I  have 4000 reel and I want to get a rod for it. I want to get into saltwater fishing, and I want a rod I could use for surf fishing and on a boat. I’ve been looking at an 8 foot medium surf rod, and a 7 foot medium heavy inshore rod but I don’t know what I should get.

What fish  do plan on chasing in the salt? 

1 hour ago, Nelson Delaney said:

What fish  do plan on chasing in the salt? 

Bluefish and stripers 

I think the 8ft would be better all around. 

In my neck of the woods, friends don't let friends bring spinning rods on party boats (if this is what you meant by "on a boat") unless they are very experienced and/or are willing to separate themselves from the masses fishing at the stern. On a crowded party boat, for the sake of fishing harmoniously when elbow to elbow near the 'hot corner' I try to abide by the 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' maxim. If I just have to be 'that guy', I will try to find an uncrowded spot up near the bow and do my thing there.

 

I like an 8' boat rod, but as an actual surf rod, it's on the short side (again, in my neck of the woods) because it makes it more difficult to keep your line out of the waves and it doesn't cast as far as an 11' to 14' rod will. 

 

If you want or need to be a one or two rod angler, it's understandable to make do with a 'spork' of a rod/reel combo. Maybe 'swiss army knife' is a better descriptor. And that would be an understandable route to go if you're planning to only have a couple of arrows in your quiver.

 

None of us planned to have as many rods as we do, but here we are. If you do this a lot, it goes from 'swiss army knife' to 'horses for courses'. It's part of the journey I guess.