Ok so I have fished before in my life but other than getting the line in the water and pulling the fish out I pretty much have no clue what I am doing. What do I need to get started for fishing in lakes/rivers around here? (Auburn, AL area) Reccomend me some good beginner equipment and any tips you have.

check out some fishing websites and forums. fishermen are extremely helpful and love to give advice! fishing is alot like firearms, very addicting and expensive! the nice thing is there are some great entry level products that are not expensive. what do want to fish for? that is the most important question in relation to what you need! bass rigs are way different than panfish rigs. but with the right help you can find a middle ground that will get you started fishing both. go down to your basspro or cabelas and talk to a "knowledgeable" sales person(not the 18yr old). they will help get you going in the right direction.

Academy, WalMart, Bass pro, Cabelas alll have good spinning rod combos for between $35-60 that are perfect for bass, bluegill, and small to medium size cats. Simple things, the feel of the rod, it should have a little 'snap' in it. A rod rated for 6-12lb test, a lure weight from 1/8-3/4oz. will be a good guideline. Basic gear; the others said it well- you do not need to spend a fortune to fish and have a great time. Hooks, size 6 for bluegill, crappie. Size 4-2 for bass and small cats, 1-1/0 for medium size cats. A few weights, 1/8 oz, 1/2 oz get you going. A couple bobbers, and maybe a couple little jigs, or a couple minnow baits for bass. I like chunk fish, shrimp, or worms for bait. Chicken liver is also a good cat bait, but it is tough to keep on a hook unless you cast gently.
Have fun!!

Around sunset get yourself on a boat and cast some "JitterBugs" or "HolaPoppers" towards shore.

Never fails to pick up some nice bass, its VERY easy to use these baits, and me and my friends have fished from dusk till dawn sometimes because we kept getting hits. I love "jitterbugging"

Start small, light gear and use worms etc for panfish. Use small hooks, small bobbers with as little weight as possible, or no weight even. Learn to catch the little fish and where legal use them for bait. Structure will have some fish around it, even if small. Trees, rocks, humps of dirt, bicycles, anything different in the water is a home for fish.

My wife and I bought two Mitchell 300 reels and light Garcia rods in 1964. The cost for the two outfits was less than $50 and I still have the reels and one of the rods. It doesn't have to be expensive but you need to go to the stores and try out some rods to see how you like the feel. I haven't bought a spinning reel in over 40 years but most of those I try in the stores feel very good. I'd look to spend around $40 for a decent reel. You can spend over $200 but DON'T. Don't over look the used rigs you can find in pawn shops. I used my little rigs in saltwater for 4 years and they held up very well.
Have fun.

just pick up a combo to get yourself started, i would go with an ugly stick. some 6lb line, #6 hooks, squeeze on sinkers, and some bobbers. bait depends on what your fishing for. if your fishing from shore get some night crawlers and hang them 4-6 feet from your bobber. pick up some crank and jerk baits, spinners, etc. to fill up your tackle box with a variety of lures. some can get expensive but you don't need one of everything.

I'm using either a 6'6 Berkley Lightning Rod with a Pflueger President reel or a 5' two-piece Eagle Claw rod and a $20 Shakespeare reel. I've been using the Berkley rod for many years as my all purpose trout, bass, catfish, bluegill, etc. rig. the 5' setup is my trout rig.

5 of these were caught out of a river with the 5' rig using night crawlers, a single large split shot, a #6 hook and 6lb line. caught 40 that day myself and between the other 3 i was fishing with we pulled 181 out total