whatcha got? you're bank fishing for a day. you get one rod, and only 3 baits to use. you're weighing in a 5 fish limit at the end of the day. whats your strategy?

If it's this time of yr, (1) topwater,(2)crankbait(3)plastic worm

If it's spring,(1)spinner(2)crankbait(3)lizard

Summer: (1)plastic worm,(2)rattle trap,(3)crankbait

Winter: (1) plastic worm,(2)jig/pig no need for a 3rd.

I assume you are bass fishing, since you say the weigh in is 5 fish(SOP for bass tourneys)

Baby brush hog, zoom finesse on shakeyhead and black 1/4 lunker lure buzzbait!

without factoring in seasons, overall top 3 are
jig
shaky head
fluke or brush hog
that's just my 2 cents

whoa, whoa, whoa, maybe some of you guys have way better and more advanced fishing rods than i do, but i dont know how your throwing crankbaits and worms or jigs and shakey heads ON THE SAME ROD! remember...the rules to the game is that you only get ONE rod. casting or spinning is certainly your preference but, dont forget, you're weighing in a 5 fish limit. so think harder about those shakey heads.

Heres my strategy...
i'd choose a medium or medium heavy fast action casting model. anywhere from 6'9" to 7'0" in length.
-i would start out buy tossing aroung a 5" senko on a 1/8 oz. wacky rig. (limit out with this setup)
-i would then spend most of the rest of the day upping my total weight with a 3/8 oz. spinnerbait
-with the sun setting, i would switch to a walk-the-dog type topwater (spook, or strike king top dawg).
I would use 30 lb. power pro and a 12 lb. leader for the wacky rig.

So a medium to medium heavy couldn't handle a crankbait? but it will handle a 3/4oz spinnerbait.... interesting. And for the record I throw a shakey head with a 7'6" hvy action rod w/ 50lb braid and a 20lb leader. Although these are the "magnum" shakey head's with 4/0 hooks but still.

my top 3 lures
1.jig/shakey head
2.crankbait
3.weightless fluke

And to elaborate more on the one rod deal. A 7' MH action rod will handle all of the above just fine (although I prefer medium for my weightless presentations)

Plastic worm,plastic fish,road runner

crankbait, swimbait,soft plastic.

Weightless senko, squarebill crank, and spook.

this sounds pretty good to me... personally I would switch out the crank bait for a white spinnerbait but that's just my preference

it's not impossible to land fish on crankbaits with a stiff rod,nor is it impossible to hook fish on soft plastics and jigs on a softer rod. There wasa time when a rod was a rod...not specialized for each tactic and color you throw.

1/4 oz. Rattletrap(gizzard shad)

weightless 6" senko(watermellon)

3/8 oz. Denny Brauer jig black/blue with Lake fork saphire craw trailer.

7'0" MH rod...
1/4 oz. Jig
1/4 oz. Rattletrap (sexy shad)
5" yum dinger

Baitcast rod and watetmelon senkos.. Thats all i take and works everytime! "You dont work the bait, the bait works for you" Yamamoto