Depends where you’re fishing and what for. But like others have said. Ugly stik combo is cheap and durable. Grab a couple of small crank baits for different depths and some 8-10lb mono and off you go. I caught my PB Muskie on my Ugly Stik so it goes to show you that you don’t NEED anything crazy to be successful! I mostly only fish freshwater because I’m in Ontario, so I can’t help that much with any saltwater stuff.

I would start with spinning tackle rather than baitcasting tackle. 6' or 6.5' medium action graphite rod. A quality reel with enough ball bearings for smooth operation. Say 8+. A Pfluger President size 30 maybe, might be a good choice. Are you fishing in the UK?

Can’t go wrong with a standard Ugly Stick combo from Walmart if you’re just getting started man!

Get a $100 rod and $100 reel. Shimano SLX Shimano Nasci

Medium spinning rod with a 1000-2000 size reel

Fishing line (most likely mono)

Tackle box

Hooks (octopus or circle)

Bobbers

Beads (for slip bobber rig)

Bobber stops

Than finally some worm plastics or live worm

Beginner set up for you to move to other techniques, let's you catch all kinds of fish. Multi species set up

Fishing is very location specific. For this forum post your location and I'm sure you will get some great tips, you can also go to your local fishing shop (stay away from the big chain stores) and tell them exactly the same thing you posted....people who fish love nothing better than to give advice!

The Dudefishh TV YouTube channel has some good beginner videos and gear reviews.

First tip I give people is to buy a license and know the regulations

Depends what you want to catch, and where you're planning on catching it.

Hellooo

Where are you located, and what sort of waters are you going to be fishing in? We could give you much better advice if we had a little more details! Might even run across someone local to you who can help you out a bunch.

License, book of local regulations, Ugly Stik combo (replace the monofilament with braid, please cut up the mono into small pieces before throwing away), hooks, sinkers, floats, bait. Bucket or bag to carry stuff in. That will put you on the water and catch you a fish. YouTube, local tackle stores, and people you meet on the water can help you fine tune things for your area and preferences. Good luck!

A small backpack to keep a tackle box in (like a Plano 3600 size).

A pair of needle nose pliers to protect yourself from hooks and teeth while dehooking fish.

A landing net so you can safely secure the bigger fish you catch without grabbing the line or high sticking (and potentially breaking) your rod, make sure it's rubberized so hooks don't get caught in it. The amount of people I see fishing without nets is crazy. Best case scenario they have no idea what to do and they just cut the line... worst case they spend 15 minutes trying to get a handle on a big fish and ultimately end up killing it or hooking themselves.

Get a rod reel push button combo medium action, small hooks, bobbers and night crawlers

A fish identification guide and a link to the local regulations. Something to measure length with if the regulations have size limits.

I’ll probably just be repeating others.

Rubber net, your fishing license, pliers, first aid kit, polarized sunglasses (they will help you see into the water better), sunscreen and or long sleeved sun protected clothing, backpack and cooler (if you are keeping and or just want to keep your beverages cold), snacks, a prior knowledge of what fish are in the water and your regulations, a good and patient attitude, a respect to other anglers and spreading out away from them so you aren’t encroaching on their spot.

It ain’t about always catching the fish, it’s about enjoying your time outdoors. Catching a fish is bonus points.

YouTube has tons of great suggestions - search on panfish or catfish or whatever you're looking for!

Specific advice will be hard to give without knowing the details of what you're targeting or where you're fishing.

But, generally, what I can say is that my best results have come after simplified my approach. That means going lighter in my tackle, especially line strength and hook and weight size. Also, cut back on the amount of tackle in your leaders, you want your presentation to be stealthy in the water. You should use your rod and reel drag setup to finesse the fish in and not try to crank em in with heavy gear.

When you get to your spot, take your time studying before you get your line in the water. Look for signs of structure before the surface. What does the current look like it's doing? What spots look fishy to you? Is anyone else catching?

Most importantly, talk to people. Some people can be jerks out there, but most will be happy to talk if you don't come off like you're trying to potlick. If they are catching and seem receptive, ask them to see their rigs and how they are fishing. Don't use that to crowd their spot but store that in your head to try next time or if they split.

Finally, be patient and keep at it. Ive been fishing my whole life and i'm just starting to figure it out. I've had plenty of times where I got skunked but thats the way it goes sometimes. It's all about enjoying yourself. Remember, it's called fishing and not catching.

Eagle claw has some good starter kits that have everything. Can be found at most Walmarts or Dicks. There's the one mystery tackle box brand that has pretty good variety too

There’s hundreds of videos online on how to string a line. Find one with a knot you are capable of and try it out.

