Re: Striped Bass Rod and Reel
You can fish for Stripers many ways. With bait from shore or a boat. You can troll from a boat. You can Jig for them from a boat.
In the ocean they use anchovies and back in to the surf line. Use long rods in the 8.5 to 9 foot range rated for 15 to 30 pound test and cast off the boat into the edge of the breakers with no weight. Most here use spinning reels.
Inland use chad, sardines, bullheads, pile worms as bait and fish the bottom with light line in the 14 to 17 pound range. Again most use 8.5 to 9 foot rods rated for 15 to 30 pound test line. Most will use good but light casting reels but some also use spinning reels. Many balance the pole. Bait fishing better than trolling in the cold water of winter.
Trolling works very well in the Warmer summer waters. They troll many types of lures also Jigs and plastic baits. Poles form 7.5 feet to 9 feet in the 15 to 30 pound rance and casting reel much better that spinning.
Bank fishermen use mostly bait in the spring spawning runs in to fresh water. Mostly all bait fishing with the same bates at above. Here people use from 6 foot to 10 foot rods and 17 to 25 pound line and almost 100 percent spinning reels.
East coast Style
Chasing "chickens" (light tackle jigging) is very popular. We use a 6'6", 8-15# MH rod and a 2500-3500 sized spinning reels (Shimano Stradic and Sustain are popular as is the 360 Penn Slammer)with #10-#14 lb. braid. Metal and large stick baits are the most popular.
Trolling I use 6' and 6'6" -#30 rods and 3/0 or 4/0 reels. Penn 113 HSP, 320GTi and 330 GTi are popular as are Shimano TLD15 and 20.
Line weight varies by baits being trolled. I fish #30 and #40 mono on the roof rods and planer boards, #40 monel off the transom and #80 Power Pro on the rods pulling the umbrellas. All rods have 18'-25' #80 wind-on mono leaders.
For surf fishing I use Alstar 1418 (11'-9") rods with Abu 6500 reels (#14 line) for chunking and Lami 1502 (12'-6" ) with Abu 7500 reels (#17 lb line) for throwing Bunker heads.
FWIW: Striper fishing here is on fire right now. Most fish running between 38" -50" in length. Had 3 fish over 60 lbs checked in last week and the bigger fish are just now getting here.
