I only fish fresh water so no help on brackish or salty stuff.
Bluegill - simple nightcrawler or redworm under a bobber and a basic rig will work all day. You catch a mess of em, they're good eatin. Lots of recipes. I like them lightly breaded and pan fried. They're also good with just basic salt and pepper, a dash of cayenne, a lemon wedge, and a big hunk of butter then wrapped in foil and cooked on a grill. Take your fork start at the spine then just pull down towards the belly. Meat slides right off the ribs. Still watch for small bones, especially if you're feeding kids.
Catfish - can't beat good ole chicken livers tossed out with some weight on the line and wait for that slow tug on your line. This works for channels and flathead. Not sure about blues. I also like to fish for smaller bluegill and throw them on a circle hook after slicing the belly. I've caught some 20lb plus monsters this way. Watch for snapping turtles lol. *** check your local regs about using live caught fish for bait. Some places don't like this.
Crappie - live minnows under a bobber/rooster tails/small bitsty beetles or beetle spins. Crappie taste GREAT.
Stripe - big live shad. Big curly tail grubs. I've hooked two at a time before on a double grub setup.
Smallmouth bass - cool running water usually. They like bright colors - hot pink, chartreuse, etc.
Largemouth bass - its like asking your wife what she wants for dinner. They never know what they want, and if you think you've figured out something they'll like, they decide they're not hungry and want something else. But, on days where I've thrown everything in my box with no success, my ole go-to if I just want to hook up with a fish is a wacky rigged senko worm, weightless, on a lighter finesse rig setup. I have nearly a 100% success rate with a wacky rigged senko on 15lb braid with an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. The fluorocarbon helps it sink.
Lots to learn about gear. Learn knots. There's apps for knots. The Palomar knot is about the simplest and one of the strongest, and will work with about 90% of lines. Don't use it on fluorocarbon.
You will get hung up. Especially from the bank. You will break lines and lose lures. It's part of it. You will break off on fish. They will get off the hook and fly out of the water and say "missed me sucka!". Especially bass. You may get frustrated and want to break your rod or throw it in the water. Don't do it, they can be expensive and the fish will just laugh at you more. Kinda like the dog on duck hunt.
If you really dig into it and find you enjoy it, there's a ton of different techniques and lures to learn. Different casting techniques, hook setting, flipping, skipping, jigging, etc.
Most importantly, keep it simple and have fun. Fishing can get boring to some people, and you may not get a bite for awhile. Use this time to just enjoy nature and being outdoors. Kind of like waiting on that deer to cross into your shooting lane. Just enjoy being outside. And if you're still not getting a bite, walk away from your rod while your line is in the water for about five minutes. You'll come back to your rod half dragged into the water and your bait gone.
BT