Reply by: Lloyd Tackitt      Posted: 5/16/2012 3:41:18 PM     Points: 1735    

My first thought is that you could have a lot of fishing fun by hiring a fishing guide for a half day of salt water fishing. That way you don't lose time trying to figure out the how and where of the local fish - plus saltwater will be wildly different from what you are used to. The guide will furnish the tackle, the boat and he will know the location and technique. The cost will be more than if you buy a rig and go on your own though, so you have to factor in cost - I'm guessing around $350 or so, but I could be off base there. My second though is buy a used saltwater rig at a local pawnshop and go to one of the big fishing docks, they are a real blast. You might even be able to rent a rig at one of the docks. Dock fishing is a total hoot - I used to do it a lot down in Florida when I lived there. However, I am hoping someone from the Houston area can fill you in on a good local place, tackle and technique!

 Reply by: BioGuy      Posted: 5/18/2012 7:24:03 PM     Points: 425    

When I go to Houston I go saltwater fishing. You can go to the Kemah bridge just south of Houston near NASA and park under the bridge and fish from the shore all around that area without any problems. You could catch speckled trout, flounder, catfish, and maybe even a redfish but those are usually in the coastal canals and offshore.

Get a cast net at walmart and catch some shrimp, or buy live shrimp at a bait shop in Seabrook or Kemah. Rig them on a bobber and vary the depth or rig them for fishing off the bottom to catch flounder and catfish. I can freshwater fish anytime up here, but saltwater is the way I grew up and I wouldn't miss an opportunity. You could also go to Clear Lake Park and fish from the shore (15 minutes from kemah bridge and right on NASA Rd 1 by NASA. Free entrance and free to fish from shore. You can also go to Galveston Island and if you want to camp take the night to go to East beach where there is a State Park(Galveston Island SP), or go to the seawall and fish from shore with a surf fishing setup (available for rent down there or at pawn shops as suggested above).

You must have a license to fish in Texas, unless you fish from the shore of a State Park. There are a number of freshwater lakes like Lake Livingston, and Lake Conroe with good freshwater fishing, but you can't beat fishing saltwater in that area.