John gave some great advice. I was getting pumped up visualizing a 6lber out of Stevens Creek!!!! :-)

I'm not sure how experienced you are with bass fishing, but here is my $0.02 for a rookie on a budget...

Tube: V-Boat style tubes are great. They break down easily and are don't take up too much space in your garage. This is a new model from Creek Company for 2005. It looks like a good value for the price...
http://www.creekcompany.com/indivdisplay.php?primaryAutoID=103&Department=Float+Tubes
Kickboats are awesome. They're bigger and allow a fisherman to cover more water... but I'm guessing that you can't drive and a kickboat might be too difficult to store and transport.
Other brands of tubes / kickboats...
Outcast
Caddis
Water Skeeter
Outdoor Engineering

Rod: 6'6" medium heavy rod (spinning or casting) with a Shimano reel
Fins: I would buy swim fins, not "over the boot" fins
Waders: Neoprene's are cheap, and you really don't need waders in the summer
Tackle: Stick to the proven basics on the water you plan to fish most often, one light color, one dark color of each

Good luck!

Mike F