Hey guys im headed down to Galveston this weekend with the family to do some surf fishing. My dad is hoping to get on some crab also. Ive got everything i need for surf fishing, im taking 5 poles from regular bass rod for bait fish all the way up my 11ft surf rod with penn reel. I would really like to get into some Reds, Flounder and some Sharks if at all possible.

Where are the best places to fish off the bank? I have no desire to be on the big fishing piers since they will be packed and my girlfiend wants space to lay out. Not sure if I should go bay side or surf side. Any info would be appreciated!

You can catch a lot of whiting and have a chance to hook into a big red or a shark if you go to the beach and cast out shrimp on the bottom. When you catch a whiting, cut it into smaller chunks and throw them out to catch sharks and maybe reds. Buy live mullet or dead mullet for a Breyer chance at reds. You can also catch HUGE black drums on shrimp and cracked crab.

What sean said. Just make sure you are fishing the guts. That's a common rookie mistake.