So, not a ton of money to throw at something big, unless you want to kick in whatever it takes to buy a major item. Therefore, given the season we are entering, maybe you invest that money in a nice assortment of Tog jigs.
You have a trip or two booked with Capt. Mike, right? So then, jigs in the 1 to 3 ounce bracket would be appropriate for his area. Get the ones that lay flat on the bottom, with the hook pointing up. Those seem to be quite effective in the stronger tides that he fishes. I’ve used the ones from Magic Tails, Tidal Tails, and HTLureco - and all worked equally well. Just be sure whatever you go with has a strong hook - at least 2X-strength.
