The Outbound lines are not ideal for close in casting as they are designed for distance presentations, and they are definitely ideal for delicate presentations.

There are so many great options that will work well for intended purpose and within your budget.

The S.A System II reel the Rel mentioned is a dated design but a durable workhorse. I happen to have the 10/11 model and have used it on 8 through 10wt rods. They are virtually indestructible.

I really like all of the TFO rods for performance at a great price. TFO reels are also very good. The TFO Large Arbor reels are excellent for the $ and I know many people who have put them to the test on dorado, jacks, skipjack, bonito and other fish that will give a reel a workout. You could get a TFO rod (TiCrX, TiCr, Axiom, or BVK), TFO reel, and a couple of lines for around your targeted budget. Its hard to recommend a specific model without knowing your preferences because I think they are all good to great. The new BVK series is very lightweight and they are a joy to cast in my opinion. They give up some lifting strength but are excellent close in and at distance and I think work very well with the rated line at all distances, whereas many anglers are tempted to go up one line size on the other models, especially if they are doing a lot of short to medium distance casting. TFO has just announced a new light weight BVK reel. The new TFO BVK SLA III reel holds an 8wt line, 200yds of 20lb backing, weighs in at 5.2oz, and retails for $250USD. Looks promising but I haven't got my hands on one yet. They just added these to their website this week. I know several people who really like the 8wt TiCrX as an all round saltwater rod.

The new 4200 series reels from Sage provide exceptional performance and we have had a lot of good feed back on them. They have a sealed drag, but also, like the more expensive Sage reels, it has very will calibrated drag with marked values that always dials in the same amount of drag when the knob is turned to the same location. Most reels with this feature cost much more. All of the Sage reels are pretty good values. I have a Sage 1880 that I have used in fresh and saltwater and been happy with it. I use it right along side my Abel reels.

If you want an off the shelf package, the Sage Flight combos are excellent and come in 8 and 9wt packages for around $500USD. The Rio WF line that comes with the combo is fine for non-tropical fresh and saltwater fishing. I have an 8wt Sage FLi and really like it - its fairly light and smooth yet powerful. The Flight is a subtle improvement.

The Redington RS4 and CPX rods are also very good their price points and worth consideration as is both the Redington Rise and Redington Delta reels. For your application I would probably opt for the Redington Delta reel, being a bit more robust than the Rise.

Lots of good choices out there.