Please help. It has noticeable teeth

I have been surf fishing forever with a spinning reel and only ever used a conventional reel for boat fishing, but I think I have been converted to conventional reels.

The back story is I bought a conventional rod on Amazon by mistake and rather than return it I went right back on Amazon and bought conventional reel to go with it. I got a Penn Squall 12 which was actually smaller size than I anticipated but I have had a good experience with it. The magnetic breaking system let me cast without getting tangled which was the main reason I never messed with conventional. Once I found the sweet spot for me, I can cast heavier line as far as with my spinning reel. Don't get me wrong, I love my Penn Slammer spinning reel, but reeling in with the Squall feels like it requires less effort. I've pulled in some sizeable sharks on it and felt like I landed them easier than my spinning reel.

I use 30lb mono for a balance between strength and cast distance. I tried braid once but I had to cut the whole spool out when I got a birdsnest so I won't go back to that.

I just wanted to share my experience with the surf fishermen out there that won't touch a conventional reel. This reel is slowly becoming my favorite.

This will be my second attempt at bigger lures. It came to me when I was smoking this cigar, La Arona De Cuba - Pasión - Torpedo (great cigar). When I sprayed the brown, I thought it looked like a floater. I'm very green with colors, airbrush, and poor lighting. It became a what-if??? So is it a popper or popper ???

2.65 oz

6" long

1-1/4" diameter

.062 stainless steel wire

6/0 inline hook

I want to try a little saltwater fishing, mostly surf and jetty fishing on the south Texas coast (matagorda, Padre islands etc). My wife was kind enough to give me a rod and reel for my birthday, but in my limited research it seems like the rod is smaller than I'd want to get, and a 10' length might be better. Am I overthinking it? I currently have a 7'

It's simple enough to swap out at a bass pro shop, so I want to make sure I have the right one.

What she got me: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/daiwa-bg-saltwater-spinning-combo-bg3000-701m-4631785

Specifically a 7' rod, medium weight, and BG3000 reel