The most basic all around set up I would recommend for fishing in a lake would be to go buy some crankbaits, jerkbaits, a couple topwater lures (I recommend jitterbugs, and poppers), and some softplastic worms and worm hooks (they have the little angled shaft by the eye of the hook). Get some 12lb monofilament fishing line (it's good for mostly everything you'll catch in a lake).
Also, get some hooks and splitshot sinkers.

In terms of color for the baits, try to mimic the types of baitfish that are in the lake you're fishing at. Shad are pretty common in lakes near me, so 2/3 of my tackle box are filled with shad colored crankbaits and jerkbaits. Bluegill colored bait is always good because most lakes are full of bluegill.

That should help you target almost anything you could want to catch in a lake until you start getting more experience. Once you get more experience you can start tweaking things and buying more specialized stuff. But with the stuff I told you to buy, you really just have to locate the fish and you should be able to catch them.

EDIT:

Here's a pretty good assortment of hardbait to get you started. I'm not sure how wonderful the quality is, but they should catch fish for you and give you a foundation to build on until you get some more experience.

these and these are pretty decent rubber lures that will work for a wide variety of fish. Buy these hooks for them and these weights to help get your rubber lures to the bottom of the lake.

A package of bait hooks like these will help you catch stuff like catfish and bluegill using live bait. [Bobbers] (http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Floats-Assortment-1-Inch/dp/B0009V5QEA/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1462166419&sr=1-1&keywords=Bobber) are pretty good for catching bluegill as well. Catfish suck food off of the bottom of the lake at night, so skip on the bobber if you're fishing for those and I wouldn't waste time fishing for them in the day time.

And some basic 12 pound fishing line. Stick to the clear stuff.

All that gear should help you get started. There shouldn't be a fish in a lake that you can't catch using that stuff.

Sure! 40-ish bucks worth of hooks swivels and weights and braided mainline and mono leader. 5 bucks worth of powerbait(worms are free if you wanna dig) 30 dollars a year for fishing license(depending on what state you live in). Carpool with a couple friends to a lake or river, if one has a boat that's cool but you don't need one. A 30 dollar rod and reel set works. Don't need a 400 dollar rod to catch 2 pound trout. If you go once a week and catch a few fish then you more than break even. Start out cost is low as well as accruing expenses. You only need to keep buying bait and a yearly fishing license

Lines: [braided main line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OPKT9I0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [Mono leader line] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T7WAN4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Hooks: [#8 baithooks] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0186XEATY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Sinkers: [assorted sinker set] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V2R2E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Swivels: [These even have swivels, which aren't pictured] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YMJ6ONC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - [heres a picture of the snaps] (http://i.imgur.com/BJeHUso.jpg)

Powerbait: [Take your pick of different colors and scents to see what works where you fish at] (https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-Powerbait-Glitter-Rainblow-1-75-Ounce/dp/B0000AV1L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070992&sr=8-1&keywords=powerbait)

Rod and reel:[If you go to an outdoors store you can find even cheaper] (https://www.amazon.com/Okuma-Spinning-Combo-Medium-7-Feet/dp/B00LV00CZG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1478070582&sr=8-4&keywords=fishing%2Brod%2Band%2Breel&th=1&psc=1)

All of those one time expenses comes up to 63.30, that includes a rod and reel, lines, hooks, weights, sinkers, snap swivels and a jar of bait. The only thing you need to buy after that is bait every now and again for 4~ dollars

As for the license, it depends where you are, some places it's as cheap at 9 dollars a year, some places its 40.

As for getting my monies worth, I think I do, fresh fish is expensive. That's not even including the experience of it. I love going out into nature and relaxing with friends, catching a few fish and eating them for dinner is pretty fun

You can pick up fishing weights on amazon for pennies and they're usually small enough and shaped well for nose cones.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LO2TM2/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1409516760&sr=8-8&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

It looks like a pyramid fishing weight.

http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Weights-Pyramid-Fishing-14-Pack/dp/B0084EJ90G

You may want to paint it over with something. Possibly shave off the numbers.

Pennies.

Each penny is 2.5 grams. A decent 50g weight (weight of 20 pennies) goes for $10 (cost of 1,000 pennies).

Of course, lead is almost twice as dense (11.3g/cc vs 5.8g/cc), but so far you're competing with PLA, 1.2g/cc (surprisingly hard to find an estimate for!).

I tried to make the math/economics prefer lead: If you buy 1/8oz fishing weights in bulk, and don't count shipping, you can get 0.796g per penny, but a penny itself is 2.5g, plus the fishing weights don't fit together nicely like a roll of coins would.

Go with pennies.

^(...I wonder how other coins fair...)

Not too shabby..

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Snell-Hook-Holder/dp/B003ZZEM9C

that is a bullet fishing weight

I’m in the same boat. I was considering pouring a bunch of the smallest split shot weights I could find in the bottom where the weights go, but idk

I'd go for a spinning combo personally, but a push button may be more your style i find they always get tangled and make it a pain to cast.


Go to walmart/bass pro/gander mountian. But something in the $30-$50 range. Depending on the age of your kid, those cartoon flavored ones in the pack may work too.


