Falcon Expert All Around

[Cbump]

Anyone have this rod? Falcon website says it’s a cranker but It doesn’t feel like one to me. What do you use yours for? 
 

I’m waiting on my local shop to get a Head Turner in but looked at the All Around there today. I really like the full cork handle. Depending on what It could be used for, I’m really considering selling one of my lesser used rods to get one. 

From falcon:

 

EC-5-17

All Around

5

MH

MF

7'0"

12-20 lb.

3/8-3/4 oz.

Full

$199.99

One of our most popular actions makes a great crankbait rod, but can do almost anything

[casts_by_fly]

I have the Bucoo sr version (trapcaster). I’ve described it a bit at length in some other threads and you also asked about the expert version so there might be differences beyond just the graphite itself. That said, I have the pitching stick/head turner in both and they are similar so I’ll extrapolate that comparison here. The trapcaster has a light tip.  You can throw down to 1/4-5/16 oz total weight pretty easily. A 1/8 head plus 3.3 keitech is no problem. It also has a fairly significant butt section for the bottom third of the rod.  I landed an 8 lb striper with it the first year I used it. Where I struggle a bit is the mid section of the rod. Falcon calls it a long tapering mid section.  What it feels like to me is that with a casting level of force the tip will flex freely and that feels great. When you get just a little past that level of force the amount of blank that bends isn’t proportional to the amount of increased force. Just a bit more force bends a lot further down the blank than your expect. That’s fine (great?) for treble hooks because it casts like a fast action but sets the hook like a more moderate action. As such, I use it for lipless cranks mostly and then other smaller cranks up to a dt6 mostly (happy to fish a dt10 on it). The first year I fished it I used it for most anything from smaller trebles, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits, and even light pitching work with lines ranging from 10 to 17 lb (mostly mono, some fluoro). It worked for all but nothing wowed me.  The softer mid section was always a bit of a limiter.

 

last year I put 30 lb 832 braid on it and that changed a lot. It still has the light tip to cast little things a long way. It will reliably cast a 1/2 oz red eye shad over 40 yards.  The braid has obviously upped the sensitivity of the total setup and makes the softer mid an asset and not liability. I keep it for the same main purposes I said above. This time of year, it gets a snap with either a RES or a smaller DT depending on where I’m fishing. Then by the end of May I put it away as the grass is too much to throw those baits here (I’ll throw them on my Hudson special which gets carried year round if I have an opportunity).

 

I’ve asked around a couple places and the expert/cara versions are a lot of the same for action and overall power. They are more crisp and sensitive but otherwise are similar. That meshes with the head turners.  For what I use it for, I haven’t been convinced to spend another $200 to buy the expert when I have the bucoo already. The bucoo does what I need just fine for the 3 months I get to use it.

 

I think the head turner is a better designed rod.  The bend profile is smoother to me. Yes it’s a faster action but it feels more consistent as you load it up.

 

what do you want to use it for?  If it’s anything specific and not ‘all around’ purposes then there is probably a better choice in the falcon lineup. 

 

 

[KP Duty]

That model has been around a long time.  I had it in the Cara T7 series many years ago.  I didn't use it a lot, but it would do well with chatterbaits, traps, and fat wobblers like the old bagley b2.  

[Cbump]

Thank you so much. @casts_by_fly
 

Well I’m for sure getting the Head Turner for light pitching and chatterbaits/spinnerbaits. 
 

If I were to get the All Around It would be to replace this rod: Daiwa Tatula Elite Brent Ehrler Finesse AGS 7’ M-MH XF 1/8-1oz

 

I don’t often use It but when I do it’s kind of an all purpose Rod for Senkos (weightless and very light weight), fluke/caffeine shad w/ 3/32 screwlock, underspin, dark sleeper, Sleeper gills. Things like that. I would add traps to that for the Falcon All Around. 

[casts_by_fly]

Assuming you’re talking a 5” senko, then I would hold back on buying the all around until you try to fish them on the expert head turner. It would be a pretty good rod for all of them.  The finesse jig is also a great rod for similar purposes and a little lighter heads/power. I tend to like to cast lures a little heavier in the weight range so the head turner is a 1/2 oz chatter bait rod for me while the finesse jig is 3/8. The finesse jig will cast an unweighted fluke a mile.  I like it for single hooks, just not the extra heavy wire ones. For a lighter style swim jig or 3/0 standard wire worm hook it’s a great rod. 

[Cbump]

I wonder if the Lowrider All Round Fast might be a better replacement for what I use the Daiwa rod for? 

[tander]

3 hours ago, Cbump said:

I wonder if the Lowrider All Round Fast might be a better replacement for what I use the Daiwa rod for? 

 

I have the Lowrider All Round. They are actually 2 models. One has fast action, the other moderate fast. I use the fast for worms and the moderate fast for spinnerbaits/chatterbaits. Love them both especially for the price.

[casts_by_fly]

4 hours ago, Cbump said:

I wonder if the Lowrider All Round Fast might be a better replacement for what I use the Daiwa rod for? 

i think probably but I haven’t held the fast actioned one. I’ve considered it a lot, but just went to the head turner. 
 

I think @BrianMDTX has the all round fast 

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

i think probably but I haven’t held the fast actioned one. I’ve considered it a lot, but just went to the head turner. 
 

I think @BrianMDTX has the all round fast 

I do have an All ‘Round Fast 7’ MHF. It’s a great rod for soft plastics. 

[Armin J]

On 3/22/2023 at 9:28 PM, BrianMDTX said:

I do have an All ‘Round Fast 7’ MHF. It’s a great rod for soft plastics. 

I plug Falcon Lowrider MHF anytime I can. Perfect All Around for average user. I wouldn’t do heavy grass pitching or frogging but everything else it works great.

 

I might get a back up as companies sometimes drop or redesign product lines. Any slightest change to this rod would diminish it.

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, Armin J said:

I plug Falcon Lowrider MHF anytime I can. Perfect All Around for average user. I wouldn’t do heavy grass pitching or frogging but everything else it works great.

 

I might get a back up as companies sometimes drop or redesign product lines. Any slightest change to this rod would diminish it.

It has nice cork for that price. Way better than my Dobyns Fury. Maybe even a bit more than my Kistler Helium (but the Helium is definitely more sensitive). It’s really a nice, all-around rod. 

[the reel ess]

I have an older MH Lowrider "cranker" that I've used for everything from frogs to lipless cranks. It was my pitching stick until I bought one. Honestly, it's a bit too fast backbone for cranks. I've made it an all-around MH stick. I only bought it because a friend was getting out of fishing and into motorcycles and he asked $50 for it. It's still my most sensitive rod.

[Cbump]

I ended up buying the expert all around. I love It. 
I’ll still get the head Turner. 

[GReb]

The Expert models are great. They have a great bend to them and are built well. I have a few that have been absolutely abused for 2-3 years now. 

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, Cbump said:

I ended up buying the expert all around. I love It. 
I’ll still get the head Turner. 

glad you like it. When you get the head turner give us a good comparison. I’ve considered upgrading my Bucoo to the expert more than a few times but haven’t.