Ahh, this helps thanks.....

OK, since you are in Fla, your main freshwater species are going to be largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and bluegill.

A good multi-purpose rod for the price range you listed is Berkley's Cherrywood. Its about $30 at wal-mart of all places. I have over 100 rods, and it is still one of my favs.

You want to buy a rod that is about 6 1/2 feet in lenght. I would recommend a spinning rod as they are easier to cast than a bait caster. You should probably get a medium action rod. It has enough backbone to handle bigger bass, while also having enough play to enjoy catching panfish.

Some good baits to go with right now are lizzards. You can see spots from the shore where bass are making beds to lay eggs on. Lizzards and other water creatures eat the bass eggs, so by casting nearby, the mama bass will attack the lizzard, not eating it, but holding it in her mouth long enough for you to set the hook. Good baits for crappie include beetle spins and smaller jigging grubs. If this is a little bit too high maintainence for you just starting out, minnows are always a solid bet, as are night crawlers.

Find a buddy who has been fishing for a while and tag along with them. Also go into tackle shops and chew the fat with locals who are always willing to share tactics to eager ears. You might not learn all their secret spots, but they will usually tell you what they are using and what color.

Hope this helps. Stick with it, fishing can be frustrating at times, but have a little confidene in yourself and you will be addicted in no time.

If you have any other questions, shoot.

Andy