There is good fishing at Bahia Grande in between Brownsville and Port Isabel on the ship channel side. Get some mullet catch reds.

Are you a snowbird or will you be staying a while? The reason I ask is because target species change with the seasons.

If you're gonna set out and soak bait then a long rod is in order. 10' to 14' is in order. If you're fishing the surf set baits in the guts. Use spider weights.

Mullet, menhaden, whiting, pinfish, piggy perch and other small fin fish are great bait. Rig 'em on a single circle hook through the tail and free line them. Fish them in the guts (deeper areas between sandbars that parallel the beach).

The greatest obstacles in surf fishing is the wind and seaweed (Sargassum weed). The wind builds large breaking waves in the surf and drives seaweed onto the beach.

If there's lots of seaweed then forgo the long rods and stick to free lining live bait under the mats of floating weed.

Once the surf temps are over 70 degrees you'll find lots of trout and reds (June). Use a cast net to catch schooling bait. A Sabiki rig tipped with a small piece of shrimp will catch lots of bait too. Dead shrimp will catch larger baits.

If you're heading back north in the spring then just fish live or fresh dead (never frozen) shrimp.

Don't use stringers in the surf. Sharks are in there and thick sometimes. I've seen 6-7 footers in a foot or less of water.

Trout are best early and late. The darker it is the shallower they'll be generally. I've caught them in ankle deep water often.

Good luck.