The rig that I use most of the time, is a 9 foot, Team Daiwa 9 foot 2 piece graphite rod, matched with a Daiwa BG-30 spinning reel and 14 pound test line. Most of the blues you catch may be on lures, and this rig will throw a metal lure or top water plug the required distances. I like the graphite for its light weight, and this makes a difference with hours of repetitive casting. If you are a light tackle fancier, a small, one-handed spinning rod can fill out your choice of outfits. If bait fishing is the order of the day, and sometimes the fish are so picky they will not hit a lure, then fresh mullet, herring, menhaden or spot are excellent choices.
Frozen bait is a poor second choice, but can be the only game in town early in the season.
Whatever bait you choose, change it often, and keep it looking good. Any number of lures will catch bluefish in the surf. During a blitz, literally anything you throw out there will result in a strike, and that's the time I use the oldest, roughest looking lures in my tackle box. The hands down favorite is a metal lure, usually heavy enough to cast a respectable distance in tough conditions. Popular local names are Hopkins, Gators, and Kastmasters.