I'm heading to 30A for a week. I've never fished from the sandy shore before. Always been in a boat.

What could I get for a 2 piece setup that I could break down in the SUV. Or I've seen some rods that are only 6' in length probably because they are more stout. And I don't want super expensive because probably not something I'm going to do too terribly often but I'm not against paying for decent gear as well.

I'm assuming you are wanting something to sink some bait out past the sand bar and relax drinking some beers until you see the line pull. If that is the case, then I really like the Penn Fierce combos. I've got an older version of this, and it has held up well for my 1-2 trips per year. Penn Fierce IV 9' Wipe it down with a wet rag after each trip and it should last a long time.

Don't forget to get a piece of 1-1/2" pvc pipe for a rod holder. Cut it in half and use one piece on the beach for your rod, second piece sunk out into the water a bit for your bait bucket.

The problem with a 6' rod in the surf is casting distance. My guess is the guys you saw were deploying their bait either with a kayak or a drone.

Go on and spend about 225 at BPS and get yourself a 7000 Frigate, a 12' med/heavy Breakwater surf rod and spool up with #65 braid...or go 400 bucks to upgrade with Penn...or go cheap and get a 50 dollar combo rig from Academy or Wal-Mart, which you'll throw away after about a day.

My favorite rig for leisure surf fishing has always been an ABU Garcia 6500C3 paired with a 7' Ugly Stik. Easy to cast, can still handle big fish or smaller fish. There are a few 2 piece 8' rods out there that would work well paired with the same reel or with the 7000 Garcia.

I'm going to have to look at the ugly stick two-piece casting rods. I've been using spinning gear solely because I need a two-piece rod for transport.