To tell you the truth me Laddie, since you're just starting out... you'll have much better luck with live bait! Live worms, minnows, and leeches will be the easiest to obtain and use. No self respecting fish can resist an offering of REAL LIVE FOOD!!! If you're fishing bodies of water with high fishing pressure your odds of catching a fish with live bait will go thru the roof compared to artificial.