Ok I will throw in my .02 here
I'm not totally clear either on exactly what you are going to be using the rod for, but I would buy something 8 foot or more. If there is one all around combo for ocean fishing that you will get more use out of than anything else, it's the calstar 900XL with a calcutta 400S. Yeah you are going to go over budget but you now have the rod you will always want when you buy anything else. You could buy an All Star inshore rod, or a Graphite USA, or a Graphtec and those would all be ok too, but the more you get into it, the more you are just going to want a 900XL. As for reels, you could buy a Newell, or a small Penn, or a Sealine, and those would all be ok too, but it's the same story. The Calcutta 400S is what you will ultimately want.
So I don't know how helpful that is, but if I was you I would just save my money another month or two and pick up the dream combo. The fishin' isn't that good right now anyway =)