New to fishing ?'s

[surffisher]

Hey all,
Thanks for all the info and it's a good starting point. I have always read boats are the best option, unfortunately, I get VERY sea sick. I could take something and brave it, but, I'm pretty sure no one wants to get yaacked on. I'm actually in Bergen county, but, am down there a lot; big surfer.
I'm going to start looking for poles around 8-12' and 20lb line. I've also been looking into lures and bait and came across Gulp bait. People seem to go crazy over it, would it work if I start soon for stripers? And the fish shaped lures do I have to bait them also?
If i were to start within the next week or so for stripers, what would a good setup be for stripers from the beach?