Welcome to a world of hurt op.
Once you get into a BIG fish, it's tough to go back to freshwater.
Some good info in here so far. I'll add a bit.
First, if you don't fish braid, learn to. You'll greatly add to your casting distance, and you get more on the spool, as its diameter is tiny compared to equal weight mono.
Flourocarbon for your leaders. It doesn't matter at night, or in deep, dark, or dirty water, but it's invisible under water. It's worth the few extra $.
If you're planning on fishing open beaches, bring a couple gallon jugs of water, and a few rags. All of your stuff will get covered in sand eventually. If you can't clean your reel, your trip is over.
I've never fished Texas water, but I wouldn't limit myself to just using bait. Plugfishing is a lot more exciting, as far as I'm concerned. Theres nothing like watching a fish explode on a topwater lure.
If you're fishing at night, do NOT light a fire, or have a lantern. Use a headlamp with a red lens. Putting a light on the water will scare the fish away.
On the other side of that coin, a constant lightsource, like a streetlight, lights on bridges, beachbar floodlights, attract bait, and sometimes big fish will congregate there and feast.
Good luck, have fun, and whatever you do, do NOT buy a boat, or decide you want to catch tuna. You will hemmorage $ out your ass like you had ebola. Don't ask me how I know.