Deep sea fishing is great. I would suggest visiting some of the local coastal bait and tackle shops to learn about what is available in the area. Fishing the surf is good as is fishing off of jetties to get started cheap. You might consider teaming with a few buddies and taking a charter. With a few of you on board, they might be quite affordable. Also, if you can find neighbors or people at work that fish, you might ask to tag along with them on an outing. In Houston, a lot of people have boats and like to fish. If you offer to split the cost, they might just like to have you along. You can take a Coast Guard course to learn navigation. You will find most fish at well identified offshore reefs many of which are marked on coastal maps that you can get at bait and tackle stores. Also, you can visit local piers where many of the locals really know the tactics for shore fishing. The most important thing is to get out there and start fishing to get the hang of it.

I live in Florida and love Deep Sea fishing, of course don't have time to do it everyday or the gas money, but love it! Dakota Man pretty much said it all, everything he said is perfect things to do. You can go online and take the Coast Guard test for boating/navigation, also online you can look up your specific area for clubs, websites, groups for that area and join them (Free ones) and do like you are doing here, ask questions and make friends. You never know you might make friends with a few Captains and get to go out a lot. If you do what Dakota Man said and then go online and look up the stuff, you'll be ready to go "Monster Fishing".....

go to the Galveston jetties, watch what all the jetty fishermen use. you can get on the multi charter boats for 50-100 bills, but it is hectic and even landing a hooked fish can be hard, due to all the lines in the water and deck hands who are fast to cut all lines not attached to the line they are working on. Inshore fishing is very rewarding and easy and so much cheaper. get some super spooks, tops dogs, she dogs and top dog jr's for some fantstic top water action. For bottom orcast and retreve action try silver spoons, gold spoons and several cocahoe / sandeel or any other saltwater soft plastic lures in colors that will match the typical bait in the area shrimp/croaker/mullet/ adn then any color that looks tasty rig them on a 1/8 - 1/4 oz long shanked salt water jighead o all these in area of constricted tide movement, passes, jetties