I play an Ibanez Soundgear 305DX 5string. Great bass. I think your best bet would be to check arund the 2nd hand shops (pawn/consignment shops) as i think the price of a new 5 string is a bit out of your current budget for bass and amp.
However, Ibanez makes great 4 strings as well. The necks are extremely comfortable and the strings are well spaced.
www.ibanez.com 
as for amps...i have a Fender BXR60 that i've been pretty satisfied with. 60 watt amp through a 12 in. speaker. Though i haven't run it alone since i got my ESR 100watt valve state head
But i think a 15 watt practise amp would be enough to start off with. They are usually fairly cheap. Peavy is usually the first company that will be suggested to you by the stores i think. They hold up to a fair amount of abuse.
good luck in your search. Look forward to seeing your new gear up in the basses/guitars thread