best ever If you only can take one lure/bait and combo

[Bankbeater]

6’6” mh/f casting rod with a 3/8 black jig, and either a blue or green pumpkin craw trailer. 

[NYWayfarer]

 Z-Man Finesse TRD, mushroom head neko weight, 1/0 worm hook. 

 

St Croix 6’6” Medium/Fast spinning rod

 

Lew’s size SS30HS Speed Spin

 

Berkley Big Game #8

[Big Rick]

I'm assuming this is about a normal day fishing and not some apocalyptic nightmare where I'm trying to feed my family with the one last rod and reel combo I could find and my last bag of plastics. That said, I'd rather catch 1 fish on a topwater than 3 on any other bait so....

 

Tatula Elite Casting Reel 8.1

St. Croix Mojo Spinnerbait Rod (MH with a moderate-fast action ~ best topwater popper rod for the money)

Evergreen OB Popper in Smash Shad

[DitchPanda]

7 hours ago, Vilas15 said:

Dang is it winter already?

Yes..yes it is.

To answer the OP I'd say a 7ft medium heavy fast with 15lb copolymer. Either a spinner bait or a finesse flipping jig tied on.

[ATA]

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

 Z-Man Finesse TRD, mushroom head neko weight, 1/0 worm hook. 

 

St Croix 6’6” Medium/Fast spinning rod

 

Lew’s size SS30HS Speed Spin

 

Berkley Big Game #8

I did it all day today and no lock, but temp changed about 30 degree in last 24 hours and that was reason for that I think.

[aPaul19]

I’m going with an Ikos73 w/curado K and as much as I love a chatterbait I think I have to go with a Nichols sledgehammer swim jig for the extra versatility 

[00bullitt]

I'd have to say I'd take a spinning rod rigged up with a small swimbait.

Specifically my G. Loomis E6x 6'10" SYR(love that action) with a Johnny Morris Platinum 3000 series reel.

I love a 2.8 Keitech or 3.5 Easy Shiner in Alewife color on a 1/4oz. Dirty Jigs Guppy head or 1/8oz Megabass Okashira screw head.

I throw it on straight 8# white Suffix 832 braid. 

I can cast that little thing a country mile and I have caught every species of fish that swims on it across the country. I have caught my PB smallie on it too; 5lb. 4 oz. (Morning Dawn Keitech 2.8)

Extremely versatile lure that I can cover water rather quickly with and target the entire water column.

[J Francho]

I’d find something more interesting to do than fish under these restrictions. 

[KYRANGERMAN]

Castaway 6'3" Spinnerbait Special Rod

Quantum KVD 7.3:1 Ratio Reel

Stanley Wedge 3/8 oz. Tandem Willow Leaf Spinnerbait in Baby Bass Color

 

Un fortunately they don't make that spinnerbait in that color anymore.  Caught a ton of fish on that bait over the years.  You can burn it, slow roll it . . .

[J Francho]

I bet Siebert Outdoors can make you a bunch of skirts that match. 

[galyonj]

20 hours ago, Catt said:

Lew's Tournament MB 7.5:1

 

I adore that reel.

[NYWayfarer]

14 hours ago, ATA said:

I did it all day today and no lock, but temp changed about 30 degree in last 24 hours and that was reason for that I think.

Sorry to hear that. When the temps drop like that I switch up to a straight Ned Rig instead of the tiny child rig. I want that exposed hook in those conditions. It worked this morning with air temps dropping to 48 degrees overnight. I caught a 2 pound Smallmouth.

[river-rat]

1/2 oz. Oldham's Jig with a Gene Larew 4" Salt Craw trailer. I might have to sneak in a couple of slip sinkers and hooks because I like to texas rig the salt craw also.

[ATA]

10 hours ago, NYWayfarer said:

Sorry to hear that. When the temps drop like that I switch up to a straight Ned Rig instead of the tiny child rig. I want that exposed hook in those conditions. It worked this morning with air temps dropping to 48 degrees overnight. I caught a 2 pound Smallmouth.

I did ned rig, till last minute, anyways the lake I was only large mouth bass in it.

[Junk Fisherman]

If I could only fish one rig it would be a small swimbait like a 3.8" Jackall Rhythm Shad in blue pearl with a 3/16th oz Owner ballhead jig.  I was tempted to say a Ned Rig but if the wind gets up you can't fish it.  My combo would be a 792 Dobyns Champion with 7 lb Gamma Touch fluoro on a Daiwa Tatula 3000.  I could go with a dropshot too but the swimbait is the most versatile.