njfastlife

thank you all. i have a lot of reading/learning to do. can i use any of these poles in the bay/river (Hudson) as well or do i need something separate for that?

thank you. a friend of mine, not a pro by any means, recommended a 12' rod for surf/clams and bunker and a 7' rod for plugs. he said he'll bring both to the beach and leave the 12' with a clam out there and plug away with the 7'. 

i'm not ready to drop coin on 2 poles though, so i'll be trying to find one that works best for me now

Penn Battle 5000 or 6000 II combo. It's $130, but worth every penny. They have 7, 8 and 9 foot combos. Since you will be fishing off a jetty, I'd get the 9' combo. Believe me, the extra $30 is 100% worth it. PM me if you'd like and I can give you some advice.

 

Alex

Alex, thank you. would love more info but not sure how to PM?

Used 710z will run you $40-50.  Make sure the Bail spring functions properly.  Its bullet proof and can handle the rocks, waves, clumsy fisherman, and almost everything else you could throw at it.  Plugging all day with an ugly stick is not my idea of fun but with the exuberance of a newly minted fisherman it will get you by until you have the chance to upgrade.  You may also find a gently used option that is a better performer but with your budget your options are limited.  You will still need lures, line, hooks, and possibly other items (Korkers, swivels, splitrings, etc).  

 

Mono or original fireline on the reel.  I use the latter but mono is cheaper.

very nice, i will look into this in addition to the battle combo above. 

+1

 

I completely agree with ATB on this.

 

You might be able to get a decent condition used 710Z on here or an auction sites and that should get you started. With the remaining $ you can gear up appropriately for your fishing targets.

awesome, thank you. 

i guess now is a good time to mention that i have no idea what kind of other gear i need. obviously line, tackle, pliers, knife, etc. but what are some of the fundamentals necessary to build a foundation for my tackle box?

thank you all!

hi all, new to the board and to the world of fishing. right now i really want to pick up an affordable (<$100?) rod and reel combination. i am leaning towards an Ugly Stik. 

i'll mostly be using it off piers, jetty's, bridges, and occasionally the beach in NJ and NY.

any advice? can someone get me started in the right direction?

thank you all!