"We want a rod and reel to do everything with!"

 Well, this is almost impossible, but the closest thing to an all-around rod in our area is an 8 foot rod with a reel

spooled with 15 pound test.  It is just barely long enough for the surf. It is a perfect length for the inlets or Route

50 Bridge.  It might be a tad long for some of the piers, but you'll make out o.k. It will be a little lengthy in a

small boat, but would work out fine on a party boat.

 "What kind should I buy?"

 There are all kinds of price ranges on rods and reels these days. Reels, especially, can be bought so inexpensively

that it is not even worth repairing them anymore. When you buy a 3 ball bearing reel for $30, you can just throw it away

after 3 or 4 years of use.

You can buy an 8-foot rod, reel, and line for as low as $30 these days, but remember you do get what you pay for. If you

plan to do some heavy-duty fishing, like cranking up big trout and stripers up on the Route 50 Bridge, it is best that

you go up in quality. These inexpensive combinations usually have reels with lighter drags and weaker bails.

   Okuma offers a wide range of merchandise from the very inexpensive to some "darn good stuff for the money"

merchandise.  The lower end of Okuma offers some of those inexpensive combo-specials called "Metallix" that are fine if

you just want something to get by with for the weekend, but please don't expect them to last for years! The grade-up in

Okuma specials are those colored outfits- some are blue and some a bright yellow. They are called "Fin-Chaser." Not bad

at all for the money. If you need a quality outfit, choose an Okuma reel, separately. The Avenger Series is the $40-50

dollar range is the most popular and set it up on a nice Daiwa Beefstick, Sea Striker Beachrunner, Dawia Sealine X, or

Ugly Stick.

 Silstar has always had out some good inexpensive rod and reel combos that hold up well for the money. There are

Performance Plus combos that are not bad. Silstar-Pinnacle Blue Metal combos are even better. The Fish Bonz Collections

are fair but sometimes you wind up paying for the pretty colors. The old stand-by reels- the Silstar CT-70 and CT-60 are

still some of the most rugged reels around in the "under $30 range." These reels, set up on a Sea Striker, Invincible,

or Daiwa rods make nice combinations. (Looking at the rod brands isn't as important as looking at the reel brands when

you are buying an economy outfit.)   Most of the inexpensive rods are all made in the same factories in China anyway.)

 "Quantum" always has some combination outfits on the market that always seem to hold up good. You can never go wrong

with these.

 Brands I'd stay away from are the very inexpensive lines of Master or Shakespeare.

 If you plan to do fishing from the Route 50 Bridge, where you need to fight big fish at night and crank up fish to the

rail, you will need to put a few bucks into your rod and reel if you want something to last. Shakespeare Ugly Stick rods

in the 8 to 9-foot range are the most popular "bridge rods" around.  So if you want an "all around rod" and want to fish

off the Rt. 50 Bridge as well, grab an 8 foot heavy-action Ugly Stick and pick out a medium-sized reel from the Silstar,

Daiwa, Penn, or Okuma line. In the Okuma line, you want about a 65 size.  In the Daiwa line you want about a 5000 or

5500 size. In the Penn line you want about a 6000 size.

 "Why are Ugly Stick rods so good to use on the Route 50 Bridge?"

 When anglers fight a big fish that takes them under the Bridge, a rod takes a lot of stress.  Sometimes the tip section

rubs the concrete when the fish heads under the Bridge.    A high dollar graphite rod could snap under these conditions.

The Ugly Sticks are made out of a combination of graphite and fiberglass, with the fiberglass being in the tip section.

These rods handle the abuse of Bridge fishing more than any other rod we have seen.

 "My 12 year old son needs a rod and reel to go surf fishing. Mine is just too big for him!"

 Again, an 8 or 9-foot rod and reel strung with 15-pound test are where you want to go.  8 and 9-foot rods have a

shorter butt section than the longer 10 to 12 foot rods, so children and petite women can handle them easier. A child

does not have the strength of a man; so lighter pound test will help him or her throw further. (The lighter the line,

the further you can cast!)

On the other hand, if you go out on the beach with a 6 or 7- foot rod, the butt section may be too short and the reel

may be in danger of getting sand in it.  You want the reel to set up at least 4 or 5 inches above the hole in the sand

spike. If you are fishing with a short rod, it is a good idea to get a taller sand spike so the reel does not get close

to the sand. Someone may walk by and accidentally kick sand on your reel. If you have the sand spike in the wet sand or

close to the waves, be very careful that an incoming wave does not splash your reel.

"What is the very best length for fishing out of a boat for flounder?"

Six to six and a half foot rods are the most popular. You want a medium action in the 8 to 17 pound test range if it is

rated. Some people who have a lot of children on board will chose a short rod such as 5 or 5 ½ foot rods.  These do not

have the best action for flounder, but are safer if you are worried about rod tips poking out eyes and such. A short

stiff boat rod will also take more abuse if it is accidentally stepped on!

Some people like to cast lures out of their boat towards the pilings of the Rt. 90 Bridge, the Route 50 Bridge, or the

rocks at the South Jetty.  This is the only time you will want a longer rod in a small boat.  Anglers choose a 7 to 7

and a half foot  rod when casting lures out of a boat. Just an extra foot makes a difference in getting that lure where

you want it to go.

"What kind of fish are they after with lures?"

Anglers cast into the above places primarily for trout and stripers, but often times come up with a flounder, red drum,

or even a sheepshead.  Bucktail with a plastic worm, Storm Lures, soft bodies of any kind on a lead head, MirrOlures,

and Rattletraps all work for casting. Sometimes anglers use a combination of a lure and bait. Anglers may cast a

bucktail with a piece of peeler or a lead head with a live minnow. Anglers cast lures at changes of tide or a dawn and

dusk with good success. Lure fishing is always productive at night.

Even if you don't have the perfect rod for what you are doing, you can do your best to make it work. And if you want to

do all kinds of fishing, and can only buy one rod, consider the versatility of the 8-foot rod!

Good fishing..