Get hooks, Size 10 arberdeen grab some bobbers Personally I like the balsa slip floats. Like this


Youll need some bobber stops too.


Get some Split shot sinkers


I'm a fan of 4lb zebco fishing line. it's like $2 at walmart for 500 yards. It'll give you line for 2 poles.


Now you'll rig up with your bobber stop, then bead, then bobber, then a couple weights and then a hook. Try to keep the weights about 12-18" above the hook. The bobber stop you can slide up and down your line and set it to whatever depth you want. If your slip bobber isn't pointing straight up that means your weights on the bottom and you need to adjust your slip bobber knot.


Pick up some worms or leaches and go to town. You'll want your bobber to barebly be able to keep up your bait, so you can see the strikes. If you have a big ass bobber a fish will never get it down.


These tube jig kits are usually a great deal too and catch anything. If they don't have hooks, you'll need jig hooks too. Something like this you could throw under a bobber too and try to keep your bait going up and down. Maybe put a worm on it too.


Here's a video where he uses some little jig heads and sutff too


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmOiylyTltk



Should be able to get everything under $75. I added it all to a gander mountian cart. They had some specials on rod combos for $24.95. My cart total was $71.92


Rods :http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gander-Mountain-Competitor-Series-Spinning-Rod-Reel-Combo-56-Ultralight&i=694266


How to rig a slip bobber: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAQUo7H4gYs

This is what I use for any youngster that I want to take fishing and catch fish, no matter what.

Rod - https://www.amazon.com/Zebco-33-Telecast-Combo-6-Feet/dp/B00F5EBTFQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1501686112&sr=8-6&keywords=zebco+fishing+rod+and+reel+combos

Switch out the line to 6lb - https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-Trilene-Casting-Monofilament-XLPS6-22/dp/B0000AV1HO/ref=sr_1_7?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501686224&sr=1-7&keywords=fishing%2Bline&th=1&psc=1

Spring bobber - https://www.amazon.com/Thills-American-Classic-Floats-Spring/dp/B008SQXJGU/ref=sr_1_9?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501686264&sr=1-9&keywords=thill+bobber

Hooks - https://www.amazon.com/Mustad-Assorted-fishing-Hooks-Panfish/dp/B018MT8JAI/ref=sr_1_17?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501686288&sr=1-17&keywords=panfish+hooks

Sinkers - https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-02180H-008-Removal-Assortments/dp/B0068G99SO/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501686348&sr=1-3&keywords=sinkers

Bait that never dies - https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-GEW-BR-Gulp-Earthworm/dp/B00144DJF4/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1501686374&sr=1-3&keywords=gulp+bait

i live in mississippi where ill be fishing and trapping is in good swampland for the area if theres crayfish in my city this is where they are every single catfish iv caught lately stomach was full of them

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Crayfish-Trap-9-Inch/dp/B0084EGQ5M/ref=asc_df_B0084EGQ5M/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312061152211&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=956419618236944674&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1020784&hvtargid=pla-449856091811&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62138615036&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312061152211&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=956419618236944674&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1020784&hvtargid=pla-449856091811

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this is the kind i got i bought 3 i was told later i should have gotten the square ones but i didnt think they were worth it being they were cheaper and larger ugh i hope i can at least catch 3 pounds within a day of my traps

i was told the cone traps r better for moving creeks rather than still water near swamps im guessing ill put 2 traps in the swamp parts and 1 in the creek near some rocks near the bridge and depending on which has the most ill then put the rest in that area i plan t check them every 1.5 hours while im fishing ill fish 4 hours then leave the cages over night and comeback to check the traps again

As the brochure states, hunting waterfowl with lead shot was banned in 1991, and mortality rates since then appear to be unaffected by the ban.

From this, we can surmise that hunting waterfowl with lead shot had a negligible effect on bald eagle mortality, obviously.

There are two remaining possible sources of lead entry into the food source of bald eagles - ammunition fragments in large game, and lead fishing weights.

Hunters do not typically leave their kills lying around for other animals to scavenge. That is illegal. Poachers will commonly leave their deer kills after cutting out the backstraps (venison equivalent of filet mignon), but due to the rather thorough enforcement of Pennsylvania's game wardens, I don't think that is a significant source of ammunition-contaminated animal corpses, at least in this state.

Since bald eagles commonly nest near water, I suspect most of their lead ingestion is the result of lead fishing weights like these:

Eagle Claw Removable Split Shot King Pack, 90 Piece (Plain, Size-2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008MGG788/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nG.DDbKG40GSG

Have you made a similar post on any of the fishing subs, or are you only focusing on hunters - for strictly environmental reasons, of course.

I live in VA but do most of my saltwater fishing down in the surf at Hatteras. 99% of the time I'm fishing a fish finder rig. Basic setup is a 12' graphite rod and a 3500 sized conventional reel with no levelwind. Main line is 20lb test with about 30' of 80lb test shock leader. I put one of these on the shock leader, then a bead, then a swivel, then about 6" of 40lb test snelled to a 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook depending on how big my bait is. It has gotten me blues, reds, black drum, mullet, dogfish, and even small sharks.