Dave has covered all the 1-3 day gear. If you really want the real long range experience, trips out of SD really start at five days and up. Under five days and you're looking at a cattle boat with 25+ jacked up guys rubbing elbows on the rail for three days...not pleasant. I would recommend a 10 day because it give the skipper more options to go find fish, more committed/better anglers with better gear. You're still rubbing elbows but with better anglers. Like trolling spreads, everyone has their favorites in the SD fleet. If I were booking a 10 day, the Royal Star would be my choice. The Intrepid and Independence are new, state-of-the-art fishing platforms, and are definitely worth a look. We're talking Ritz Carlton on the water.
Here's a good resource for the SD Fleet:
Rod Rack - Fishing Links
Gear tops out at heavy 6' standup rods, Calstar or Seeker and 50 wides, Avet, Accurate and Shimano LRSA are most popular.
Re: San Diego Long Range Tackle Recommendations
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