New To Forum And Wanting Advice

[RayJ]

I'm 48 years old and have been bass fishing since I was a kid.I was never serious about it and was just a "beat the banks" type.I have a renewed interest in bass fishing and want to get a little more serious about it.I had some older Ambassadeur reels(4600c,a 5000,and 5500).I'm selling those rigs and just bought 2 new rods and reels.I got 2 Abu Garcia Revo S reels and I put both of them on 7' Falcon Med/Heavy rods.I put 17lb flourocarbon on one and 12lb flourocarbon on the other.My question is will these 2 rods and reels be adequate for most lures and plastic worms that I may want to use.I'm not going to buy any more rigs right now but I do want to be able to be effective in catching fish.What baits can I use with these rigs and what baits should I avoid with these setups.Thanks for any tips.

Ray

[Tattoo25]

Those are nice set ups there. But I would have to have an open face spinner reel also. They just work a lil better to me in certain circumstances.

[BASSHUNTER1961]

The MH would be nice for frogs and fishing the lilly pads and heavy cover....... I would have picked up a 6'6"- 7' M for finesse fishing. Why 2 7" MH rods? I would return one if possible for a M JMO.

[steelslinger86]

You can fish quite a few lures on those set ups, but there is definately certain lures that would be better suited for a different setup than you have chose. I do a lot of my fishing with rods that are 6'6'' MH, fast action or extra fast action, paired with various reel speeds. But, I definately prefer to fish cranks on my 7' M, mod. action rod, also I like to fish a shakey head or drop shot on my medium action spinning setup. So, your chosen setups will cover a lot of choices, but are not the best choice for all lures. Also, remember people's opinions will vary some, so you can start with what you have, and make your own decisions on future setups as you go.

[MemphisFF]

Welcome back to the sport.. I layed down bass fishing for some years now just getting back also. Good luck and good fishing.

[RayJ]

I chose those rods for worms and deep diving crankbaits on lake fork.Maybe I need to return one for a 6' 6" med.

[Mumpy]

I think what you have is adequate but, like yourself I too have gotten back into it. I'm about a year in now and the one thing I changed this time than from 15 years ago is I'm more Technique specific with my equipment. If you're going to use a Rod and Reel for Crankbait, then purchase a Rod made for Crankbaits and a reel made for Cranking. If you want to fish a Jig then get a good Jig rod with a high speed 7.1.1 Reel, and Fish Jigs with it.

Something that was mentioned and I'll reiterate on. Purchase a couple of Spinning set ups. Set yourself up with a Spinning rig so you can Drop Shot, Shakeyhead and throw Senkos with. Having a set up that will fish those three techniques will increase your Bag of Fish by ten fold.

[smalljaw67]

I think you did ok, if you are just getting back into it there are things you may just want to try at a later time like crankbaits because they are about the only thing you really would have a hard time fishing with what you have. It isn't that you couldn't fish a crankbait with those setups, it is the fact that you will lose more than you share of fish with them as the rod is a little too stiff, a rod with a deeper flex like a moderate or moderate fast action will be a lot better with most treble hook lures. A spinning rod an reel wouldn't hurt either as they are easy to use for finesse techniques like shaky heads and drop shots.

[BASSHUNTER1961]

Please help me to understand why two exact set-ups other than the line? Both rod's and reels are the same and I'm not understanding this choice.

[NBR]

Those two rigs will be fine for every thing but surface baits. Flouro sinks so it alters the action of surface baits. I'd not buy other gear until I had more experience and then purchase needed equipment that is geared toward where and how you fish.

[RayJ]

I bought the first 7' because the guy at the shop said that's 7' med/heavy would be a good all around rod size.The second because I read on the Internet that a med/heavy is good for deep diving crankbaits.I may return the second one (never been used) and get a 6'6" med.That seems to be the consensus.I have a spinning rig already but have never used it for bass,that is my crappie rig but could be used for bass I suppose.

[jj'sbassinforfun]

Your better off with a moderate action MH rod for deep cranks. Give in the tip helps keep the hooks in the fish. Fast action will work, But the moderate action is a better choice IMHO.

[Broke bass fisherman]

Welcome to the forum.

