fishing equipment opinions needed ...
 

when i get my boat in shape, i plan on fishing the indian river inlet, surrounding bays, and offshore in Delaware.

I have been fishing all my life in freshwater here in PA and on the Finger Lakes in NY, but other that surf fishing and an occasional party boat, i have not had much saltwater experience.

what do you recommend for rod size (length, action, brand) and reels (brand and line weight) for catching inshore fish?

what gear do i need so i am prepared for most of what i will encounter out there?

i really have no brand loyalty .. looking for best bang for my buck. i would like to have several rods/reels for when i take friends/family out.

thanks for your input.

Brad

I generally go for reduced prices but dependable stuff.
No sence spending money on an outfit that might get dropped overboard, stolen or slammed in the truck tailgate.
Ambassadeur 5500, 6500, 5600, 6600 are exceptional baitcasts.
Shimano Baitrunners have been nice to use on most occasions.
Ugly Sticks in the 6'6" - 7' range are hard to beat.
All of these are in the 12-15 pound range, most suitable for a wide range of fishing and can double for freshwater.

For the fishing you'll be doing I'd stick with rods 6' to 6'6". No need for a longer rod on the boat. Check with the local tackle shops nearby. Sue Foster at Oyster Bay in N.Ocean City / Fenwick area comes to mind. Okuma reels have been popular down here for about 5 years and have proven dependable. Ugly Sticks used to be the goto...but they did away with the lifetime warranty. If you want to spend a little more, St. Croix has been my stick of choice. I have a few M's and a few MH's. I like the Medium action rods for flounder fishing in less then 20', and the MH's are good for deep water floundering. tog and bass on the wrecks, and blues and rock around the inlets. Lastly, I'm going to reccomend Power Pro or another braided line for the greatly enhanced feel.

If ya need more specifics, just ask...

i could not agree more on the "reduced prices" statement!!

would these rods be stout enough for striper use as well?

i have heard great things about the ugly sticks ... great rod, great price.

You'll get by but may want to graduate to more specific hardware for specific fish.
I really have no one target fish or stuff to chase it.
Only thing is I do love Eagle Claw Granger Ocean rods, old style, one piece and very inexpensive.

Compare different stuff.
http://www.corefishingtackle.com/fishingrods.html

The MH sticks are perfect for Rock using artificials, live eels, or jigging.

I have gone to Shimano rods in the last few years. They are very affordable for the inshore bottom fishing and light to medium spinning gear. I think they are great rods for the $$. Another thought is many tackle shops have used tackle sales usually at the beginning and end of season. I don't know if you want to wait that long, but sometimes you can find some sweet deals.

Carl

I grab whatever I find on sale, I am just cheap that way.

Around the area, fishing is always good, it is the catching that seams to be a problem.
Take a look at the thread for Delaware bay fishing, I posted a link to the reef guide.
That will increase your chances.

http://wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=9874

Check this thread as well:

http://wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=9258

Another thing I have found is never believe the fishing report on line,
one day the will be biting and within hours.... nothing.
I even went on a headboat trip thinking "well these guys will know where they are biting,
out of 30 people on the boat, 2 flounder but no keepers.
So instead of fishing reports, ask locals.

Depends on how many setups you plan on buying.. If I had to choose 1 setup I think the best bang for your buck would be a 6'7 MH 12-25lb St. Croix Premier Road and a 500 or 600 Shimano Tekota.. Soft/light enough to have fun on 5lb fish, but tuff enough to land a inshore fish of your dreams.