New To Board - Need Advice

Hey Everyone!

So I have been fishing since I was around five (I'm 36 now). Originally from PA but have been in Texas for the last five years. Used to fish freshwater but now I am strictly saltwater and have done numerous charters out of Galveston offshore. Over the weekend I finally got my yearly license so I want to start getting out more frequently and not always do the cliché charter offshore gigs. I am currently in the market for a saltwater rod and am working on putting together what I need and want to buy. In the mean time though I was going to use my freshwater rod to fish at the end of the month in the canals/bay of Galveston as we got a house for the weekend with a dock in the back. My question to the forum was what basic things would work in this setting?

Currently I have a lot of plastic fish lures and the little rubberish shrimp look a like lures but I just don't know what else I should maybe get. I know live bait is best so I was thinking of getting maybe some shrimp on the way down. Any advice would be awesome and appreciated.

Also, I know using a freshwater rod for saltwater is not ideal but since I am not buying my offshore stuff until June I figured this will allow me to fish and enjoy the weekend somewhat.

Thanks Everyone.

Bass tackle works fine in the bay, you'll want to use a softer action, lite or medium and longer rod, 7' is better than 6'. We use spinning tackle with braid on jigs/plastics, levelwind with mono on topwaters/spoons. But there is no rule, use what you like.

A pumkinseed/chartreuse tail paddle tail on a 1/8-1/4 oz head like a hogie super minnow or similar will catch every game fish in the bay. So, find a few that you can have confidence in and stick with it. Most of the real good fishermen have a limited number of go to lures and know how to use them. My neighbor uses a norton bull minnow, plum/chartreuse 100% of the time, and he wears them out.

Thanks for the info. Pat. Really helpful!

Like most of the addicted, I have hundreds of lures. I actually use about 4 or 5. It really is the Indian.