I also live in KY (louisville area) but I'm orginally from Alabama and still visit the Gulf often to fish. While I'm far from an expert in surf fishing, I have had my fair share of experience.

First thing first is when are you going? Different fish run at different times of the year.

For fishing strictly from the beach its important to look for "structure." The structure Im talking about is irregularities in the surf and sand bed. Look for rip currents, sand bars, and washes. Fish will stage in these areas awaiting to have bait swept to them.

For a very basic rig, use a simple fish finder rig with at pyramid weight adequate for surf conditions. I prefer smaller circle hooks, unless Im targeting large sharks, I wont use a hook any larger then 2/0. Its also always best to fish an a moving tide.

Let me know when you are going and we may be able to get more detailed for the targeted fish.