Light tackle choices

[gregory2327]

I know almost nothing about stripers. I lucked into one on a chunk a few years ago. That being said I am a good fresh water bass fisherman and it has dawned on me that slinging chunks from a bridge and waiting for a bite is not what I like nor want to do any longer.

To this end I bought a Tica 10'6" surf rod to throw eels but this rod is really heavy and doesn't seem cut out for working plugs and other lures in a more confined area.

Now my question! Can you use lighter bait casting equipment, similar to freshwater, for river stripers or other areas that are in-tight to shore? If so what would you recommend? Would a rod in the 7 to 7.5 foot range be adequate? If so what size line and reel to use? I am familiar with the Calcutta 250/251 and Abu C3 series reels, would these be too small for stripers?

Recommendations welcome - decent quality and cheap is appreciated!