I would also recommend the Scotty's. Some people like long booms and some like short. Personally I feel the long booms give you more options and make the likely hood of tangling gear less of a problem. Stacking can be done but if you don't know what your doing you'll end up spending more time hassling with the gear than fishing. In the beginning I would think two rods and two downriggers will be enough to challenge you. I have a 27' boat with a much bigger beam and fishing three downriggers is a challenge especially in strong currents. The black box would be a good addition. For gear I would recommend some Hot Spot flashers, Coyote spoons, squid and some 4 and 5" plugs.