Use a Palomar Knot for everything, for hooks and stuff if all depends on what bait and the type of fishing you're trying to do. If you want to start with artificial lure, it does take time to learn the movement and rhythm of retrieve. For bottom fishing with dead bait you can use a dropper loop knot rig or Carolina rig. As a beginner it's definitely hard at first to find what you want to do but the more you do the more you learn

I'm a Lew's stan... Lew's Mach 1 spinning combo should suit your trout and small catfish needs. Medium power.

But if you're wanting to go with a slightly heavier power, their cat smash is pretty solid too. It's medium-heavy.

I've been able to find them online for around $100 on Sale.

YouTube would be my recommendation. Thousands of fishermen in your local area with accounts.

especially since you only have so many spots.

Lake Perris fishing, I just typed that into YouTube and got over 1k results...

The baits you use for trout and catfish are very different so it will be thought to get one setup to catch both.

You generally use small lures for trout. I suggest an ultralight spinning setup. The Okuma Celilo rods are very good for the price. If you want to jump up a little in quality the Daiwa Presso, Shimano Sensilite and 13 Fishing Defy Silver rods are all very nice trout and pan fish rods.

For reels you can't go wrong with the Daiwa LT line of reels (Revros, Regal, Legalis, Fuego). Size 1000. These reels are all very similar with small upgrades between the models. Pick your budget and go with the reel that fits. IMO the Regal at $60 is the best bang for your buck but they are all good reels.

Catfish are bottom feeders so you are typically fishing with dough or cut bait suspending or laying on the bottom. I'm not sure how "small" you are referring to but in the Midwest we have bullhead and mud cats that range from 1-3lbs and we use a medium or medium heavy rod with a 2500-3000 sized spinning reel. The Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 or Elite is a great option. They are very durable.

Spinning setups would be easiest to start with. You dont have to get anything particularly fancy or expensive for first setups. Just see if y'all like it and upgrade as you go! If you end up not caring for it you didnt lose much.

Do you have any idea what type of fish you'll be fishing for? It will help with recommendations.

Like almost everyone here says your first rod should be a spinning rod, to get set up I recommend a budget of around $200 for a decent rod. You can get some cheaper rods but they tend to be more of a toy than a tool.

My first spinning rod was $50 and I lost the fish of a lifetime when the rodtip broke. Well that and skill I guess.

Bass pro have some great options at the moment for rods and will warranty anything that breaks. A good starter rod would be the: Mach Smash Spinning Combo - 300 - 7' - Medium - https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/mach-smash-spinning-combo-100851066

You want a spinning rod. There's tons of options at every price point, with only pretty minor differences between them.

1st - establish a budget. Doesn't need to be huge. I'd suggest $50-100 per rod/reel combo, and then another $50-100 for lures and tools and gear.

Rod/reel - look for a Medium or Medium-Light action, between 6' and 7' long (if you're a small person, you might prefer 6', a tall person will likely prefer 7'). The most beginner friendly option are pre-packaged "combos" that include a rod and reel.

I highly recommend finding a local bait and tackle shop. They will be able to help you demystify all the marketing nonsense out there. You might spend a little more than if you go deal hunting online, but the relationship you build with the shop is valuable, and they'll be really helpful in offering advice and tips as you start to get into it more.

Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Combo is a solid pick. Super durable, easy to use, and works for both freshwater and light saltwater fishing. Perfect if you just want something reliable without spending too much.

If you want something a little nicer, the Pflueger President Spinning Combo is a great upgrade.

I was completely lost picking my first rod, but this post explained it in a way that actually made sense. Definitely worth a read!

Go get a spinning reel and rod combo, or you can buy them separately. I recommend going to a local tackle shop and asking them for something budget friendly that can handle the conditions and fish there. They can also tell you what other people are having success on. If you're able to share if you'll be fishing salt or fresh water or what species you want to catch I can give some more specifics. I live in the US though so if it doesn't live here I probably don't know how to catch it.

I'm Aussie too. I'm only going to talk about saltwater because that's what I fish.

Shimano senna is a perfect first rod cost $100 form anaconda. 4-6kg.

Replace the line with 20lb line (either braid or mono, braids better but cost a lot more) if using mono probably just use 10lbs

If using braid get some swivels and you'll need some 20lb fluro carbon for a leader.

Use a size 1 hook with a running sinker rig.

Get your bait from a fish market. Get some squid or some prawns (they will be frozen but legally have to be in some areas)

I suggest that rig to get some confidence up for fishing as it's pretty guaranted to catch something. You'll be surprised how big of a fish you can catch with a size 1 hook.

When you've got some confidence, move up to a 1/4 Oz jig head and some gulp jigging plastics. You cast let sink to the bottom, flick the rod up. Wind in the slack on the way down and let sit for a solid 2 seconds. Repeat.

If at the beach cast within the first 30m or go to a jetty and cast the same distance.