Whether you and your family are experienced fishermen and ladies and own your own boat, or not, you still may want to consider hiring a professional guide. If unfamiliar with the waters, you may run aground on a shell reef or sunken barge, or even venture too far into the shallows. By hiring a guide, you simply bring your snacks and walk onboard his or her boat. All else is furnished, even cleaning and packaging your catch of the day. And there's no boat and tackle to wash and clean up later!

One of the best-kept secrets of the Texas Gulf Coast lies in Matagorda County. The tiny towns of Sargent and Matagorda are growing quite rapidly. New businesses, vacation rental property and guide services are increasing. Both towns have public beaches; at the mouth of the Colorado River is a long pier and jetty for fishing and bird watching. East Matagorda Bay offers some outstanding fishing from kayaks, a rapidly increasing sport in that area.

Many coastal fishing villages host fishing tournaments big and small throughout the summer. Some are combined with sizable festive activities, such as arts and crafts, cooking contests and fireworks displays. There are a wide variety of festivals and jamborees with indoor and outdoor celebrations along the coastline, as well as a few miles inland. You and your family may want to attend.

Padre Island is a national seashore with highly populated, as well as totally remote areas along its entire length. It's possible to become stuck in the sand and have no cell phone capabilities, so you might want to be careful when considering how far you venture from civilization.

If beachcombing and shell searching is enjoyable, this is the place to do it. More items come ashore on Padre Island than at any other place along the entire Gulf of Mexico. Sad to say, trash is a lot of it. At the same time, you may stumble across a truly unique or possibly valuable treasure.

It's important to point out here that many beaches require licensed vehicles to have a beach permit, available for a nominal fee. Some are for an entire year, while others may be for only a certain time period. There also are beaches with traffic and other restrictions, such as no glass containers allowed or no swimming in a certain area due to undertow currents. Be sure to check beforehand to prevent any misunderstandings.

A TASTE OF BOTH KINDS OF WATER
Want a little of both freshwater and saltwater fishing prospects? Once again, the state offers a variety of places under the care of the TPWD parks system. Private campgrounds are pretty much everywhere as well. A prime example is Lake Texana near Edna, less than two hours from Houston. There is a fine state park on the north side of Highway 111, while across the road is Breckenridge Plantation Campground run by the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority.

Lake Texana has wildlife for viewing along with abundant catfish, crappie, sunfish and bass fishing in its waters. Within an hour's drive are Palacios, Port Lavaca, Seadrift and Port O'Connor. Also, look for numerous small fishing communities scattered along the various bay shorelines. You'll find equal freshwater and saltwater opportunities and activities close by. Shop the local towns or travel to nearby Victoria for malls, chain stores and multi-selection movie theaters, if the need arises.