I will be staying on a canal in a house rental in a couple of weeks and have no experience fishing that are, tackle, what's biting etc., any and all help appreciated. I told everyone I had connections with a few experts.

Will you have access to a boat or are you landlocked?

No, we are landlocked and have no idea where to start other than a pole.

which bay?

Get a double drop rig and go down to the beach. 2/0 books and a 2-5 oz. pyramid or spider weight depending on the current. Fresh dead shrimp will be the bait of choice. Peel the shrimp and cut them into peices the size of your thumb nail. If you don't want to get sandy go to a pier and use the same rig. 61st or Galveston fishing pier are the two piers on the sea wall. Btw both piers charge to get on. 61st is 10$. I am not sure about the other one. Galveston island state park is a good place to go also. They charge 5$ I think. Good luck

If you have access to the canal, you might do good there also, same rig, but drop down to a #1/0 hook. I use circles, they seem to hook up better for me. If the dock is lighted and you can, throw out a live shrimp under a cork right at the edge of the lights, good way to catch speckled sea trout at night.

Remember to keep the drags very light so the fish can run with the bait and not pull your rod over the side, BTW.

Right now is the Black drum run. I haven't been there in years but seawolf park was a good spot We would use live crabs for bait, break 'em in half.

Thank you so much, I knew you guys would help.

Post a report when you get back.

I sure will, pics too.

Tight lines! I'm dying to get back down there

Don't know if it's your style, but if you go to Galveston Island State Park and head down to the bay side there is a kayak launch just past the RV pads. You can wade fish around that point; we've caught reds, specks, and flounder there. Just remember to shuffle your feet. Use tackle suitable for bass fishing and live or dead shrimp, or arties.

As suggested above, if the canal has lights that may well be a good bet at night. Good luck!

Thanks Jim, I'm in for most anything where I can catch fish. This brings up another question. What lb. Test line do I use, and is just a heavy Rod and reel ok or do I need to be fishing with surf rods for the most part, with the exception of what Jim suggested.

I'd go light,, but not everyone here would agree. I mostly fly fish but when I fish with the wife I sometimes use a rig like hers; we use 6 1/2 to 7 foot medium light rods and 1000 size spinning reels with 10 lb. braid. Never found those rigs to be too light yet. In the surf you'll want a longer rod and a larger reel; you might want to step up to 15 or 20 lb. line. If you have to use a lot of weight you'll need even heavier line. But the guys who strictly use conventional tackle can give you better advice on that than I can.