Fishing the Surf and What Signs to Look For.... Here's how to recognize the signs that mark fish-holding "structure" along the Texas Surf.

First of all, recognizing fish holding "structure" is always alot easier on a low tide and it really helps if the wind isn't blowing too much...clear water is of course a benefit, but you still can find them even without these perfect conditions. The main thing to remember is that the fish are going to be found along the beach front in the guts and the areas you want to look for are the washouts, suckouts, holes and pinches associated with these guts.

Guts are depressions between sandbars, both of which run parallel to the beach.
There are three guts that most anglers are concerned with, the first gut, or wade gut nearest the beach, with the second and third farther out. The first and second guts are where most trout and whiting are caught. Redfish and shark are there too, but both of those species also can be caught farther out. Generally, the third gut is reserved for long casters trying for shark and larger fish.
A suckout is essentially a break in a sandbar, where water passes between guts.
Often, the rushing water at a suckout produces holes, which are simply depressions where predator fish sometimes hide to ambush their prey.
A pinch is a narrowing of a gut, usually between the beach and the first bar. A pinch is formed when a section of beach juts into the surf like a point.  

All of these are naturally occurring surf/beach characteristics and are referred to as "structure". Each structure represents an area where fish congregate, typically to feed, hide, rest or do all three. Predator fish primarily move if driven by water temperature, hunger or to seek protection. They would rather not fight current to chase a meal. Calmer water is usually deeper water, thus the old saying "still waters run deep." Deep pools serve as hiding places for predators. Baitfish, on the other hand, seek shallow water where predators rarely venture.. they are weak and at the mercy of currents, which can sweep them into harms way.
  
What to look for:
You need to be looking for calmer water next to moving water. And what does calm water next to moving water look like from the beach?    Not always the easiest thing to pick up on.....But, here's the key, on the surface, deeper pools appear as calm or flat spots surrounded by whitewater. It will help if you look down the beach at an angle...like up in front of you rather than right where you are.....The distant angle you look at makes at the surf makes these spots easier to see.
Notice how the waves break. Ribbons of whitecaps that parallel the shore are broken by contrasting ribbons of blue or green water. Whitecaps indicate sandbars and the blue/green ribbons represent guts. You can stand on the first bar (or on the beach) and cast into the guts. Usually knee deep or less is plenty far out....If you jumping waves, you're standing where you should probably be fishing!

Good luck!!