Blue chrome Rattling Rappala same as my profile pic.  3/8 th oz. 

Although I think a jig would be the best choice. I just prefer to crank. 

I wouldn't fish. My hobby would be totally different. It's pretty absurd to to think you can only use 1 bait forever.  

 

I'd go with a 1/2 oz dirty jigs bluegill swim jig with a zoom fat albert grub trailer in green pumpkin.

You can throw it pretty much anywhere and work it from top to bottom.

A 2" white grub with a chartruese jig and a spinner arm ,i can use just the jig or take off the grub and use live bait .im %100 positive id catch something worldwide everyday with my one lure.

Zoom super fluke in Watermelon Gold flake rigged weightless. Works all season in all conditions

Probably a 3/8 watermelon jig with some kind of green trailer.  Have good luck fishing it around vegetation.

I've looked at this posting several times and I could never think of a logical answer.  Then, I finally realized there is no "logical" answer.  I grew up having to be completely practical about what I did, so, to me the idea of only one lure would be in a matter of survival.  For that I would use an 1/8 ounce white hair jig.

If I were to be in a bass only contest of some kind where only one lure was allowed it would have to be a Zoom trick worm, watermelon/red, t-rig, weightless.  It is what I have the most success with and I go through more of them than anything else.

Yamamoto 6.5" Cut Tail worm, weightless, watermelon w/ red & black flakes.  Catch 'em all year w/ this.  Plus it's an easy "old man" bait... cast, rest, twitch, rest, twitch, etc.

Gotta be a 3/8 oz football jig with the option of various trailers. You'd be able to cover the entire water column and throw it on either spinning or casting gear too.

Without question a 5 inch Senko in baby bass rigged with a 4/0 EWG. 

I'm thinking either dynamite or an electrofishing rig.  Is an Apache Longbow a valid answer?  

Dirty Jigs Green Pumpkin Scott Canterbury Shakey Head with Strike King 3X Elaztech Finesse Worm Watermelon Red Flake! Money in the bank

Berkley Powerbait 3 1/2 tube, punkinseed, rigged weedless.  You can fish it at any depth, any speed.  You can bounce it off the bottom,  fish it like a jig or a swim bait, and use it in timber.  It has been my "go to" bait for years.

I would pick a zoom lizard. That way I can buzz it on top if needed to .

3" Powerbait Swim Shad - Shad color.  simply because it's my most producing lure spring through fall and I'm incredibly comfortable fishing it.  Plus it's got enough weight you can cast it a mile.

If I had to use 1 lure it would probably be a 5 inch green pumpkin senko style bait

I like seeing the variety of responses here...lots of techniques that wouldn't be on on my top 10 list of confidence techniques that work well for other people.  Gives me hope that the bottom line is bass are dumb as rocks and when they're hungry they'll bite anything lol

If were talking just fresh water black bass then a 6" straight tail T-rigged plastic worm in Junebug. If were talking anything that swims a 4" boot-tail swimbait in a bait fish pattern would fit the bill just fine.

probably a panther martin 1/4 ounce

A 4" grub that is a translucent pearl with some light purple hues on a 1/4 mauve round ball jighead. At one point or another I have slaughtered smallies, largies, walleye and pike on this lure. Good all year round bait.

I changed, now it's a Houdini Skinny Dipper 

 

 

Mike 

Texas rigged zoom big critter craw (watermelon red ) 3/8 weight and 4/0 Ewg hook 

On 1/8/2016 at 11:56 AM, Bartableman7 said:

One lure...

 

One Lure to rule them all, One Lure to find them,
One Lure to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

9 hours ago, scaleface said:

I would pick a zoom lizard. That way I can buzz it on top if needed to .

nailed it

For the last 18 years the answer would have been the Senko, Fat Ika, Gitzit and Kut Tail ...

 Today my answer is the Rage Tail Menace.