[RayJ]

I don't have any idea what tip my rod has.they are both Falcon Bucoo Med/Heavy.What could I do with a 6'6" med that I couldn't do with a 7' m/h?

[jj'sbassinforfun]

I don't have any idea what tip my rod has.they are both Falcon Bucoo Med/Heavy.What could I do with a 6'6" med that I couldn't do with a 7' m/h?

Rods usually have 2 ratings action and power. Action is the tip rating(exfast,fast,moderate and so on) and power is what it can handle(medium,medium heavy and so on) usually it will call out the rated weigh of the lures its designed for 1/4 to 1 oz. as an example. What are the ratings for the rod you have or post the part number for us?

A longer rod helps with casting longer distance. A shorter rod may have an advantage if its tight on the shore line you fish. Both will work.

[RayJ]

I'm at work right now.I have to wait till I get home before I can answer questions about what specs my rods are exactly. I appreciate all the input.

[RayJ]

Should I return a7' rod and get a med 6'6"

[LuckyHandsINC.]

If the bucoo is labeled "trap caster" then its a mod-fast action. I have the micro guide one and it works well for treble hooks. I've used mine for jerkbaits,squarbills,lipless cranks,Sammy's and cranks that dive to about 10ft. Ive never lost a fish on it. The rod however will not be ideal for plactics and other bottom contact techniques. Ive never used it foe spinnerbaits but I feel it could do a respectable job with them as well.

Also don't get too caught up in length and power. I would return one of those for a fast or extra fast action rod in what ever lenght and power you like.

[RayJ]

Ok,I'm off work and just looked at what I have.One of the rods is a Falcon BCC-5-17.It is 7' long and rated for 12-20lb line,also 1/4 -3/4oz.It has the regular guides.The other is a Falcon BMC-7MH.It is 7' long and also rated for 12-20lb test and 1/4 to 3/4oz.It has the micro guides.They are both m/h.I want to be able to use plastic worms and similar baits.Also,deep diving crankbaits,spinnerbaits,swimbaits and lipless crankbaits.Topwaters are really out of the question for either of these rigs.I'll have to get something else for them next year maybe.I'll do most of my fishing on Lake Fork in Texas during the summer months so I'll be fishing deep alot.These are the only two rods and reels that I will have for a while so I want them to be versatile.I have a 15' flatbottom boat with a 20hp Honda that I use for both hunting and fishing.I have a trolling motor that I put on the transom and can remove it after I'm done fishing.I also have a Hummingbird portable depth finder that I can take on and off.So you see that I really don't have a great setup for bassfishing but it will work.I just want to have two rods and reels that I can use alot of different baits on,if possible.I'm prepared to exchange one of my rods for something else.I just need to know what I need to get.I'm going fishing Monday so I would like some quick replies if possible.Thanks again.

Ray

[RayJ]

Anybody?

[new2BC4bass]

I looked at TW for a listing of the BCC-5-17 rod. Can't include the link, but if you check it out yourself you will see that it is a very versatile rod.

The Falcon BMC-7MH is listed on another site as the Trap Caster. It has a softer tip.

I think you did very good. Especially for the type of fishing you will be doing. Personally I would stick with 7' or longer rods fishing from a boat. Personal preference. A 6' rod is awful hard for me to pick up anymore. Good thing the only one I use is a spinning rod! I have several Falcons...Experts, Originals and a Cara (not a T7). I consider them all to have a nice parabolic bend. I was a bit concerned about their power until this spring. I used a 7' MH Original to pull my PB (7 lbs plus) out of Hydrilla in Florida. I am no longer worried about the power of my Falcon rods.

I have come to prefer MH rods. Use to fish almost all ultralights in spinning gear. Maybe I'm going too far in the other direction. A couple of my MH's handle 1/4-1 oz. lures. This covers most all of my bass fishing needs. My main crankbait rod is the 7' Cara Medium, but the lakes (2) I currently fish are shallow. I think my Daiwa V.I.P. Medium will also do a good job with crankbaits. If I ever need a deep cranking rod, I'll give my 7' MH Airrus Ultra XL a try.

[RayJ]

newbtc4bass,thanks for the info.It was helpful.I'll stick with what I have.