Spinning rod/reel for live-lining/drifting chunks (Teramar? Cabo?)

Hello,

Never targetted bass, always fished for fluke around the city island area (from a rental skiff). Would love to get into stripers and blues, see them all the time in the past killing bunker...but never had the proper gear or knowledge to target them.

After reading through some old posts I'm thinking about the Teramar SE series, namely the MH, 7'6 model. I also like the looks of the Cabo, but w/e reel I get would like it to double as a light surf reel, maybe on a 9fter later on in the season. I really like my Daiwa Tierra reels, but never used them in the salt and I read they don't last, hence my leaning towards the Cabo or something designed for SW. A smooth cranking reel is very important to me, and I am willing to sacrifice a little longevity for smoothness.

I have a lami 7040 (inshore w/cork) and a Tekota 500 that I think would do well for laying chunks on the bottom. The spinning outfit is mainly for snag-and-let-swim, maybe some plugging/plastics etc. I can't cast with a conventional reel...someone with my hand-eye coordination shouldn't be allowed to drive, lol.

Anyway, I am open to all advice and suggestions, and it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
roger