bass fishing! lures and rods!

Question
hello! i have a quick question. well to start off with, i would like to say thank you so much for you help!

well i have a few questions regarding lures and rods and reels.

well first of all, i know long rods are meant for longer casting. They work great with light lures. but what else does a long rod do? i heard so many things. i heard crank baits are better in longer rods. also.... what is a purpose of a short lure? when your fishing in shallow water and want to twitch it right on their face?


and when it comes to reels, what are the differences between a spinning, bait cast and spin cast? what do i need what for ?


and for lures, what should i use in a sunny day around this season? i live in south florida, so its always hot. i heard never to use a shiny lure when the sun is out

Answer
Well first of all the rod doesn't make the fisherman, the only thing that matters is what your fishing for, if you live in Florida I would recommend a medium weight 7' pole. For a real, if you are new to fishing, which it sounds like you are, use a spinning real medium weight. I live in Canada so i cant help you with what to use in Florida, but if you got to your local tackle store you can ask them and they will give you some great advice that suits your area.