If You Could Have Only One Rod and Reel, What Would It Be?

That's a question lifetime angler, writer and photographer David A. Brown posed to some of the biggest bass-fishing stars a few years ago. Following is a synopsis of what they all had to say. Their strategies are worth noting, since limited budgets don't have to limit your fishing ability.

Kevin VanDam, a multiple-time Bassmaster Classic champion from Kalamazoo, Mich. His tackle choice: A Quantum Tour KVD 6-foot, 10-inch medium-heavy rod, with a 6.6:1 Quantum KVD baitcaster, spooled with 17-pound fluorocarbon. His reasoning: "I use this for spinnerbaits around targets, swim jigs, topwater, and jerkbaits. I always have several of these on my deck."

Terry Scroggins, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Palatka, Fla. His tackle choice: A 7-foot, 1-inch medium-heavy Duckett White Ice rod, with a 6.3:1 Team Lew's LITE reel, spooled with 15-pound fluorocarbon. His reasoning: "This setup is very versatile. I can fish a Texas-rigged YUM Dinger, a Carolina rig, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and buzzbaits with it. You can get a lot done with this one combination."

J. T. Kenney, an FLW Tour pro from Palm Bay, Fla. His tackle choice: A 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Halo rod, with a 7:1 Ardent casting reel, spooled with 14-pound Sunline fluorocarbon. His reasoning: "I'll use this to fish a half-ounce Nichols jig in JTs The Best Color Ever, which is a combination of green pumpkin and black and blue, with a Gambler Burner Craw in green pumpkin/black and blue. With this setup, I can flip/pitch mid-depth or even deep in any water color, except super muddy, and be productive."

Matt Lee, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Guntersville, Ala. His tackle choice: A 7-foot medium-action Quantum PT Smoke spinning rod, with a Quantum Smoke Speed Freak 25 series spinning reel, spooled with 10-pound braid and 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. His reasoning: "I use this setup for dropshotting, and I love the braid because I don't get line twist and tangles. Also, you can use high-vis line, so you can see it well, and the fluorocarbon leader keeps you from spooking fish. I can catch everything on this setup--smallies, largemouth and spots in 3 to 35 feet of water."

Ish Monroe, a Bassmaster Elite Sereies pro from Hughson, Calif. His tackle choice: A 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula rod, with a 6.3:1 Daiwa Tatula CT reel, spooled with 12-pound Maxima monofilament, and a River2Sea Bling spinnerbait. His reasoning: "The spinnerbait is the most versatile bait out there. You can buzz it like a topwater, you can fish it in the mid-range, and you can slow-roll it on the bottom like you would a jig. It's going to catch fish in all those scenarios. It imitates shad, it imitates bluegill, and it imitates baitfish of any sort. You can fish it in dirty water, clear water, muddy water, stained water, and tannic water. That rod, reel, line, and bait combo is what I want to fish anywhere, anytime. The line complements the rod, but it also complements the bait. Twelve-pound test Maxima monofilament is heavy enough to catch fish on top, light enough to fish it on the bottom, and it's also effective for fishing the mid-range. If you get a medium-action rod, it can be too light for throwing worms and jigs. If you decided to go too heavy, you could throw crankbaits and spinnerbaits with it. But a medium-heavy rod would cover all the bases."