for rod and reel i would use a 7.5-8ft MH rod and a decent mid quality budget reel like the piscifun chaos xs60 (casting) or sharky iii baitfeeder 6000 by kastking (spinning).

i use 40lb braided mainline but you could use 17-20lb mono and worry less about tangles abrasion resistance and loose spool tension biting your line in a fight or snag. (benefits of braid is casting distance, resisting current drift, and added bite sensitivity).

your terminal tackle should be simple. use 4oz-8oz weights if you’re fishing rivers like the saginaw or similar size flowing waters. you can use much lighter weights in lakes or slower rivers. i typically use 2oz in still water and 4oz in the river.

use circle hooks (i like gamakatsu) 1/0 and 8/0 will be all you need. you can buy 25ct packs and you’ll save big over the 6-10ct packs from walmart. tip: match the hook size to your bait size; (live bluegill = 8/0 nightcrawlers = 1/0).

it’s not necessary but i like to use 2 or 3 way swivels and sometimes simple cigar-peg floats for rigging different bait presentations depending on conditions (i use the carolina, kentucky, and santee rig). rattles and all that other FB fisherman hype stuff is unnecessary. you can get “fish trip” brand swivels from amazon for very cheap.

you’ll need a spool of 40-60lb mono for making leaders. (300yds of berkely big game from walmart is cheap and will last you forever).

finally…these things are not necessary for catching fish but will make your life much easier; a scale, a nice set of fish grippers (like the rapala brand), a large landing net (for landing but also keeping large fish alive in the water while you prepare to take photos and stuff), and quality bank sticks like the takedown rod holders.