I went to the store yesterday to stock up on some gear for the season and it was a little overwhelming with all the different choices available. I want to buy some crankbaits, jigs, jerkbaits, topwaters and soft plastics.  I would like to try and narrow down the different brands out there I have been seeing.  If you had to choose maybe 3 different companies in each category to choose from, who would they be?  Thanks in advance for your responses...  

Cranks and top water, most people will say rapala...  Crank baits I usually buy Cotton Cordell.  I buy Cordell because I have seen them work, they work well, and the Cordell is cheaper, and works just as well.  Plus, the Cordell has a rattle inside, that is pretty enticing to the fish...  

I usually buy Pop-Rs by rebel.  These are good baits, they work, or they wouldn't still be producing them!  They are one of the original top water lures.    

For jigs, one of the best ones that I have found, are the Luck-E Strike, with the Gamakatsu hooks.  They are relatively cheap, and have some of the best hooks on the market.  You can't go wrong with anything, that has Gama hooks!

I don't know a whole lot about jerk baits, but I would assume that some of the better are made by rapala...  I don't know that for sure though...

And soft plastics.  People whom shop at Wal-mart, typically like the Wave tiki sticks, FLW, and powerbait 7" worms.  All good choices, all very cheap, and work just as well as the much more expensive senko worms.  Tiki sticks are like senkos, but a little harder, they tear less, but at a price of losing the, "wiggle" movements.  Soft baits are pretty much up to the user to try.  Just because Joe Cocker on the East Coast can catch something on his tiki sticks, doesn't mean that you will in your area.  Fish are finicky, and will bite what they feel like.  If it's spawning season, just look for a deep area adjacent to the spawning grounds.    Many pre-spawn fish, willing to hit anything!  

Cranks

1. Rapala

2. Lucky Craft (expensive)

3. Bandit

Jigs

1. Booyah

2. Bass Pro

3. Terminator

Jerkbaits

1. Rapala

2. Lucky Craft

3. Smithwick

Topwaters

1. Booyah (buzzbaits)

2. Heddon

3. Arbogast

Softplastics

1. Zoom

2. Yum

3. Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits (expensive)

Thanks for the input..exactly what I was looking for.  You guys ever get anything off of ebay.  There are auctions for lucky craft cranks, used, coming straight from japan. If I can good deals off there I might buy them.  What's your opinion. Also what brands for spinnerbaits.  Thanx.  

Be careful with auctions from different countries. Make sure to check what the shipping would cost. It could end up being more than buying from a store or American site.

I don't have much to add. Dominion Dan put together a pretty nice list. I would say that while Lucky Craft does make a rockin' set of lures,  you might want to go with some less expensive stuff to start with. For instance, I am much more fearless with a $2 Strike King or Cotton Cordell lipless than with a $15 Lucky Craft. I usually don't break out the LC until I am very familiar with the terrain.

One of my favorite lures to burn through dense grass/hydrilla is the Cotton Cordell Suspending Super Spot. You can lose 5 of these before you pay for one Lucky Craft.

Also:

XCalibur makes some nice jerk baits (Xs4)

Cotton Cordell's Big O is a nice shallow water lure

Rebel Pop-R is good for some top water action

Rapala's Jointed Shad Rap is great for sloooow crankin

I usually don't break out the LC until I am very familiar with the terrain.

Same here, I like to know where I'm throwing my $15.