Fresh water gear

[batman]

I have never fished in fresh water so try not to make too much fun of my questions. What are some good lb test lines, reels and rods for all around fresh water fishing. I am going to try to fish for bass, bluegill, trout and catfish from shore and possibly a float tube. What are good baits, rigis and lures? What are some good sports to start fishing in and around the Ventura county area?
Thanks,
Batman

[Wahoo!]

I like to use 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 pound lines for freshwater. I don't normally go over that unless I'm bass fishing in heavy cover and need to pull big fish out of weeds or whatever. For a light bluegill/crappie/trout rod, I would suggest a berkley cherrywood ultra light (the one rated for 1-6# line). It's around $25 at sportmart and is great for 2# and 3# line. I have 3 of them and they work great. For the light lines, I use the shimano sedona spinning reels. I have the 500 and 1000 sizes and I use them for anything up to 4# line (which is about 70% of my freshwater fishing). The rest of my stuff is pretty much for bass. You know how to cast conventional, so just go to the store and check out some low profile baitcasters and see what feels comfortable. Do the same for the rods. You want something really sensitive for fishing with worms and something with a little give in it for crank/jerk baits. Hope this helps!