Best bait to throw to catch 3 pounders and up?

Many variables here the mood of the fish. That big fish bait changes with the conditions; but I have caught the most on the large Brush Hog dragging a Crig. in 20 ft. of water.

There's no magic bait. It's using the correct bait for the application and the conditions. If someone answers this question with a specific bait name then they are probably wrong. Of course some baits catch big bass like large swimbaits but they limit the bites. Baits that catch small bass also catch large bass.

Zoom ol monster crig or tx rigged if I had one bait to throw. Chatterbait would be a close second but the ol monster big worm can be fished year round any depth

jig

Location you are fishing is significantly more important than the lure you are using.
If you want to catch big bass, fish where the big bass are living.

Jig, frog

You are right but big swimbait is definitely a place I would start. They will limit bites but if you are trying to target big fish you shouldn't care about the lack of catches.

bigger minnows I would think

I have almost forgot how to catch bass but I still am enough of a fishing nerd that I still keep a log of fish I catch 4 lb range or better. With my limited time on the water last year I caught 7 fish in that range. 3 were caught on a Chatterbait, 3 were caught on a Baby Brush Hog and 1 was caught on a LFT CrawTube. I caught them on those baits because they are the baits I use. I think those fish could have been caught by someone else using Spinnerbait, Buzzbait, Swimbait, Topwater, Crankbaits, Jigs, and any of the hundreds of soft plastics like Worms, Lizards, Craws, etc. It is just being in the right area at the right time.

8 inch crappie hooked in the back.

6+ inch Glidebait/Swimbait

The old rule "Big baits for Big fish" can definitely apply. OTOH, I caught my biggest largemouth on a 4" grub in February. Putting the bait in front of the fish is THE most important thing.

Waterdogs. JK ( sort of).
I have caught the majority of my really nice (7+ lbs) bass over the years on buzz baits.

Jig is the best big bait of all time. Spinnerbait second. Live bait doesn't count.