Saltwater Rod setups for newb
 

So I purchased a used Hobie compass w/ 180 drive for the main purpose of trolling Eastern Sierras and fishing Castaic for Bass but now I really want to get into some inshore fishing. What setups would you recommend? Bass/Rockcod jig/live bait/sabiki rod? I do have an old ambassador c3 6500 and a Shimano convergence 7'HB 15-30LB 3/8-1oz laying around that I haven't used in years. Not sure what and if those could be used for, Thanks.

20-40lb rod I use the cal star800m a little pricey with a torium 16 or 20hg

It depends. Do you care about how much you are willing to spend?

What you have will work just fine. I like lever drags for bigger game, but it's not strictly necessary.

I def dont want top of the line, was hoping around 200 per setup. Maybe some penn setups/ugly sticks?

Your Abu/Convergence setup will work fine for 15-20lb throwing smaller jigs, sabiki, and lighter baits. I keep a couple Ambassaduers in the rotation. Keep the roller bearing and spool bearings clean and lubed.

Penn Jigmasters and Daiwa Sealines are still work horses. At the very least upgrade the drags to carbon fiber and use Cal's grease. Again keep on top of maintenance and they'll go a long way.

I like lever drags for drifting/trolling macks but they are not neccessary. I fish mostly 25-40lb short leaders so size your reels accordingly.

You don't need big money on bait rods. Uglystiks or glass rods will get the job done. Rods I throw artificials with I'll invest more money into.

Spend as much as you're willing to lose if you choose not to leash them.

My first kayak yellowtail was on a Penn general purpose level wind ( 209 mlh ) and an 8 ft ugly stick tiger stick casting rod ( 12-30 ). You definitely don't need to go expensive. Combo is under $140 before tax.
They both still work perfectly fine. However, I'd probably go with something with a little more drag than the 209mlh. It is only rated for 10lbs max drag. Get something with at least 15.

If you are looking for around 200 bucks per set up here is what I would recommend:

Rods:
dropper loop/bottom fishing/yoyo - ugly stick tiger 7' 30-60# about 70 bucks

Casting - Any inshore casting rod 15-30, 15-40, 20-40 will be fine. 7-8' shop around. You can find them at any tackle shop but i think your best bet is to order online from bass pro. Itll take a little while to get it (like 1-2 weeks) but they have decent quality house brand stuff for around/under 100 bucks. the offshore angler brand is their house brand.

Live bait - You can use an ugly stick for this but you are probably better off going with something lighter than the one above, cause itll be softer and allow fish to sink the hook while its in the rod holder. You want moderate or moderate fast action for this, so probably not a composite rod. the ugly stick big water series is probably good here. You can use a jigging rod but theyre a little shorter, usually very soft tho so the hooks dont pull when you get a bite. ugly stick tiger elite 6'6 50-100# jigging rod has been fine for me and because you're on a compass the length wont be an issue. This will be about 60-80 bucks, you can find used seeker american series rods which are glass, and very strong but soft for around 80-90 bucks used, a270 12-30# is fine..

You can clip a sabiki onto any of these rods and take it off when you are done.

Reels:
Anything that recovers 30+ inches per crank is going to be fine. I wouldn't rock fish with anything less than 35" per crank or you will wear your arm out reeling up from 200-600 feet all day long. Look around for an old daiwa sl20sh or sl30sh those reels are inexpensive on the used market and last for ever. you can catch everything from calicos to small tuna on them. those old penn level winds (309m) work fine but they are heavy and have a relatively slow retrieve (25"/crank). Star/ lever drag is personal preference, just set your drag properly (25-30% of your leader) and match it with the proper rod and you will be good to go.

You cna get all of the new stuff at bass pro like I said and they'll ship it for free if its over 50 bucks. Their lead times are garbage but hard to beat the availability and price.

Good luck man.

Appreciate it, I used a gift card I had and got a 300hd lexa and I'll look onto those daiwa sls or maybe a used shimano tld. Definitely going to get some of the rods you recommended.