Hey,

I usually go fishing in every type of lake, cover and envienment for bass. What do you guys think the best overal ltype of rod is? By this I mean length, gear ratio, test, type of line, etc. I was hoping to get some info because the winter I am going to fish Lake Oconee in Georgia.

Thanks

I would hate to be told I had to limit myself to just one rod/reel/line. However, my vote for an all-round rig would be:

Rod: 7' in a MH fast action. You could fish just about any lure and get away with it. It would best handle jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, Senkos, and be adequate for jigs and worms. It would work with topwater and CB's too, but wouldn't be my first choice in those categories.

Reel: I'm partial to Shimano Curados or Castaics....something with about a 6:1 retrieve.

Line: I've used nothing but Silver Thread since it hit the market and was owned by Bagleys. Super Silver Thread in 17lb test has practically the same diameter as 12lb Trilene so it's not an oversize line. It's a copolymer so it has limited stretch.

Welcome to the forum. I just checked the count and at this moment there are 6867 members of this forum, and I doubt if you could get a majority to agree on any of these questions. "Best" is very subjective. If I had to pick one rod it would be a baitcasting rod rated at 1/4 -1 oz. with a fast action, and a quality low profile reel that retrieves around 26 inches per turn of the handle. Line would have to be changed to meet local conditions and primary technique used, but if only one could be selected, it would probably be 14# Trilene XL. This would be a ompromise and would limit your effectiveness, but as jdw174 said you could fish most lures with this outfit.

Add a 6'-7' medium power, fast action spinning rig and now we're talking...

Good luck. Enjoy the process of learning what works best for you.