Next Rod Combo Wisdom(Falcon Preferred)

I am boatless so I have to be portable in my setup so I try to cover as many techniques as possible.


I’ve been partial to Falcon and Abu Garcia. Since it is the kick off of fishing season for me I always assess and determine if any changes/updates need to be made.

Here’s what I’m currently fishing.


7’ MH F with 7.3:1 99% Texas rig.
6’10” MH MF 6.6:1 Small Top Water, Small jigs, small paddle tail swim bait, chatterbaits, or Spinner baits
7’3” H F 7.3:1 Heavy Jig, Large paddle Tail Swim Bait, occasional frog, Carolina Rig
7’ MH MMF 6.4:1 Crankbait Setup run medium square bills up to DD22’s
7’ ML F 702 Spinning Setup, weightless fluke, Wacky Senkos, occasional Drop Shot

I feel like I was lacking a deeper diver/A rig setup so I bought a Revo Winch but threw it about two times in the past year so I sold it and now have a couple dollars in my pocket.


Where do you think I am lacking or over compromising with these setups?

I dont know what to tell you on the reel. But as far as rods go, if you're wanting to go with Falcon.....7'3 Amistad Cara or the 7'2 Swimjig Cara. Both are must have's if you're a Falcon guy. The 7'4 Heavycover jig is another good one too.

7' M spinning or casting - better option for senkos, top water, 3/8th and under jigs, paddle tail swim bait, chatterbaits, crankbaits or Spinner baits - use your 6'10" MH for many of the same options or beefier versions of them.
A 7'M and a 6'10" MH are your most versatile options and should be the backbone to any boatless fisherman.

The 7’3 is an Amistad always been broomstickish for most of the baits I run. If I’m not throwing a 3/4oz jig with good sized trailer is seems to have too much back bone.

On the swim jig rod the 1/8oz to 3/8oz rating seems awfully light? Only finesse sized swim jigs on that rod?

Your 7’4” Heavy jig rod seems very interesting. That may be a more appropriate rod to serve the purpose that I use the Amistad for.



The 6’10” model is the Finesse Jig model and is really more a Medium Action. But I do have another spinning rod I could run a better reel for and cover a few more bases.

Great ideas so far.

The only glaring missing piece I see is a 7'6"+ cranking rod for extra long casts on medium to deep divers, can serve for lipless work too (examples; Lowrider Cranker II or XD Cranker). You really don't need specialized reels for that, just make a mental note to slow or speed your retrieves as necessary. The more specialized the rod or reel, the less often it gets used (except for a dedicated flipping stick, which is essential for Texas fishing).

Other than that, I might look into another 5 power 7ish footer, usually a MH ("all-around" or "Mansfield") by Falcon's inconsistent rating system. Gives you another flexible rod for moving baits.

All I use is Falcon but I sure wish they would adopt a uniform number system for action and power and use it for every line of rods consistently.

Listen to Sinkey hes spot on

I have thought about compromising on the 7’ MH MF Falcon HD and turning it into a deep runner. Just not sure a few more inches would add that much more to casts.

It's a noticeable increase in distance from a 7' to a 7'6"+ rod of the same power and action. Difficult (for me anyway) to say how many more feet you'll get per inch of rod, but I think the big thing is the effort required to get the distance is much lower with a longer rod. Especially helpful if you're having to throw into or quartering into a stiff wind. That said, to save space I think it's a specialty rod that can be omitted while you're co-angling. It would be high on my priority list when you get your own ride and more space to lay rods.

Ive got the 7'4 heavy cover jig Lowrider and it's a nice chatterbait rod

Do you have an Amistad as well? Curious how different the two actions are.

Are you using that rod for ripping it through grass or light cover to open water? I can’t even imagine trying to set the hook using a heavy as my chatterbait rod. I’m just gonna assume your catching a lot bigger fish than me

It's actually slightly soft for me but it feels best with a 3/8. I throw 1/2oz often when fishing grass. It's a really nice chatterbait rod. Very light