This is kind of a spin-off of the "how many rods" thread. My question is...
You are going out on normal summer day on a cross section of southern reservoirs. Weather has been stable and fish are scattered thru various cover and some deeper points. You've set up 6-8 rods to get you started, accepting there could well be changes required as you go along.
What's on those first setup of rods?

For me, in the north, heading out I'd have
Casting tackle
1. Tandem white willowleaf in half ounce.
2. Single Colorado 3/8 with chartruese/white or firetiger.
3. Mann's baby -1 in a natural color.
4. 1/2 oz. rattletrap type in firetiger.
5. Flippin' stick with a 1/2 oz. brown/orange and craw matched.
6. Soft stickbait...Sluggo or that style in rainbow trout.
Spin
7. 1/4 oz. Jig worm, 4" likely. What ya'all call a shakey head.
8. Weightless 4" or 5" stickworm for dock skipping.

Of course these can vary as day goes on but it's a start in the north. What do you do in the south to get started?

Almost in the East Here

Casting
1. Deep Crank 16' to 18'(shad pattern)
2. Shallow crank 6' to 8' (white)
3. Carolina Rigged baby brush hog 1 oz weight
4. 1/2oz black/ blue jig with worm tail trailer
5. 3/8oz white spinner double willow
Spinning
1. Fluke 5/0 Gama superline EWG
2. Trick worm Redbug with Mustad 1/16oz FinAcky hook
3. Rapala Jerkbait size 8 white

Hope this routine is successful at Cedar Creek this weekend and next..

Jody

colors are picked when I see the water.
2 spinning rigs- shky hds, tubes, drop shot, etc
1 chatterbait/spinnerbait
1 deep 7'10" deep cranks
1 med cranks
1 shallow/timber cranks
1 jerbait/small cranks
1 crig/swimbait
1 3/8-1/2 oz jigs
1 frog/braid
1 TXrig
1 hvy shakey hd, football heads
1 ratltraps, some topwaters
1 hvy jigs/ hvy txrig
1 plastic jerbaits/plastic topwater
1 extra multi purpose

coyotebass, you kind of show me something I'd expected to see if enough people respond. You guys use a lot more cranks at various water depths and color then we do in the north. Fishing several small tourneys over the years and a few biggers ones I find jig worms, jig & pigs, and plastics in general much more the winning combo here than cranks. Now it might be that a good cranker could come here and kill them on our small natural lakes but I think weeds, including a lot of slimy weeds, with limited deep water holding oxygen, make our lakes a different fishery than you have there.

Cast away 6' 6" medium for topwaters
ugly stick 6' medium heavy spinning for finesse (I'm broke and it was free lol)
About to buy a st croix 7' cranking rod with a revo sx

1 7 crankbait rod with square bill shallow crank
2 7 Jig rod with 3/8 basskwondo jig and rage chunk trailer
3 6'9 spinnerbait rod with chatterbait in white (usually)
4 7'6 frog rod with spro frog, green or brown
5 6'6 topwater with bone yellow magic
6 7 mh with shakey head/ senko. 4'' green pumkin
7 7 mh texas rig senko w tungsten
8 7 m with medium diving crankbait, usually sexy shad

crankbaits are big time for me. our water here can go from 4' to 20' in 1/2 a boats length. I keep several on deck for different depths and cover. you can cover some water and check the moods on bass too. If you were to tally them up, Ive proly actually caught more on plastics but cranks are right behind them. They are my go to bait. Also, they are great for telling you what is on bottom, be it rock, grass, soft, etc. If all else fails when theyre not biting and I cant slow fish anymore, Ill go find some timber or sticks and beat the sides of them with a square bill. youll finally end up making something mad enough to bite. Best of Luck.

1. Football Head Jig
2. Shakey Head Worm
3. Weightless Senko
4. Spinnerbait
5. Shallow Crank
6. Deep Crank
7. Spoon
8. Frog

If not of these produce, then I'll try a Carolina rig with a stick of dynamite on the end. It should get at least a little attention.

1/2oz jig
3/16oz texas rig
C-rig
Shallow crankbait
Shakey head--FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!!

1. deep crank
2. c-rig 1oz
3. tx-rig
4. 3/4 football jig
5. 1/2-3/4 flippin' jig
6. yellow magic
7. spro frog
8. shakey head
9. slop punchin setup with a yo momma

Casting
1 1/2 football jig
2 1/4 finesse jig
3 3/8 trig ( big worm right now)
4 6XD crank
5 wiggle wart crank
6 bandit 200 crank
7 yellow magic
8 senko
9 Carolina rig 1 oz
10 red eye Shad
11 multiple purpose finesse, usually wacky rig

Spinning
12 drop shot
13 shaky head

It's a crowded front deck usually in my boat, I will put away the techniques that are not producing on that day, but that's what I always start a day thi time of year out with

right now i have
booyah limetreause clacker buzzbait
white booyah spinnerbaite gold blades
strike king chartreause sexy shad trap quater oz
shad colored square bill 2-4ft diving
watermelon red swim jig by morty with watermelon big bite worm as trailer
watermelon candy baby brush hog with matching weight powdercoated by morty
and im sure all that will chang when i go to a different lake this weekend

If I am targeting shallow grass and or timber.
1 Buzz bait
2 spinner bait
3 rattle trap or shallow crank
4 drop shot
5 3/8 grass jig
6 light carolina rig
7 weightless senko or fluke
8 wacky worm or shakey head

optional--I might substitute one of the above with a 10 inch worm, probably the buzz bait after the sun comes up.


If I am targeting deeper water.

1 3/4 football jig
2 3/4 flip jig (for stroking)
3 Carolina rig
4 deep crank
5 flutter spoon
6 swim bait
7 drop shot
8 10 inch worm

Two 12 foot Canepools, with 100 lb braid, bobber, #2 gold hook and 1/4 oz lead weight. Opps , forgot the buket of minners

bassin'nick i am also in mn try cranking along the weedline? I know it sucks at times but you will be rewarded. PM ME maybe go fish?