Wife, kid and I are going to Rockport in June for a few days. I want to do a little bit of fishing off the piers where we're staying.

I bought new a Penn Spinfisher VI 4500 LL reel for a steal. Now to pick out a decent rod.
Im guessing something in the 7' Medium range?
No real target fish (rather no sharks...ive caught plenty)....just to fish for a while and relax. Plan on making my own leaders of a few different rigs and lures.
Planning on 15 or 20lb mono and 15 or 10lb leader.

Freshwater fishing never excited me.
Ive probably have done more saltwater fishing than freshwater, but its only been on boats or off the beach kayaking lines out for sharks.

Family as a whole might be planning another trip later this year, in which I may pick up a smaller reel with a rod for different trypes of fishing, but at the moment, I plan on bringing one set up for the trip coming up.


Im not new to fishing....but Im by no means an expert or know a lot.
And my saltwater fishing knowledge is rather small compared to freshwater.
However, we plan to make more trips to the gulf.

I haven't been fishing in a long time, but I have a collection of Ugly Stik rods that we used for stripers and inshore fishing back in the day. I was running Abu Garcia baitcasters with 20lb line throwing mostly 1oz stuff. The medium heavy 7ft rods were my favorite.

Now keep in mind those aren't like plastic worm rods, but they are decent for the price and will fight anything you hook out there.

I say I had a collection, because my Dad and I would hit the local lakes in his boat and he'd study the scouting reports and he had a badass fishing sonar. We'd get into schools of fish that would turn on for only 10-20 minutes, then quit again. We would catch so many, it stopped being "fishing" and was more like straight "catching". If you fowled your reel or broke your line, we'd just throw the pole down and pick up a fresh one and keep fishing. You didn't know how long they would stay turned on, so you didn't fuck around.

If I took my wife or friends, I'd let them reel in their fish and hand them a fresh pole while I unhooked their fish and put it in the cooler.

Salad days of fishing.

Hard to beat an Ugly Stick Intercoastal one pice 7’ medium action.

Ended up getting a Shimano teramar southeast inshore. 7' MH Fast.

I might get a lighter set up for around/under pier also.
Something like a 2500 Shimano sedona and a 7' Medium light rod

If the rest of the fam wants to do a family vacation and go offshore, i may pick up an 8000 Shimano baitrunner and a decent boat rod if we do an offshore trip then...if its not a private charter.
Every time ive been on the party boat out of Fisherman's Wharf, ive seen dolphin near the surface checking out the chum and bait. But all those times, everyone was focusing on bottom feeders and no one was fishing the surface

Returned the shimano reel.
Not as sealed as Id like it to be.
Was looking at the Shimano Spheros 3000 inshore combo, but got a Favorite Ol Salty 3000 combo instead for $100 w/discount codes.

Pretty much set up I think. Shimano Teramar MH/F for the Penn 4500.
Got a rolling cooler with rod holders, bridge net, hoots, and other stuff.
Have some gulp shrimp, but im going to see about getting some live shrimp. I wont need a whole quart...we dont plan to spend all day fishing. Will be fishing for bait, though.