It's my wife b day so I booked a beach house on Crystal Beach Sat-Mon. Never been, heard it kinda sucks but it was a reasonable price and distance. I don't want to spend a fortune on gear. I have one surf rod. Enlighten me on what bites out there. Any cool things to do if it rains?

Crabs

We went last year. My nephews were hammering gafftops on live shrimp. There is a stand where you can hold an alligator and have your picture taken with it. Think they had pythons too. I would take the backway into Bolivar from I-10. The ferry wait can be very long.

Man at times there is some good fishing in the surf. I caught many sharks and redfish and a few black drum. As long as the seaweed isn’t coming in. When it starts rolling in its time to roll it up. A few mullet for bait and a crab weight and your set. I caught a 6’ shark one night. That was a fight. I hooked something that same night that took all my line. Spooled me and never stopped. 300 yards. I figured a bigger shark. Have fun! As far as anything else down there I don’t know.

Went crabbing there one time off a jetty. Didn't catch anything big but had a good time trying.

May be a little early for good surf fishing. I take my bass gear with a few topwaters and a gold spoon and wade at first light in the morning and usually catch some fish.

If you have a light SE wind you can wade out a way and cast some saltwater gulp on any tackle you don’t mind getting in saltwater. Been awhile but we used bass sized rods and reels. Maybe you can get into crabbing with you kids if you can access the bay.

Unless you take the long way around to the other side you take a ferry in your car. Something to do is to get out of the car while ferry goes from Galveston and back. If you are able eat at Stingaree's. We had a big group and it was kind of a big task that we put on their waitstaff. As I remember it was mostly fried food but was really top notch. We fished at Rollover Pass but I think they shut the access down to that. Rollover was not a spot I would go back to.

Thanks for the suggestions.

If you can wait a week, you can join the fun at the 2021 Crabfest. It's always a good time and good food.

https://www.crystalbeach.com/

I like it in the fall for bull red fish. Ferry isnt too bad during weekdays but its a mess on the weekend. Go tvr In the surf there you have a lot of different fish including reds, speckled trout, black drum, sever shark species, gafftop catfish and hard head catfish. Shrimp will catch anything but will also get robbed. You can use normal bass tackle for all of that but the bigger sharks and bull reds. Just give it a freshwater rinse when you are done.

Reds, gafftops, drum, sharks, sheepshead are what I’ve caught in the surf the two times I’ve gone. Heard trout run there, but I’ve never caught one. Not much to do in town, which I actually like. Very relaxing.

Rollover got filled in last summer. it is no more.

Lemme get this Brian - it's your wife's b-day and you picked a beach area and YOU WANT TO GO FISHING ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Dude, you need work. . . . . . Love ya man . . . . . . Let us know how it turns out.

We went several years and I thought the surf was cleaner without seaweed compared to West Galveston. I disagree about taking Interstate 10 to Winnie. That sucked. Never had a wait for the ferries. I didnt try the surf but my son fished some on the Intercoatal with some success. Stingarees for dinner is good. The experience at Bolivar is less crowded and more laid back. Enjoy your trip.