yikes!! not sure i should ask questions about the tampa trip...
lots of decent saltwater stuff... size and type of the lure depends on
what you're fishing for. you'll need planers or downriggers to get way
deep for ocean trolling, and that's no fun. i don't do it. there are
some hardbaits that are big with big lips that will go 40-50 feet down,
but you need a stout rod and reel to hold that while trolling. also no
fun...
in hardbaits, i've used yozuri's, spoons, and big bucktails trolling for
blues, spanish, kings, and stripers. there are many fishy-looking
softbaits too. saltwater fish are tough on a lures and not real picky
when ready to eat, so you oughta find some cheap lures until you get
dialed in. can't go wrong with shiny silver or gold metal spoons and
stingers.
my deep sea trolling was always on top or just under the surface for
dolphin, wahoo, billfish (never caught one), mainly with ballyhoo on
islander heads with skirts. most of my saltwater fishing is now for
puppy drum, speckled trout, blues, mackeral, and false albacore...and
it's casting instead of trolling. i'm concentrating on the flyrod this
year, trying to get better at it.
there are some neat jigs that you drop to the bottom or near it around
wrecks or live bottoms. deadly dicks, stingers, hopkins in various sizes
are always good to have...
do you get cabela's catalog? yukyuk...of course not...but maybe you can
find one or access it on the web?
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/fishing-saltwater-fishing/_/N-1100466?WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104793480
lots of stuff to spend money on...
jeff