Sounds like it's been a while since you fished. A good guide will show you everything you want to learn, plus he/she will increase your odds of catching fish. They call it fishing and not catching for a reason. If a guide is out of the question, fishermen have been using youtube for everything fishing related. I would also recommend you search out a fishing web-forum similar to this one, but for fishing. Then on-site, your locals are a great resource, including the bait/tackle store.
My favorite tactic at the ramp is to ask the guys coming off the water a series of questions. I don't care what species they were fishing for, or where they were on the body of water. I know my species and it's preferred habitat. I'll ask and let them brag about their catches, or stories of defeat. We all want to share our stories. If you listen, you can pick up tidbits of information in the stories.
For me to find fish, I need to know some basic info.
Water temp on the main body of water and bays/coves- combined with season of the year tells me fish depth.
Weather- there may be micro climates in the area. Generally its best to watch the weather for at least 4-5 days prior. The wind will push the bait fish. Local temps will bring the fish up, or push them down depends on the season.
Which side of the body of water did they have better luck- this tells me roughly where the bait fish are located. All fish follow their food source.
Water clarity- combined with sunshine/cloud cover tells me a type of bait to start with and a general idea of color (dark/light). If the water is really stained/muddy then noise makers may be the ticket.
I don't fish the oceans, so there maybe other factors you need to know. For example; current conditions, predators in the area, High/Low tide, breaks, submerged reefs/holes/rock/rubble/etc. and there maybe others.
As for gear, Amazon isn't always the low cost provider. Right now every tackle store/dealer are having pre-fishing sales. As winter turns into spring the sales will change to match the species next in-line. Around here we start will Walleye, then Crappie, then move into Bass. The sales also move from the South to the North, similar to spawn season. Actually the sales are designed to bring in the fishermen that are gearing up for the season, and have the sales prior to the spawn.
You have a ton of research to do and don't expect to catch anything the first time out. I fish Crappie tournaments and we have had teams without a single fish at the scale. Some of the guys I fish against fish national tournaments. Even the pros have off days. I highly recommend a guide, however I understand there may be factors that don't make that possible.
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
