Hey Toby78, I am in a similar situation to yourself.

There does seem to be a wealth of info on this site - try the search bar on the left with some  specific wording and you should be off to a good start.

around pe 1.5 to pe 3 like a monster mesh or somthing like that ,then maybe a stradic 4000/5000 with some pe 2 or 3 braid  would be a cheap option to see if you like the whole jigging thing ,most important to me is quality jigs such as evergreen caprice or fankys,then you just need to find the right way to use them ie slow lifts then drop then a couple of quick short lifts then drop ,just keep your jig within 5m of the bottom

 I started out about eighteen months ago.  Stradic fj 5000 reel.  Uglystik bluewater 10-15 kg rod.  Pe3 rainbow braid.  Cost about $500.  I went for a shorter rod (5'6") as it is easier to use / stow on the boat.   I think the experts will tell you 6'6" - 7' is a better length jigging rod, but I'll let them argue that point.  Good quality jigs and fluorocarbon leader are a must.  And then time on the water.

Other thing to consider is your sounder.  I have an el cheapo atm (its a furuno, but a cheap one at that).  I am going to seriously upgrade this year to something like a simrad nss7 or similiar.  Jigging is only one small part of catching fish, finding the buggers is the hard bit...  a good sounder is a must I have learnt.

Good luck.  And welcone to the jigging fraternity. 

Can I recommend the Gomoku Pe1.5 -3 Rod ? Saw it in Bluewater for $150

Pair it with a spinning reel of your choice (Shimano size 4000-5000) (Daiwa size 3000-3500) and you are good to go.

Head to your local tackle store to get some demersal jigs - usually short and asymmetrical in shape. Slap on an assist hooks concealed in rubber squid and you are good to go.

Oceanside tackle is a good start and the boys will point you in the right direction - including drifts, locations, gears etc etc.

Good Luck.

 If your just starting out I'd forget about jigging. Find a few productive spots using bait first. Its a lot less forgiving. Once you start getting a few fish then give the jigs a go. 

Doaky the master baiter.

But in seriousness its not a bad way to start off.  Get your skippering skills used to finding the spots, setting a good drift and get some results onthe board and fillets in the frypan.  Somedays you can pepper jigs at the fish all day long and you will get nothing, drop a slab of parrotfish down and your into one.  A good sounder is important, and knowing how to use it is even more important.  I would not run anything less than the HDS7 I have now and honestly if there was console room I would run something better for bottom bashing too.  Look hard for your spots and spend time on the water getting the most out of each one. 

In terms of an outfit for demersals anything in the 4000 size and rod to suit PE2-3 should do you fine.  If you want to target samsonfish then you may want to up it to PE5 or similar to stop the buggers taking all your expensive jigs.

Lastly dont resort to pinging other peoples spots, its not going to do you any favours at the ramp at the end of the day...  Motoring around is fine but try and give clearance to those fishing and respect the work they have done finding spots.