OB, I'm looking for some opinions on where to start with a reliable rod/reel combo for saltwater.
Intended use will be surf, bay, and rig fishing. Budget preferably under $300 but not a hard cap. I've fished freshwater most of my life, and just starting to get into saltwater, so I'm a complete rookie on what I should be looking for in a combo. Internet research has led me to conclude the "best" just happens to be what the website is paid to promote. Appreciate any advice and/or shaming.

What species are you targeting?

Can do a Waterloo Salinity and Shimano Curado for around $350

Redfish and trout primarily.

Your freshwater rigs should work fine..

Spinning or casting?

Spin rod

Bearings are almost toast on my spin freshwater setup so it's time for some new gear.

Probably be hard pressed to fit that all into one setup.

For fishing bait, a spheros 6000 sw is excellent for anything from the surf to fishing the passes to kings and snapper. 30lb braid.

https://www.academy.com/p/shimano-spheros-sw-spinning-reel-130999131?gmc_feed=t&ogmap=SEM%7cNBR%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cm%7cOUT%7cIM%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&&ogmap=SEM%7cPLN%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cm%7cOUT%7c%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuP_5otjG-QIV8eBcCh1HKAMWEAQYAyABEgLHPvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

For inshore artifials trout, reds, etc. The new shimano nasci 3000 is a great reel. 15lb braid.

https://www.academy.com/p/shimano-nasci-fc-spinning-reel?gmc_feed=t&ogmap=SEM%7cNBR%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cm%7cOUT%7cIM%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&&ogmap=SEM%7cPLN%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cm%7cOUT%7c%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsjl29vG-QIVnhXUAR13AQQVEAQYASABEgJksfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

For rods, models seem to change so often and vary so much that I shop for them in person. Ignore brand and try to judge the characteristics of the blank.

If working a lure the Laguna Salinity is a good value. $160 rod.

I like shimano reels.

Hard to beat Penn reels for saltwater….

Waterloo salinity and penn battle III should be right at your price point. I use this setup when fishing trout and reds wade or drift fishing. It's a great combination.

I think the Shimano Saharas are great value for the money, I've got a few of them. Battles are also solid. I like my salinity rods as well

Look at the rods and their warranty.

Some have decent replacement policies if you break them on accident.

Fire up the Delorian and find a Shimano Curado Cu-200 on EBay. 20 year old real design and still quite good. Rod? This depends more on how you fish.

My go to is a Pflueger President spinning reel on a 7 1/2 foot Redfish Extreme rod (med action). It will handle about any trout or red you want to tackle, and not overkill. Should run $225 or so.

Shimano SLX and Shimano GLF rod.

Penn Battle III combo in 3000 is hard to beat

There could be some overlap but surf, bay & rig fishing are generally all different setups. Since you later mentioned reds & trout that would lean more towards bay or wade fishing the surf. For that I would start with a couple Penn combos from Academy. Snag a medium and medium-light rod combo for the varied lure & live bait weights. You can get both for $300 or less. Then if you ever want to get into surf fishing for the big reds, drums or shark you can go for one of the 10' Penn combos ($100-150) or build your own setup.

Teslag said:

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Penn Battle III combo in 3000 is hard to beat

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You will find these on a lot of guide boats. That should tell you all you need to know regarding quality. They're also affordable.

I use mine for freshwater too.

Had a buddy that loved to use spinning reels. He always used Penn reels in saltwater. I would go that route if I ever wanted to fish with spin gear.

ETA...they hold up well to salt water use. Most of the cheaper stuff should be looked at as, use it a few trips and throw it away.

There are tons of solid options for spinning reels in salt but if you are just starting out in salt and trying to figure stuff out your combo can get really expensive really quick. The Penn combos are some of the best options for getting started and will give you a good jumping point for "upgrading" later.

B-1 83 said:

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My go to is a Pflueger President spinning reel on a 7 1/2 foot Redfish Extreme rod (med action). It will handle about any trout or red you want to tackle, and not overkill. Should run $225 or so.

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I bought one of these and it lasted about 5 trips.

Thanks for the advice, heading to the store to hopefully get hands on a few of these listed above and will report back.

Light Power 7' Penn Battalion Rod + 3000 series Penn Battle III or Penn Conflict (similar to the battle, just weighs less) is my go to set up for inshore fishing. I prefer to buy the rod separate as it seems like when you buy a combo set the rod is a little too heavy power for using some of the lighter weight lures used in shallow inshore fishing.

Crap. I've had good luck with them. 4-5 years is my norm

Laguna rod (I have the Texas Wader) and I like the Lews reels (have the custom pro and inshore models)

Shimano GLF and a Penn Battle or Shimano spheros. Great combo for flats and bay.

Thanks again all for the advice and recommendations, ended up with the waterloo serenity combined with the penn spinfisher vi 4500. Looking forward to testing it out next week at the jetty.