My master planned community has 8 ponds that I fish a bunch on the weekends (in warmer weather). I tend to carry 3 rod/reel combos with me - 2 strapped in the backpack rod holders and 1 in my hands. The ponds get to a max of about 8 feet in the places I can reach from the bank. There are some weeds around the banks but no other real structure. No docks or laydowns. 
 

2020 was my first year fishing. My most productive lures this year were whopper plopper, poppers, flukes, wacky rigged worms, and small paddletail swimbaits. I caught them on everything though and love trying new techniques.

 

I usually carry 2 baitcasters and 1 spinning rod, but I’ve got enough gear to do whatever. On days I want to focus on one particular technique I’ll choose a dedicated combo as one of the three. 
 

What 3 rod/reel/line combos would you carry with you to maximize versatility?

I'd carry a 7ft medium heavy fast for jigs,Texas rigs and weightless senkos with 15lb copolymer or Fluoro if you prefer. A 7ft medhvy mod fast for lipless , spinnerbaits, chatterbaits or square bills again with 15. Finally a 7ft medium spinning with 6-8lb mono for finesse stuff.

Depends on the body of water and time of year. I'd pick a ML/F spinning rod for finesse and a MH/F casting rod as my all around. The third would be a M/MF or if it's frog season I'd take a H/F.

 

That’s basically my fishing right there. I bring 6’6” MF and a 7’0” MHF baitcasters with 12 lb YZH for topwater, spinnerbaits, Texas rigs, jigs, etc., and a 6’6” MF and a 6’6” MLXF spinners with (for now) 8 lb YZH for finesse. 

6'8 M-XF spinning rod rated 1/8-1/2oz for finesse. 

 

6'9"MH-XF rated 3/8-1oz for texas rigs, jigs, heavier spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. 

 

7'0 MH-F rated 1/4-3/4(1/2oz in reality) for lighter spinnerbaits and squarebills, maybe weightless plastics.