im about to pull the trigger on a st croix TSRS90M2 (8ft surf rod, .5-2.5oz) and was wondering if a sahara 4000 would be a good choice. this rod will mainly be used to cast cut bait with a 2 oz lead sinker.

sahara 4000 line capacity - 8/240,10/200,12/160

The reel would be ok, little on the small side for cut bait fishing.  I say that because 8#mono is a little light for that type of fishing and with 10 or 12# you may run into coiling issues.   If it were me I'd use 20 or 30# braid and now you can use that set up for casting as well, be a nice light duty surf casting outift.          Don't forget to rinse the reel after each use.

thanks, SirSnookalot

is there another reel you'd recommend in the $100 price range? this will be for mainy for stripers and bluefish, nothing huge...

First of all do not under estimate a bluefish or a striper, a 20# striper will give you all you can handle, it is not a small fish.

Personally I would shy away from a sahara, it's decent freshwater reel that can be used in salt but I don't think it will stand the test of time and the drag would be questionable for the target species.

I don't want to jump you too high in price so I would consider Pflueger medalist ( I have a 5000 and it's the smoothest reel I own, but a bit heavy), most bang for your buck imo.  Penn's are extremely popular and built for the salt, about $125.00 and worth it.

About every mfg makes what you need, I think a minimum of a 20# drag would be wise.

yeah, ive had rockfish take quite a bit of line out. what i meant is that i dont plan on catching any 70lb tuna or tarpon with this rod.

im going to drop the sahara idea. i figured id get it as i think the smaller ones are a good value but i'll look into something built for salt water like you suggested. thanks again.

I agree with the points mentioned before but I'll add this:

As a general rule I would go with an 8000 size shimano (or other manufacturers equivalent) for bait fishing for stripers and blues. An 8000 will not be too big. I use a 4000 size  for casting smaller lures for fluke and sea trout. I'd be looking at around 17lb mono or 30-50lb braid for chunking stripers and blues.

For your price range (or just a little over) I'd recommend one of the Quantum Boca spinning reels or second Sirsnookalot's recommendation of a Penn.

While I also find my Pflueger Medalist exceptionally smooth  I'd give a word of caution if used as a surf reel. This is just my experience and opinion:

The drags on Pflueger Medalists (at least the silver ones, I understand they have a newer model) were not sealed and very prone to getting sand under them.

This was a problem for me a few times and I'd spend a few extra dollars for the penn or another reel to avoid the worry. If you don't plan on surf fishing a a great deal it may still be a good reel. Just check that your drag is clean before fishing.

Also just a general point:

I saw your location is listed as NoVa.  Are you fishing in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia? In Virginia Beach/DelMarva Coast/Outer Banks you should be prepared to use much heavier lead than 2ozs at times and it is important to select a rod to adress this.

You very well could have a specific spot/reason in mind already so I want to make sure you don't think I'm saying you're wrong.  I just thought I'd bring it up in case.

thanks for the responses.

chesapeake bay it is. MD part actually.

2oz is usually enough to handle the surf there but i agree it can be too light for the outer coast. i have 2 other surf rods to handle heavier weight but they are old and im trying to upgrade them one at a time. this will be the "lightest" surf rod ive owned.

do you guys have any opinions on the shimano spheros?

I have 2 spheros, 4000 and 8000.  Far from the smoothest but workhorses, I would not buy either again.  My next 8000 could be a shimano sargossa or the new Penn, I think conquest?  Now we are around $200.  Quantum Boca, good choice I have a pt 30(4000 size reel) they go about $130.

It's a tough decision, 120-$150, most are pretty decent.

If you're fishing the Maryland part of the bay you can probably get by just fine spending a little less and going with the medalist or a Penn SSG. The conditions in the Maryland  part of the bay are just a lot more forgiving on gear than a wavy windy salty surf. I actually used a Pflueger president for a long time and it got the job done although it was a bit testy when it got wet.

Of course it all depends on how often you'll use it. If you intend to use it frequently or might bring it to the ocean from time to time then I'd opt to spend more in the 120-150 range for  better quality  as Sir Snookalot said.

I think It would depend on the general size of the fish you are going for.  If you are going for a huge stripes then both the rod and reel are too small.  For average fish in moderate surf I think you would be fine with the 4000 and that rod.  I would spool a braid on and definitely use a shock leader.  I personally like my love my Symetre 2000 FH and a 6'6" for surf. But then I get to fish the Coast around Charleston on our family vacations.  Lots of sand shark, drums, flounder, and trout.   I used the 2000 for earlier morning fishing throwing into the breakers. I used a Sedona 4000 and 7' rod for 3oz  and bait and we caught sharks all night.  Both reels were spooled with 20lb PowerPro.