Rod and Reel Combo Suggestions!

Hey everyone! I am very new to saltwater fishing, given that i live in central Alabama, but when i went saltwater fishing for the first time i fell in love and was hooked. At that time i was fishing with some cheap Zebcoes we had picked up at Walmart, and while it was fun, i think i am ready to pick it up a notch. The combo would be used for pier/Surf/jetty fishing some, seing as we dont own a boat, and the place we stay most often is the Caribe Resort in Perdido Pass which has boat slips that i fish off of. I already have a penn senator 4/0 and just found it to be a little too big to cast out a lot, so i was looking into some spinning reels, like the Penn Pursuit II but i dont know what size reel or rod to get. I have a pretty tight budget because my mom doesnt want me to "waste my money" since we dont go down to the beach but every now and then, but i am going to be moving away to college relatively soon and would love to go somewhere near the beach so i would be willing to spend around $100, do you think this is a feasible goal?!? Thanks for any advice, tips, or tricks!!!!!

I don't get to the gulf very often either. The first time I tried surf fishing, I bought a Shakespeare surf/pier combo with a 7 foot rod. I didn't take care of the reel and had to replace the next time I went down. The new reel I got was an Okuma ABF 65. The reel has a nice bearing setup and a smooth operation. It has worked great over the last couple of years. I think it was fifty or sixty dollars on Amazon.

J&M had a Diawa Sweepfire 3500 reel for about $20. Pair that with a 7' medium action spinning rod and you could get 2 combos for less than $100. Rinse them with freshwater after every trip and they will last for several years of beach visits.

Ryan I use the Penn Pursuit II combo Great economical combo with strength that casts with ease and will handle most anything you can catch here I love them In fact I have a brand new Pursuit combo that I'll let you have for the $59.99 that I paid for it and I'll fill it with 10lb mono for you if you like Just send me a PM if you're interested

Ryan I have to agree with Dan S on the Penn Pursuit II combos. I have two of them in my arsenal and they have never let me down yet. I have caught sharks (blacktips surf fishing) and many bull reds, even Kings with no problems at all. As long as I rinse them off after fishing they are ready for the next trip. For the price also you really cannot go wrong. Performs great in the surf and launching Gotcha's from the pier.

Hey guys!!! thanks for all the advice!!! Keep it coming!!! Thank you for the offer Dan S II but i need it pretty quick so i was hoping to try and find something in the store, or get them to ship it to the store. I think i am pretty set on the Penn Pursuit II, but what size rod and reel do you think i should get! I am always of the opinion that bigger is better, especially when they are so close in price, such as the Penn Pursuits are!!! Am i wrong in the assumption that i would rather have something that is too much than something that is too little for the job!!!! Again, thank everyone so much for their input!!!!