Wise words Mrsswordfisherman.
As a fellow newbie, I'll try give some advice, please correct me if I'm wrong, fishraiders!
Are you landbased? Cos I am.So all I can give you is landbased spots, and I've only caught stuff on bait fishing. Havent had much luck in SPs or hard bodies.
Bait: I find prawns to generally fit the newbie fisho. They do tend to fall off quite often but have a relatively high strike rate. I've also used pieces of pilchards or cut up squid.
What to take there: A fishing rod & reel! I'm an absolute amateur reading tips/idea/hints from this site so I cant answer this question to any detail. And generally, if a question is asked to members here, they WILL help. Its awesome!
Location: You could try Spit Bridge, Blues Point, Pier 2, Sow & Pigs, Clifton gardens, along the Eastern beaches .... pretty much the list is endless. What you need to look for is somewhere where there is structure where fish can hide. (Experienced Raiders, please help me elaborate on this point!!!)