I've been fishing the Galveston beaches for a few years now and lately the bite hasn't been the best. I've been using fresh dead shrimp on a drop shot leader.

Any luck using live shrimp or soft plastic lures from the beach? If so, how exactly do you rig it up?

Thank you.

I am by no means an expert. In fact I have a post asking for advice also as I am new to surf fishing. In my readings however I have heard A LOT of good things about FishBites. Some even going so far as to say they prefer them over fresh dead shrimp. Just thought I would chime in since you hadn't gotten much feedback.

Ryan

I have heard some good talk about Hogan - R's, yet I know not what they are. you need to look up Mrs. Nancy's bait camp, on facebook, or internet...good advise and daily comments with Pictures. JUST an FYI.
I am heading down to Gal, the 16th through 26th and plan on fishing rollover Pass (week days only) and San Luis Pass, shore.

3" gulp shrimp in new penny fish it any way you would shrimp. Under a cork, jig head, C-rig it'll work..

I would ditch the dead bait and go with a slow sink or suspending Mirrolure or soft plastic. Gold spoon is a good bait in the surf too. If you don't mind fooling with live bait, shrimp will get a lot more action than dead bait will.

Fished port mansifeld this week.

Croaker attracted larger specks. Live shrimp smaller specks, and a lady fish. Of course, possibly nothing but happenstance. Dead shrimp caught small specks and big to bigger croaker.

For me the best has been squid that I buy at academy, frozen but it bites

Over the years, I have migrated toward using artificials in saltwater to roughly 50/50 percent of the time, and have noticed a definite improvement in the quality of fish I have been catching in the surf. I rarely use dead shrimp anymore, and then only if I am specifically targeting whiting for a fish fry. Even then, I would rather use Fish Bites, as they stay on the hook for multiple casts. Live shrimp may be an improvement, but you may still be tormented by trash fish.

I have had the most success so far with artificials in the surf using silver spoons, twitch bait plugs like the X-Rap and Mirrolures, topwater lures and shrimptail jigs for trout. I normally use 14 lb mono with a heavier flourocarbon leader on both spinning and casting reels with 6.5' or 7' rods when wading or jetty fishing. If using soft plastics, I use the lightest jighead I can, going heavier as necessary based upon how rough the surf is. This combination has served well for not just trout, but also for when you hook a Jack Crevalle or Skipjack, you have a better chance of landing them without break off. I also use a Berkley Gulp shrimp under a popping cork. I hook the Gulp shrimp with just a treble hook or use a light jig head in rougher conditions.

However, if I am having no luck with artificials, or if I am just not feeling like doing all the extra casting and retrieving, I will take a small spinning rig using a tiny hook and a tiny piece of Fish Bites, and near the shoreline, catch small pinfish or whiting, or cast net up some finger mullet for live bait. In the surf, I prefer live bait about 4" in length. You may not catch as many fish, but when you do, they will almost always be quality fish. Two weeks ago, I put a 4" pinfish on a fishfinder rig with 2/0 circle hook and caught a big 8.5 lb trout in the Mustang Island surf. You can bet that made my day.

I might still find the need to use shrimp occasionally, but I prefer artificials or live bait that I can catch myself. I am also cheap, so I like the long term savings I get using soft plastics and spoons over expensive live shrimp.