My go-to would change with conditions and species but if I had to pick one for everything it would be a lipless crank.

Jig or trick worm are my go to baits ... When I can't catch a fish on a crank I will vary between swimming and pitching the jig or trick worm 

Popper.

Doesnt matter what im fishing, where im fishing, i always try a popper first. Not my most productive, but my favorite

T-rigged plastics or a chrome rattle trap.

Tom

My favorite bait to throw is a jig.

My "go to" bait when the bite is tough is a t-rigged 4" YUM Dinger.

thanks everyone for the replies. It's great to hear what everyone likes and uses when it's tough. I thought about going out today but those 30mph+ winds told me to just hold off. Haha

I have lots of "go-to" baits............it all depends on the situation. I am not the kind of guy to go out and live or die with one bait all the time trying to force a round peg in a square hole.  

I know guys that do nothing but throw big heavy jigs all year........

I know guys that do nothing but throw wacky rigged senkos all year.......

I know guys that do nothing but drop shot all year..........

I know guys that do nothing but throw frogs all year........

These guys all have their days where they smash a huge bag or two and look  like world beaters, but they all have one thing common..........when they are not smashing huge bags, they are donating, there seems to be no in-between. On the other hand..........

I know a couple guys (and I'll include my self in this group) that roll with the punches, can catch them in the dirt with an anchor rope and a pool cue, can go offshore in 30 feet of water with sewing thread and fairy wands, and hold their own everywhere in-between.

Long winded, pontificating reply to the point.............yes.......I have go to baits for all the situations I am apt to come across, I just don't have a go to bait that I am married to and fish blindly hoping for the best.

I'd throw a 4" senko

Keitech Easy Shiner

Favorite: Topwater! Probably a buzzbait or a bronzeye shad

Go to: weightless fluke

Zoom trick worm or GYCB senko

4 inch senko,watermelon colors.Also zoom super flukes same colors

 

When the bight gets tough my go to is always a weightless wacky rigged senko in watermelon....

Jig with a craw trailer.

for me, i'd rather catch them on a jig.  i love the jig bite and they no doubt catch the big uns.  

that said, i seem to have some of my best days ever with the spinnerbait.  something about it, when it's on, it's on.

 

 

Jig or drop shot I really love fishing a top water the most out of all though.

7 hours ago, fisherrw said:

Jig or drop shot I really love fishing a top water the most out of all though.

I can't seem to pick up a bite on the drop shot the last few times out. Don't know if Im not letting it sit long enough or if my roboworm is stuck in the weeds and fish can't seem to dial in on it.

For me a Senko,JIg, any top water,Big Worms in summer!

Zoom fluke white/chartreuse tail and 3/0 ewg. 

Hand grenade. 

I like jigs and senkos. 

On 3/18/2016 at 8:42 PM, IowaBass15 said:

I can't seem to pick up a bite on the drop shot the last few times out. Don't know if Im not letting it sit long enough or if my roboworm is stuck in the weeds and fish can't seem to dial in on it.

If you can adjust the length of the line below the hook to raise the bait above the weeds. I've had the same problem where I fish. 

If you don't want to use the ned rig, dynamite is the closest thing to it.  Kind of hard to do catch and release though.

Jigs and Z Hogs for flipping and spinner baits for everything else 

Tough to pick one. 

If I'm just trying to catch any size bass, a trigged 4" alive shad will bring em in. 

Otherwise 4" senkos,  super fluke jrs and a Spook Jr will catch me fish anywhere.