I have fished for a long time, so I am very aware that this is not an ideal situation. I am looking for suggestions for a SINGLE spinning rod and reel combo for fishing in Texas in August. We will be in Matagorda and I am interested in fishing the beach, jetty, and the bay for whatever I can catch. I will be throwing lures, jigs, spoons, and fishing live and cut bait. My intial thought was a 7'6" rod with a reel with 2 spools; one for lure/jigs (lighter line) and one for the surf/bait (skinny braid to assist in long casting). I have not fished longer rods much, so how do you think this will work? I know many of you have multiple rods for different techniques, but if there were a gun to your head and you had to catch some fish, which rod would you choose??
Thank you in advance for the information!!

7'6" medium w/2500 or 3000 series reel will do the job, I'd just spool up with 20 lb braid and have at it.

I've been using some texas tackle factory rods I got recently, they are everything I need in a spinning rod. But any decent quality will work fine, the drag on the reel is what you'll need to concentrate on most.

^^^^What Pat said.

That is what I was leaning toward. With so many different "medium" action rods, what lure weight should I look for. I am not really limited on my funds, but would like to keep under $300'for rod and reel. Any other "specific" suggestions? I will be fishing matagorda at the end of July, do you think I need a surf rod or will the 7'6" rod be adequate for the surf?

Thank you to those who have replied.

Unless you're planning on heaving a pound of lead and a full mullet, it'll work fine.

$300? That shouldn't be a challenge at all.

For $300 you can buy everything, hook, line, and sinkers.

Walmart has a Penn Pursuit for less than $35, and the Ugly Stick is less than $40, so now you have a little less than $220 for other important items. (I kinda of deducted some tax in my calculations)

shimano shimano shimano reels sahara 79.00 stradic 179.00 rods falcon hd 69.00 cca 59.00 castaway 49.00 these are all pretty good budget items

http://www.basspro.com/Penn-Fierce-Saltwater-Spinning-Reels/product/10209996/84995 you can use this in the bay, and also offshore. imo this is a top notch spinning reel. with and ugly stick or all star rod. and 20 lb braid with 15-12 lb backing and you should be set!

I agree about getting the Uglystick rod!! Get a medium heavy and you should be good.

Okay, I am going to do something that I hate when others do it.

For $300, you can get two rod/reel combos easily. Your question is like asking "what one rifle for hunting in Texas, from rabbit to deer?" For trout and small fish, throwing lures, a larger outfit will tire you out and miss subtle bites. For bull reds, drum and sharks, you are going to get worn out with something too light.

Acadamy has great deals on special pricing days. I would get a 7' medium light, and 1000/2000 series outfit with 12# mono or 20# braid. You want at least 100yds. Then I would also get a 7 to 7 1/2" heavy rod, with a 6000/8000 series reel with 50# braid. Those two classes will cover you very well on the Texas coast.

Okay...I kept it at under $150 and have had great success. I have a Penn Sargus 4000 ($65)with 30# Power Pro ($20)on a 7'6" Ugly Stik Inshore MH rod ($50). It is light enough that you can cast without getting too dang tired, but it has got some real backbone. Have hauled in a huge stingray from the SPI Jetties and have caught numerous reds bait fishing from the boat. As for surf, no big reds or Jacks so far but hooked into a really huge Skip Jack and it was not even a fight...whipped it in like 1 minute in a pretty rough surf. I also have a Penn Fierce 3000 on an identical rod that has 20# PP on it and it works really great too. The Sargus has more bearings and is a little smoother and a bit beefer drag. Hope this helps out.

Ok I'll throw in $.02 Pro Angler Tackle 7.5' mh spinning rod $42.00 Cabela's SaltStriker SSBF-65 spinning reel $69.00
Good set up.