In a one billion dollar tournament that lasts a year...

[bladerunner]

You will spend a year fishing mystery lakes and ponds across the U.S. fishing for bass.
You will NOT know your destinations or conditions.
You will ONLY be allowed ONE LURE and rod setup for that year.
One lure means no color changes (or size or depth changes within that line of baits). One means ONE. (unlimited supply)
One rod action to do it all.
One line to do it all.
One reel.
Total number of keepers counts - NOT WEIGHT.
WHAT LURE ARE YOU HEADING OUT WITH?...

LURE - 5" Yum Dinger - (Green Pumpkin/Watermelon Laminate) Wacky-rigged on a #3/0 Mustad Demon Circle hook.
LINE - 10lb. P-line Floroclear
ROD - Kistler Micro Helium MH 6'9"
REEL - Daiwa Sol

ME CATCH MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE

[TacklemanTybs]

interesting idea

Shimano Aldebaran MG7
Shimano Cumara 6'8'' M
Owner Ultrahead Finesse Ball 1/8 with Zoom trick worm in green pumpkin wacky rigged
Sufix 832 #10

always gives me numbers

[Wishing2BFishing]

Lure: Rapala DT-6 shad
Line: McCoy Mean Green copolymer in 12 lb test
Rod: (this is a tough decision), Kistler Magnesium
Reel: (easy decision) Shimano Mg51

[Mossy Oak]

Rod: DX 743SF
Reel: STL2500FE, I can have anything I want right?
Line: Pline Halo 12 lb
Lure: GYCB Senko green pumpkin with gamakatsu wicked wacky hook

[bladerunner]

Already loving your answers. This is awesome, hearing what anglers would use if they out and out HAD to catch fish the MOST surefire way they know how...

3 out of 4 answers so far have had a green pumpkin wacky-rigged worm in them. This thread could end up being the perfect resource for new anglers - which suprisingly we need more of.

[tracker01]

GLoomis mbr 783 glx
Berkley xt 10
Baby Brush Hawg, GP
Daiwa Sol

[ogrich31]

I stopped using spinning gear for this year but if it's for $1 billion dollars, my setup will definitely be:

Rod: Dobyns DX702SF
Reel: Daiwa Caldia 2000
Line: Pline Halo 8lb
Lure: 6" Roboworm straight tail (Margarita Mutilator color on a drop shot rig with a 3/16 oz weight and size 1 Owner Mosquito hook)

Its over. Lol. Btw, if it was for weight, I'd go a different route.

[bass806]

Lure- Berkley 7" Power Worm Red Shad
Line- Silver Thread Excalibur 12#
Rod- Loomis NRX 7' MH
Reel- Shimano Calais

The lure is not my favorite of all time but this is a year long tourney-what bass won't hit a worm, and works at any time of the year

[dmat]

When I need fish this is my go to dropshot set-up:

Custom SJ781 IMX
Steez 2500
6lb fluoro
4.5" Straight tail Roboworm (Aarons Magic w/ red flake)
3/16 oz weight

Don

[BB144]

Dobyns DX743C
Daiwa Zillion 50th Anniversary
15lb Seaguar AbrasX
5/0 Owner Twistlock hook
5" Watermelon Candy YUM Dinger t-rigged

While I don't have the rod or reel (you said whatever I wanted), that is one of my go-to lures. And without knowing the conditions of the lake, I can fish it in a wide variety of scenarios from in grass and weeds to wide open clear water.

[Buck2thPerch]

Rod: Cumara 7 M F
Reel: Daiwa SOL/Alphas
Line: PLine Copolymer Floro 12lbs
Bait: Yamamoto 5" Senko Dark Pumpkin

Worms, the universal bait/lure that catches fish all the time everywhere.

[raul]

Rod: GLoomis CR723 IMX
Reel: Chronarch 50 Mg
Line : YoZuri Hybrid 10 lbs
Lure: Zoom Trickworm
Lure Color: Watermelon

With a good assorment of terminal tackle ( hooks, sinkers n´stuff ) I can fish with that lure and catch fish practically anywhere.

[breezy]

Rod: DX743
Reel: Core 50mg
Line: 14lb InvizX
Lure: Watermelon stick worm on a 3/16oz shaky head

I could still wacky rig the worm at times right? You didn't say anything about only rigging it one way . I feel confident enough with that setup I believe I could catch fish about anywhere with it...I would just hope most of the waters have some visibility.

[SteveDB]

If we a speaking of strictly numbers I`d have to go with:
Rod: St. Croix Legend Extreme XC70MF
Reel: Scorpion 1500 XT
Line: P-Line Fluoro 12 lb.
Lure: Berkley Power Ribworm bluefleck -Tx. rigged w/ 3/16 oz. tungsten wt. and 2/0 gammy ewg

[AWilliams]

Rod- Powell 733cef
Reel- Shimano Chronarch 100sf (old school baby)
Line-Izorline XXX 12#
Lure- GY Senko 5" Watermelon red flake
Hook- Gammy 2/0 EWG