Bass, bream (bluegill, sunfish, shellcracker, etc), crappie, catfish probably the most popular target species in lakes and ponds. Lakes that have stripers are some of the bigger lakes like Jordan, and some are stocked with "Body Bass" which are mostly referred to as Hybrids (White bass / striper hybrids).
Live bait fishing you'd do well with night crawlers or especially crickets on a small hook lightly weighted and dunked under a bobber. That'll get you bream and crappie, and sometimes bass. Small minnows dunked under a bobber will get you crappie and bass. Catfish probably some of the same but I only catch them by accident myself.
Artificials - well that opens up a much broader subject, but a good place to start would be a small spinner or small shallow diver. Beetle Spins, Panther Martins, Rooster Tails - those are easy to find and just a matter of cast and rertieve at various depths, trying not to get hung up on brush or the bottom. Just about anything will hit those (bass, bream, crappie).
Freshwater fishing forums and the reports sections will become a wealth of information for you. If someone talks about something you want clarification on, just post up and ask. Most people on this site are very friendly and helpful.
