What's that comfort set up when the tournament is on the line? I want to hear your rod, reel, line and bait. Go!!

I look for an isolated hydrilla matt and pick it apart with a june bug RI Sweet Beaver with a contrasting punch skirt with the appropriate weight size on an 7' Allstar ASR rod with a Curado E spooled with 60lb braid. 

 

Mike 

Full bodied jig, big worms, deep cranks. 

Deep water structure with a combination of grass & wood

Texas Rigged plastic & Jig-N-Craw

Two of the following 

Shimano Crucial 6' 10" Med Heavy Extra Fast  

Shimano Calcutta CT100A spooled with 15# Big Game 

Only once in a tournament , I caught my limit and then started culling . I went from a t rigged lizard to a jig and pig  to increase the weight , fishing 18 to 22 foot deep . Several tourneys I worked hard for that limit getting it late in the day . 

7'11" Quantum Tour Edition Greg Hackney signature rod, Quantum Tour Edition PT "Burner" casting reel (7:1 ratio), 50-pound Suffix 832 braid ~ 1/2 or 3/4-ounce Tungsten slip sinker, Texas rigged with a Green Pumpkin Skirt, a Berkley Powerbait Beast riding on a 5/0 Owner EWG Beast hook.

I'm fishing the cleaner hard bottom area at the very bottom of the second drop where it meets with the front edge of the deep weeds,  And if there's some wood or a few rocks there - I check my drag right before the first cast and then I get all kinds of serious and hold my breath . . . . . . .

A-Jay

When I'd be after a 'kicker', I only used two baits; a jig with a big craw trailer, or a buzz bait.  With the buzzer, I could cover a flat with cover fairly quickly and then slow down and pick the cover apart.

The rods were identical 7' Med. All Stars with TD Advantage 150H reels spooled with 30lb. braid.  FYI, except for some pre-spawn tournaments, the majority of my kicker fish came on a buzzer.

For the green ones I go find the thickest, nastiest stuff I can use a 6" Brush Hog. 

For spots and smallies it's an 11" ribbon tail worm if I'm fishing deep and football jig if I'm in under 15' of water. 

Jig or a swimbait (a real one, not a paddletail). 

I  got froggin or the throw a BIG swimbait. 8' rod, heavy line, grip and rip!

It is a hard question for me because there are a few things that get bigger fish but it depends on the conditions. In summer, clear water conditions it is a T-Rigged 10" of 12" worm, in dirty water it would be a larger jig and trailer combination. In Fall during clear water it would be a 5" or 6" hollow belly swim bait, in dirty water it would be larger square bill. In the spring it may be a buzzbait no matter what the clarity or a larger jerkbait or mid depth crankbait. And as you already know, the rods and reels change with each different presentation.

Generally a bigger jig that combines thick living rubber and silicone with a beaver style trailer. Second would probably be a larger size topwater bait or frog during the warmer months fished early or late in the day.

I don't "look" for "kicker" fish after I have caught 5. I fish for 5 bites all day. I start every tournament with these 4 things on my front deck. 

Frog

Jig

T-rigged craw/creature bait, or big worm

5" Yum dinger on a heavy wire "flipping" wacky jig head

If conditions are right for it, I will have a couple of moving baits out as well like a swimjig, squarebill, or chatterbait.

I only start drop shotting, shaky heading, flick shaking, etc...if I have determined that it's a grind and bites are hard to come by that day. 

Jig, buzzbait, SB, BIG bait, all seem to select for bigger fish.

Jig most of the time. However on my home lake if you are willing to drag a  C Rig thru the hydrilla and tree lines you will catch your kickers. Just have to be ok with maybe 5 bites. 

I begin my day always fishing for kicker fish, bigger fish, etc.. I fish this way from start to end.. I see no difference. I fish hard from start to finish. I don't fish for a living, & couldn't imagine doing so. But, fishing hard in clubs or tournaments for fun, is just that, fun.

When fishing isn't fun, I will just play poker..

Give me a T-rigged plastic worm on any lake anywhere & I will catch Bass. Sometimes, really big bass..