I completely agree with this.
Charters for offshore are great, provide everything you need (sometimes even beer is included), get on a boat for a while, lots of fun. Individual charters are very pricy, the group boats are crowded but cheap, pick your poison but both will bring you fish and fun.
Rig wise if you go it alone in the bays, so long as you have a rod/reel that can handle 12lbs test or more you're good, or a cheap rod/reel combo is easily had at Wally World for under $40 that will last you the vacation, just be sure to give it a good rinse in the shower afterwards to get the salt off. If you go out on your own in a boat, run some good braided line on the reel, go 40lbs and good hardware on your leader, throw a Rat-L-Trap or Bomber lure in chrome and red/black near some structure or watch for swirls in the flats and you'll get something, Jack or Snook are the funnest fish I've ever caught in my life. Alternatives are free lining a live shrimp while drifting or cut squid on the bottom, that will bring the Redfish or small sharks, both delicious eating, or a ray that are great fights. Let the drag sing to you and wear them out, it's not like freshwater where you can easily crank them in but it's more addictive than crack when you land a nice fish after a good fight. Licenses for non-resident are cheap, $30 for a 7-day or $17 for a 3-day, it's snook season on the Gulf so that requires a $10 permit if you want to keep them.
Surf fishing is very hit or miss, I never learned it enough to be successful. Fishing piers are a great time too, run near or on the bottom with live or cut bait, watch out for pelicans when you cast because they will go after your bait and it's a serious pain in the ass if you hook one, they're protected birds. Careful if you catch a saltwater catfish, they're worthless to eat and their dorsal and pectoral fins will stab right into your hand if you let them. I hate those things, never turned one back into the water alive.
Fishing is the only thing I miss from that state.
