That would be a cost effective solution for the bottom fishing duties, especially if it is only going to get occasional use. That rod might be overkill for the smaller fish you will catch at the pier—but if she hangs something big it will do the job.
I used the Penn Pursuit reels, in several sizes, for many years. For the money, they gave me good service, but now I much prefer the Penn Fierce and Penn Battle reels. Of course, they are about twice and three times the cost of the Pursuit. Maybe if she really gets into the fishing a new rig would make a nice gift.
For pitching Gotchas, I would suggest you downsize to a 6 or 6.5 foot medium action rod, with a size 2500 reel spooled with 10 pound mono, and a wire leader with a snap at the end so she can change baits easily. I don’t think she will get much distance casting lures on the heavy Tiger stick rod. And it will probably wear her out with the repeated casting and retrieving. You can probably find a reasonably priced combo at Dicks or Academy or Wal-Mart for around $50. Regarding the use of monofilament, Inshore I use 15 pound braid with a fluoro leader, but at the pier I use mono so I can more easily break off if some knucklehead casts over me and pulls my rig into a piling.
I used the Penn Pursuit reels, in several sizes, for many years. For the money, they gave me good service, but now I much prefer the Penn Fierce and Penn Battle reels. Of course, they are about twice and three times the cost of the Pursuit. Maybe if she really gets into the fishing a new rig would make a nice gift.
For pitching Gotchas, I would suggest you downsize to a 6 or 6.5 foot medium action rod, with a size 2500 reel spooled with 10 pound mono, and a wire leader with a snap at the end so she can change baits easily. I don’t think she will get much distance casting lures on the heavy Tiger stick rod. And it will probably wear her out with the repeated casting and retrieving. You can probably find a reasonably priced combo at Dicks or Academy or Wal-Mart for around $50. Regarding the use of monofilament, Inshore I use 15 pound braid with a fluoro leader, but at the pier I use mono so I can more easily break off if some knucklehead casts over me and pulls my rig into a piling.
