult2 children
We went out with capt. Ruben for a half-day of bay fishing during our yearly summer trip to SPI and the RGV. He was very professional and courteous throughout the whole process. He asked about our group and provided great suggestions to make sure our needs were met. I had my young sons with me for the trip, and Ruben was awesome with them. He was very patient and explained things to them very well. He had us on fish all morning! We limited out on speckled trout, and then moved on to red drum. I caught my new PR for red drum at 31", which was released to fight another day, but all of us got one keeper red. Do not hesitate to book this trip, and get you a bonus red drum tag, you will probably need it!
Reported catch:
Redfish
Speckled Trout
William Holcomb
William Holcomb
us
Texas, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
New
Great day in the bay.
Half day trip (pm) on June 2, 20263 adults
Captain Ruben is a great guy and very knowledgeable. He treated me and both my sons like we were old friends while teaching us things we didn't know. The speckled trout are an exciting fish. We even caught a couple small sharks.
Reported catch:
Speckled Trout
Redfish
Response from Captain
June 3, 2026
Thank you fir booking enjoyed the afternoon fishing with you guys
Robert Jasper
Robert Jasper
Repeat angler
us
Texas, US
Member since 2019
7 trips
0
5.0
Verified
Great day on the bay!
Half Day Trip (am) on April 11, 20262 adults
My wife's and I had a blast fishing with Ruben. He's a great fisherman and even a better all around guy. His priority was making sure we had fun and we did. We tagged out on speckled trout and landed 3 reds. That doesn't count the 2 monster speckled my wife's hauled in and released. Thank you Ruben for an amazing day.
Claire HANEY
Claire HANEY
us
San Antonio, TX, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
New
Fishing with Ruben
Half Day Trip (am) on May 24, 20262 adults
Reported catch:
Speckled Trout

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Group Size:
Select date to see availability
June 2026
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
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Number of days
1
Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
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Half Day Trip (am)
5 hour trip starts at 7:00 AM
US $400
Entire boat: 2 people
Half day trip (pm)
5 hour trip starts at 2:00 PM
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US $400
Entire boat: 2 people
Full Day Trip
8 hour trip starts at 7:00 AM
US $600
Entire boat: 2 people
Tournament Fishing
8 hour trip starts at 7:00 AM
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US $900
Entire boat: up to 3 people
There are 10 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

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Rating

4.9
175 reviews
5.0
Boat & equipment
5.0
Captain & crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (355)

What anglers say

100%
Great experience
98%
Family friendly
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Good boat
98%
Recommended
95%
Caught fish

All reviews (175)

Filter
Frequently mentioned
Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...Loading...
Showing 15 of 175 reviews
Sven Proese
Sven Proese
us
Texas, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
Cpt Ruben is great with kids and beginners
Half day trip (pm) on March 29, 20261 adult1 child
My son's comment when I told him I'm gonna write a review: Just write 'Thank you for the awesome trip.' I couldn't agree more. Captain Ruben went out of his way to make sure my 5y old had a great time on the water. As it was just me and my son Cpt Ruben joined in to double the chances and happily handed over the rod to my son each time he had a fish on. He genuinely enjoyed teaching my son, was patient and as happy as me about my son's excitement. Every spot he took us to produced fish. He filleted our catch and a local restaurant prepared it for us in the evening. Just a great ending to a perfect day on the water.
Reported catch:
Redfish
Speckled Trout
Ray Trejo
Ray Trejo
us
Tennessee, US
Member since 2025
0
5.0
Verified
Cannot recommend Ruben enough!
Half Day Trip (am) on June 25, 20251 adult2 children
We went out with capt. Ruben for a half-day of bay fishing during our yearly summer trip to SPI and the RGV. He was very professional and courteous throughout the whole process. He asked about our group and provided great suggestions to make sure our needs were met. I had my young sons with me for the trip, and Ruben was awesome with them. He was very patient and explained things to them very well. He had us on fish all morning! We limited out on speckled trout, and then moved on to red drum. I caught my new PR for red drum at 31", which was released to fight another day, but all of us got one keeper red. Do not hesitate to book this trip, and get you a bonus red drum tag, you will probably need it!
Reported catch:
Redfish
Speckled Trout
William Holcomb
William Holcomb
us
Texas, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
New
Great day in the bay.
Half day trip (pm) on June 2, 20263 adults
Captain Ruben is a great guy and very knowledgeable. He treated me and both my sons like we were old friends while teaching us things we didn't know. The speckled trout are an exciting fish. We even caught a couple small sharks.
Reported catch:
Speckled Trout
Redfish
Response from Captain
June 3, 2026
Thank you fir booking enjoyed the afternoon fishing with you guys
Robert Jasper
Robert Jasper
Repeat angler
us
Texas, US
Member since 2019
7 trips
0
5.0
Verified
Great day on the bay!
Half Day Trip (am) on April 11, 20262 adults
My wife's and I had a blast fishing with Ruben. He's a great fisherman and even a better all around guy. His priority was making sure we had fun and we did. We tagged out on speckled trout and landed 3 reds. That doesn't count the 2 monster speckled my wife's hauled in and released. Thank you Ruben for an amazing day.
Claire HANEY
Claire HANEY
us
San Antonio, TX, US
Member since 2026
0
5.0
Verified
New
Fishing with Ruben
Half Day Trip (am) on May 24, 20262 adults
Reported catch:
Speckled Trout

FAQs about Rio Fishing Guide Service - SPI

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The fish you can target

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What is the boat like?

Boat image
Boat category
Center console boats
Capacity
5 persons
Boat length
24 ft
Year built
2022
Boat manufacturer
Shallow Sport Boats
Boat type
Center console
Engine model
Suzuki
Powered by
1 x 250HP
Max cruising speed
45 knots
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