When my kids were young my mom would get them el cheapo combos. Any amount of salt water on them would just ruin them, even with rinsing them after use. Not saying its impossible or doesn’t exist, but in the salt better gear and seals matter…
Outcast Tackle and Marine in Pensacola has their own private label rods with Star blanks. They’re a decent rod, but even with the entry-level Shimano reels you’d probably exceed the $100 threshold.
The rod I linked is what my 4 and 6 year old use. They are matched with a Shimano sienna 3000 and 8lb test. Now, we are live bait fishing with them for mangroves, trout, slot redfish. Wanted something cheap that I would not worry about them breaking or dropping overboard. I also grew up fishing this exact combo. I really like the rods and the reels will last a few seasons with just rinsing them.
I mainly fly fish so I spend most of my gear money there so my spinning outfits are usually as bare bones as it comes to get the job done. I use to 100 percent use the sub $100 shimano’s saharas or Sedona’s but I feel their lower end has slipped some and the prices have gone up.
I swapped over to the Diawa revros line, which is the freshwater equivalent of the bg series and they have been great in 2500-5000 sizes and are lighter and have more capacity then shimano. Going on 6 years with the oldest one. The 4-5k ones get terrible abuse trying to winch small amberjack/sharks and bottom fish off the bottom and have held up. Rinse them well and you won’t even know they aren’t a saltwater specific reel.They run $40-60 depending on the current sale. Then get one of those half hitch rods or an academy h2o branded saltwater 7’ rod for $40-50 and you are in business.
