im getting my first baitcaster setup for fathers day. bass pro pro qualifier reel 7.1.1 gear ratio with 7'1" 13 fishing omen black rod. but im not sure which power i should go with for the rod. medium or medium/heavy? i want to be able to cast alot of lighter lures (especially weightless senko type baits) but want enough backbone to set the hook properly if i hook into a big bass. any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

I used to pond fish exclusively years ago, I used a medium action rod with a very flexible tip that allowed me to whip very light lures but also had the backbone to bring in some big bass. But my age is getting to me...I can't recall the manuf of the rod. Maybe it was an ugly stick, hmmm.. But you get the idea, I'm sure there's something like that out there still. Good luck!

I'd recommend a medium rod if you're only going to have one and you focus on light lures. Also, don't get any line bigger than 12 lb because you'll just be fighting backlashes all day with that senko. If you find yourself throwing heavier lures a lot or lures that require a solid hookset (like a frog or T-Rigged plastics), you may find it outgunned though. All depends on how you fish. I use a medium for lighter lures and a medium heavy for things like T rigs and spinnerbaits.

Well, we all have our preferences. Gosh, spinning tackle for that sort of finesse presentation throwing 8 lbs. test or lighter with a medium power rod would really do the trick.

For a baitcaster, I agree with the others that a medium would be all the power you need. You won't be reeling in fish from as far or as deep.

A 5" Senko weighs .39 oz, a 4" weighs .257 oz. a hook adds some more weight, of course, but some practice sessions to determine what your effective range is with a weightless worm would be a good idea so as not to overcast or undercast . . . and foul up your line repeatedly.

You know, all kidding aside, starting with a 6'6" Ugly Stik might actually be the way to go, then stiffen up from there. If you advance to another higher-end rod later, relegate that rod to novices and kids you may fish with.

Brad

several omen owners have commented that the med rod is stiffer than average so i think ill go with the m versus mh. thanks for all the input guys.

Go cheap, 20 lb big game, wacky work, flukes, trick worms usually catch all you want med. Heavy rods

I fish pond for the most part and lakes every now and again. I have not used anything bigger than 12lb test in a very long time. All of my reels have 10-12lb test line on them. I do just fine. I haven't had a problem throwing light stuff like a weightless senko or even something as big as a frog. It's all about the rod and reel. If you get the right setup, you can throw just about anything. You may not get a 100 yard cast, but you can get it out there far enough. Heck my wife until she upgraded reels was using 8lb test and would catch more than me most of the time. She caught numbers, but not size.
I mainly use medium with a fast tip for rod selection. This allows me to have a good backbone but a flexible enough tip to whip most lures out where I want. If you look at the posts and pictures I've posted, you can tell I do not have a problem with catching bass that are over 3 pounds. I just caught a bass a few months ago that was just shy of 7lbs using the same 12lb test line.
I have certain rods that I only use for certain types of fishing though. I set them up to be selective like that. I do have 1 rod that is my "everything" rod that is the most versatile of all of them. I can throw anything from a frog, to a jig on it and still do well. That combo is a Diawa Reel and a Diawa rod. That setup only ran me like $70 combined.

I have a 6' BPS "Extreme" Medium action that feels about the same as my two 6' MH rods, so the action just varies from one brand to the next, but a medium action should work fine.
Sounds like a nice little reel. One thing about trees and pond fishing,the longer the rod the more those trees seem to get in the way. I like a 6', 6.5' at the most. But that's just personal preference.

7 ft med.heavy

I don't like anything longer than 6'6" for ponds. A lot of times your casting is inhibited by trees and other stuff and a long rod makes it hard to cast. You're never trying to make super long casts or setting the hook in deep water, so you don't need a mh or heavy rod. Get something 6' or 6'6 with a fast tip and 10-12 pound line and you'll never look back. The shorter rod also helps tremendously with casting accuracy.