If you had to pick ONE bait

[LCG]

Senko (BPS Sticko -o) in Junebug. Even better if I can change hooks.

[Skunkmaster-k]

It’s a sure thing with a purple worm ?

[Lead Head]

3/8oz Siebert dock rocker with a rage bug trailer. 

[whitwolf]

Zoom 8" Dead Ringer. Red Shad.

[the reel ess]

3 hours ago, bigspirit said:

For all of 2022, what would it be?

 

One bait only. Just for kicks, hypothetically it is something you would keep on your rod the whole year. Only reason to retie is you broke it off. Not to change weight size or anything. 
 

 

In that case, it's the jig for me and the frog as soon as it warms enough.

[Trox]

3/4oz football head jig... I just can't decide between black/blue or green pumpkin

[LrgmouthShad]

Nichols Pulsator metal flake 3/8 oz single colorado, color silver flash

 

This spinnerbait is nasty! Give it a try. Excels in clear water and cloudy conditions. 

[PhishLI]

A 6" GY senko in watermelon black flake rigged on an Owner 5/0 Twistlock hook has caught me a ton of bass from 6" to 7lbs, but they get torn up simply swimming them through the pads around here. It's easy to blow right through bags of them. Otherwise a killer bait that can be cast to the moon.

 

Pushed in a corner I'd go with a 5" Strike King Caffeine Shad in green pumpkin which has been just as deadly here, but it comes through pad fields mostly unfazed. Rigged for conditions on either a 5/0 Owner Twistlock or an Owner Twistlock Light 6/0 3/32oz weighted hook it's a versatile, compact bait that casts like a bullet, even without added weight, and has great action on the fall.

[Hammer 4]

5 hours ago, OldManLure said:

This, but I would have a few different patterned skirts to swap just in case.

I have a half dozen different patterns, the shad is my best producer though.

[OldManLure]

4 hours ago, Hammer 4 said:

I have a half dozen different patterns, the shad is my best producer though.

Oh I wasn’t dismissing the shad pattern.  It is one of the best.  I was just stretching the OPs rule for answers.

[GRiver]

7 1/2 curly tail worm, June bug

[Jaderose]

Weightless GP Senko.  I'd be bored to tears but I'd catch fish

[The Bassman]

Like others have mentioned, 1/16 ned with in my case a shortened Hula Stikz in whatever color's handy. Certainly not my favorite to use but indispensable.

[ajschn06]

Jackhammer

3/8 oz

BHite Delight

Green Pumpkin rage menace trailer 

[Kenny Yi]

5/16 Siebert Sniper Jig with a Zoom Z Craw

[ironbjorn]

1/4 oz Original Rat-L-Trap in Blue Shiner

 

Honorable mentions are 3/8 oz Double Willow War Eagle Spinnerbait in Blue Pearl Shad, 3/8 oz 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig in Black/Blue with a Rage Craw in Black/Blue, and a 5" Watermelon Red Flake Senko with a 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook and a 3/16 oz Strike King Tungsten weight.

[BassinCNY]

If I could change weight and rigging then I'd go with a speed worm but since I hypothetically can't I'll hypothetically go with a compact 3/8 ounce jig with a green pumpkin/black skirt and a blackberry speed craw.

[Fat Ika]

Largemouth - GP Fat Ika t-rigged with a 1/16 oz unpegged bullet 

Smallmouth - 1/8 oz Drop Shotting a 2.5 inch tube GP/Purple

 

 

Largemouth - GP Fat Ika t-rigged with a 1/16 oz unpegged bullet 

Smallmouth - 1/8 oz Drop Shotting a 2.5 inch tube GP/Purple

 

 

[scaleface]

5" Yum Dinger in Bama Bum . 5/16 ounce tungsten weight , 3.0 VMC off set hook .

[PotatoLake]

I suppose it would be a shad rap. 4 season lure, multi species lure. All sizes of fish lure.

[Bankbeater]

Probably a 4" black grape plastic worm on a split shot rig.

[hawgenvy]

Can't give you just one bait. This is the best I can do:

 

Summer/Fall: Zoom Super Fluke in Bluegill Flash, 4/0 EWG

Winter/Spring: Eco Pro Trokar Flip Jig Green Pumpkin Black 3/8 with SK Rage Craw trailer in Blue Craw.  Toss up: Gambler 10" ribbon tail worm in June Bug with 3/16 bullet and 4/0 EWG

[EWREX]

17 hours ago, T-Billy said:

 

who makes this?

[Luke Barnes]

16 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Decisions...decisions.

 

Toss up between

1: 3/8 swim jig in green pumpkin with a Pit Boss trailer in green haze

or

2: 3/8 Z-Man original chatterbait in chartreuse/white with a Pit Boss trailer in Skeet's chartreuse shad

 

Those were my two most productive this past year.

How do you rig the pitboss? 

 

My one lure would be a green pumpkin stick bait. Wacky rigged for targets and nose hooked and used like a fluke I can do it all that I need with it. 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Luke Barnes said:

How do you rig the pitboss? 

String it on, bait-keeper of lure in the belly, hook exposed...both those have weed-guards.