Most of the party boats will typically be jigging metal or casting plastics like shad bodies.. For this you'll need a 7 foot spinning pole and reel. Braided line with a mono leader is the way to go here since braid casts better and your leader should be on the longer side say 5 or 6 feet since it will make it easier to work out tangles with other anglers.. Can you use a conventional reel, yes and some do but spinning reels are a lot easier to cast and you won't get any bird nests like you would casting with a conventional set up unless you have a very good trained thumb to stop to the spool at the end of each cast. If you decide to want to rent a boat rod and reel, you're going to want to check with the boat since all carry conventional set ups and some carry both.
Charter or open boats will also jig but it's very common for them to bait fish as well as troll and they typically supply all the rods and reels you'd need for all those different methods.
Since you're new to this I would go out a few times and if turns out this is something you plan to do on a regular basis, I would invest in your own set up. I say this because it helps to become familiar with your gear and you can make your own choices of what line and leader you want as opposed to what the boat may have on hand...
Here is a posts talking about the gear you'd need
https://www.njfishing.com/forums/sho...t=Striper+reel
As far as timing, in the spring it usually starts coming on strong April 1 through May and in June a lot of boats switch over to Fluke. A sure sign to kick off the season is to watch when the Forsythia bushes start to flower. The fall season usually starts in October and runs strong into December.
Good luck... You're certainly in the right place since NJ has the best Striper fishery in the entire country!
