Fishing Boats

You will have to determine what you will need for your style of fishing. If you fish in smaller ponds you can get a small jon boat or pontoon boat like mine. I would suggest a 8 or 10' boat for this kind of fishing.
A larger jon boat or bass boat is needed for fishing in larger lakes and rivers. You can look on craigslist or in your local classifieds for great deals, that's how I found my boat.
Always carry safety equipment like life jackets and fire extinguishers.

Fishing lures

One of my favorite lures is the artificial plastic soft swimbait. They can be rigged to be weedless, so they can be used in heavy cover. They can be fished topwater or count them down to swim deeper, or let them sink to the bottom and bounce them off underwater cover.
Luck-E-Strike makes a great swimbait, others such as the Yum Money-minnow are great as well. Follow the instructions on the package to rig the bait, most come with a special swimbait hook. They can be ordered form Cabela's and Bass Pro Shop or picked up at your local Dick's Sporting Goods.

My Bass Rig

This a picture of a boat like mine, an 8' Pelican style pontoon. These are great for small ponds, mine has a minn kota trolling motor. It can get right up to the shore in very shallow water, but has plenty of room for fishing rods and tackle. Be sure to carry life jackets with you.