I am not a pure bass angler by any means. And like so many others I have way more tackle than I have time to fish. But knowing what I know now if I had to start from scratch with a limited budget and wanted baits that I could use anytime anywhere I would start with soft plastic swim baits in various colors and sizes. With the right hooks, weights and jig heads they can be fished at any speed, in any cover and in any part of the water column. And if the fish are active at all they will eat a swim bait that is properly presented.

This

All these guys with these fancy lures... Lol

All you need to catch a bass is a texas rigged watermelon red brush hog... Get you a few bags of them

Add a floating rogue....or 2....and you're done....you will want to use the baby brush hog as a trailer on the chatterbait.....also consider 1 chrome and 1 rayburn red 1/2 oz rat-l-trap

Get you something for a trig and a moving bait of some sort and that's it. Don't be these guys dropping 500 on every tackle warehouse sale just because. Send me a pm if you're near Burleson and I will give you some stuff to try out.

Plus at bag of Zoom trickworms and you're set

Hard to argue with that setup

Sent you a dm

You are getting a lot of GREAT advise. I would add white spinner baits, a couple of silver and blue or black rattle traps, and a white and dark chatter bait. Spinning outfits are easier to cast and have much fewer back lashes. I know several that only use spinning gear for that reason.
Start out on points and coves.

And one chrome blue back Storm Chug Bug (preferably the smaller one - will catch em from now thru Nov)

I started with plastics too. I was in school and didn't have much money to spend. They are cheap and effective.

Yamamoto Senko, Zoom Trick Worm, Zoom Super Fluke, Berkley Power Worms are all great to start.

This and add white and chartruce spinner baits and forget the mag worm and get watermelon/red vibracraws.

Being a rookie myself, I will say don't get side tracked on having too many baits and colors. I did that and have way too much stuff I don't use, and it made it harder to choose what to use. I took 3 basic recommended baits and put them in my main box, then concentrated on using and learning those three. Now I am actually catching more fish and all that expensive tackle is collecting dust and adding weight to the boat.

As far as soft plastics, black, black/blue, watermelon/red flk. green pumpkin, watermelon candy and red bug will catch bass any where in the south (Worms, lizzards brush hogs, senkos French frys, etc) Topwaters- Tennessee or sexy shad, chrome blue back and bone orange belly. As far as rattle trap type baits- chrome/ blue back, bleeding shad, red,and crawfish. Other crankbaits- Chartruse/ blue back, Tennessee or sexy shad, crawfish, and chrome /blue or black back. As far as jigs- black& brown, black& brown and chartruse, black & blue, watermelon with red or black flk. Spinnerbaits ( probably start a fight on this) really only need white/chartruse. You do not have to buy the most expensive version of these lures. BUT DO NOT , buy cheap hooks, line or cheap made rods.( I also do not to imply fof you to seek out rods over $125. Your usually better off with a $40. reel and a $80. + rod, than the other way around. Also don't buy tungsten anything, until you have everything mentioned, and then some. Tungsten is good, but way too expensive, unless you have been at this a while, and have everything else that you need. Everyone starts somewhere. Everyone has favorite this or that, but I believe most on here will agree that these basic color selections. Will catch bass most anywhere in Texas.

I have bunch of soft plastics at least 3 plano boxes I would take $20 for all. if interested send a PM.