Alright Rich,
  I'll break the ice.  I think it would be best if we put something together for depth, more than time of year.
1) 0-10 ft.-  the old trusty Senko/ french fry.  natural colors like greens/ browns/blacks.  A big bait like a Brush Hawg with a 1/2 oz. weight and a 5/0 hook for pitchin' and flippin'.
2) 10-20 ft.  split-shot lizard, green pumpkin/ june bug in 4".  Bitsy Bug w/ trailer, again blacks and browns. Also crankbaits and spinnerbaits would fall here. Cranks get to be real confusing for the N.G.'s.  Chromes, oranges and most natural colors will get hits.  Spinnerbaits, whites and chartrueses, single blades.
3) 20-40 ft.  drop-shotting is probably what everyone would say.  I also like to drag a gitz-it, a carolina rig, and also twin-tail grub on a jig head.  Plastics for this depth, keep it simple!  Lizards always work.  straight tail finesse worms for drop shotting, I also like a tiny brushhog on a drop shot.  Be creative, yet simple.
4)" The ABYSS"  Drop- shotting and PATIENCE!!!! Or put the boat away like 1/2 the bass fisherman in Wa. do.
  If I had to fish out of 1 box for a year.  My box would contain 4" ZOOM green pumpkin lizards, Brush hawgs, both tiny and fullsize,  Bitsy bugs w/ 101 Uncle josh trailers in black, a couple Spinnerbaits, Zoom centipedes"french-fries",  Terminal would be various size split shot, some worm weights, 2/0 and 5/0 G-lock hooks.  Top it off with size 1 for drop shots and bass casting sinkers for dropshot weights, ( a simple square knot tied with an 1/8" tag will still release before the line breaks. It actually works great and they cost a dime instead of a dollar!  8 lb. and 12 lb. good line.  15 lb. for spring.  Rods, my most expensive rod is less than $50. I like to spend my money on good reels,  a cheap reel will drive you nuts. 
  I apologize for "branding" stuff but some things would be impossible to find without a name to take along. 
                                             DA PREZ!

   You may want to put in a blerb that good tackle is not cheap for most of us, if you lose a rig or two, ok, but if I loan you a $5 spinnerbait or crank and theylose it, they  really need to replace it. Education anywhere is not cheap either, and like gas, thanks doesn't always cover expencises.

I believe as far as terminal tackle is concerned, I can tell you what I would give someone to set them up with a beginner's tackle pack.

It would include:
4 or 5" senkos in watermelon (inc. appl. hooks & weight)
4 or 5" yamamoto hula grubs in 176 color
Bandit 100 series crankbait in Tenneesse Shad
Normans Professional Edge Tiny Deep N in SunPerch
Luhr Jensen Hot Lips 1/4 oz in Crappie color
Titanium Spinnerbait (multi colored i.e. firetiger)

Except for Dec - Feb I (depending on body of water) I would feel confident that these baits will produce fish at any body of water in the state.

Rich,
If you want I am working on the 2004 hand book and would be glad to put your article in it, I plan to be to press by the end of January,
And that also goes for anyone else that might have a good article they would like to have in the handbook.

PS
I could use a good article about techniques

Rich,
A real old time clubber offered advice to me when I started.  I spent an afternoon shopping in BPS catalog and (much like Larry's post) was out the door with two casting rod combos and two spinning combos. 
As for tackle, I started with the worm.  No bait on the market has caught more fish, is easy to fish and to teach, gives the new angler opportunity to sense the bite and learn how to set a hook, properly.  I suggest any worm that is black, blue or purple.  This will catch fish from April to November.  All of the posts are great as well, just my two cents.

     HELLO EVERYONE!

I know this is an OLD post but to newbie's JERRIE & I -
this info is as good as GOLD! We wondered ... ...
'what do we get'???

I will share this with Jerrie as I do with fishin' info - I research it, share it with her, and we learn TOGETHER!
We are a fishin'  TEAM ! 

simple kit, really compact......

4oz C4
selection of variable depth dets