This time of year, pickings may be a bit slim but as the water is starting to warm up, you'll see more action. Based on where you are, I would think you'd have the oppertunity to see spot/perch, croaker, blues (on occasion), cats, and on the rare occasion, a confused striper/rock.
My suggestion - a basic 6-7' rod with 6-8lb test. A basic double hook rig (top/bottom rig) you can find at any store and as little weight as possible. I'd say 1.5-2oz. Key here is that you want the lightest rig possible that will allow you to cast as far as possible while providing enough "ass" to reel in the fish you are targetting. 6-8lb test will serve you fine with all species with the exception of some beefy striper/cat. The lighter/thinner line will allow you to cast further with less weight and will provide you more feel. Mono is pretty amazing stuff. For reference I use 17-20lb test line while casting out 8-10oz of weight (plus bait weight) on a 12' rod when surf fishing. It handles that amount of stress/shock and is capable of easily bringing in large fish (30-40") or heavy rays. Unless you hook into a striper (rarity) or large blue (also rare), most of the fish you will see will be under a pound.
Hooks generally dictate size. Only big fish can take a big hook. However, both big and small fish can take a small hook. Use smaller hooks to broaden your options.
Tip the hooks with bloodworms. They are expensive so use sparingly. For most fish, a 1" segment per hook is adequate. If targetting stripers/cats - a bigger peice is preferred.
Toss out into deeper water this time of year. Reel in slowly until you feel the weight start to pull of the bottom. Let it rest (don't pull off the water). The idea is to pull the slack out of the line and then use your fingers to feel the line. When a fish starts to nibble, you will feel the line vibrate. Let it play with it a bit until you get a big/more obvious "hit". Set the hook by quickly lifting the rod tip straight up. Let the line sit still for a second (with no slack) and if you have a fish - you will feel it thrashing on the line. If not, let it sit and you'd be surprised how quickly they fish will come back.
For most fish, you can simply reel in. For something big, you might have to adjust the drag which will allow line to be pulled off your spool depending on how hard the fish pulls. This is your safety machanism that prevents your line from breaking (it can be adjusted).
Do not use bobbers. Waste of time.
Bloodworms will cover most available species. If you want to get crazy, you can use some of the caught fish to catch others. Spots cut into small chunks are a favorite of stripers/rock and even blues. Catfish also like them. Blues like to eat other hunks of blues.
Want to get real crazy, using a heavier rod with heavier line (12-15lb ..... even 20lb) - rig up a double rig with bigger hooks. Cut up a peice of spot into 1x1 hunks and toss out just before dark. Let it sit over night (make sure rod is secure and can't be pulled in). Check rod in the AM. Might find yourself a large cat where you're fishing.