I'm heading down to Galveston to camp, fish, and drink beer with my brother in a couple of weeks. We're staying at the state park and will fish in the surf and bay at the park. We may head to San Luis pass but we would rather not fish piers. Are there better surf fishing spots I should check out?

I'd like to support a local tackle shop rather than giving my Academy or Amazon my money. Any suggestions on some good places to grab some gear?

Most of my fishing is in Colorado for trout on micro rigs. That said, I do have some rod and reels that I've picked up and respooled with braid. I need some tackle and all the tips y'all can share!

Hell yeah! Sounds like a great time.

If you just want to catch fish, a double drop leader with two hooks and shrimp with a heavy pyramid weight is hard to beat. You might catch 3" croaker, 3" hard heads, or 25" redfish. Just depends on what is swimming by. We can certainly discuss more advanced options, but the catching decreases as the technical fishing increases. Gotta know what you want to give you better advice.

Most any fish will do. We went a couple years ago and only caught catfish and lady fish, we had a blast. Bonus points if we can keep and eat some!
I'm taking my cast net for bait but don't mind buying some shrimp.
My rods can throw 1/4-3/4oz and 1/2-2oz.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Hell yeah! Sounds like a great time.

If you just want to catch fish, a double drop leader with two hooks and shrimp with a heavy pyramid weight is hard to beat. You might catch 3" croaker, 3" hard heads, or 25" redfish. Just depends on what is swimming by. We can certainly discuss more advanced options, but the catching decreases as the technical fishing increases. Gotta know what you want to give you better advice.

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If you drop a 12" leader on the bottom of that double drop rig and keep tension on the line, you keep the bait farther off the bottom and catch fewer hardheads. That gives the croaker and sand trout a better shot at it. Honestly, fishing that way from a pier is more effective than trying to do it from the surf. This time of year, the surf is still likely to be pretty cold, with limited action. If you manage to catch a stretch of warm sunny weather, you may be better fishing the bay side for reds and trout cruising the sunwarmed water in the shallows.

Throw either one of these in the slack-water between the sandbars and you will catch fish. Another strategy is look on google maps and see if you can locate a trough or a deep spot that you can wade to safely.

If yall decide to get out on the boat let me know and I can get yall on the calendar. I can launch right there to meet yall.

Thanks y'all!
I've read about San Luis and won't be fooling around there.

Is it worth fishing live bait fish or is cut bait the way to go?

Live bait will produce better fish, maybe not numbers, but better overall quality. Specs won't eat dead, but you gotta be in an area where specs are for that to matter. If you are just going in thesurf in front of where you are staying, then go with fresh dead and maybe bring a cast net and see what you can get that way. Messing with buying live shrimp and keeping them alive can be a pain if you aren't set up for it and have some experience.
The 91st street pier is a good option. Makes things easier. Wheel on your cooler of beer, go make friends with the locals and have a good time. Maybe get a bull red or two.
If you want to Texas Truck Fish, you gotta go down the island a ways. Go to Sea Isle and turn off the highway onto the beach at the big water tower. Find you some space and park and fish.

This is a low budget trip otherwise I would give you a shout. Maybe in future, funds will allow.

This time of year in the surf, i would get some fresh dead shrimp from a bait camp (not frozen). Live bait will get you better fish, but is easier for the bait stealers to tear up. The frozen dead similarly starts to fall apart when it warms up. Fresh dead will have more scent to it and holds together better. If you catch a small whiting or piggy perch, chop it up for bait and use it. More likely to catch reds and bigger black drum on cut bait than shrimp. More likely to get sand trout and croaker (and whiting, piggies, and catfish) on fresh dead. I have never seen anybody catch anything of significance on squib.

If you fish the bay side and there is bait moving in the shallows, it might be worth trying to net some and use it.

Right there in Galveston Island State Park fish the shoreline along Lake Como. Luve shrimp under a cork. Or free shrimp.

Seawolf Park

San Luis Pass County Park

East Beach and around the Lagoon

Texas City Dike

Rock groins off of the seawall.... cast out some cracked crab

Clear Lake Channel by the Kemah bridge.

If you get super stumped after those give me a call.

SGrem said:

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Right there in Galveston Island State Park fish the shoreline along Lake Como. Luve shrimp under a cork. Or free shrimp.

Seawolf Park

San Luis Pass County Park

East Beach and around the Lagoon

Texas City Dike

Rock groins off of the seawall.... cast out some cracked crab

Clear Lake Channel by the Kemah bridge.

If you get super stumped after those give me a call.

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If you get stumped after 2 of these, head to Woody's and call it a day.

Never fished the Gulf of America in my life. Not sure many of us have. Expect a detailed trip report so you can give us some tips!

This time of year the fishing right there in Lake Como can be very good. A soft plastic on a jighead bounced off the bottom will likely be your best bet for trout and scattered reds. Cast out towards the dropoff and work the bait back up. It's no secret, so it will likely be crowded.