Opinion On Verdict Or Falcon Cara T7

[WdyCrankbait]

Hey everyone,

I am in the need of a MH xft spinning rod. I am going to put a Shimano Symmetry on it, that has been decided. However, I am either looking at Verdicts or the Falcon Cara T7s. The Verdict is a fair amount cheaper, also the local reps here in Richmond do not have many Falcons to look at and or get my hands on. I had an old Falcon Lowrider a couple of years ago, loved it, good senistivity, but just did not like the action of the rod. That and hearing nothing but great things about Falcon Cara T7s have made me consider them.

The purpose of this rod would be to use for plastics, senkos, worms about 1/4 to 3/8oz weighted. I have been using a med/med light rod lately and been losing too many bass. It just does not have the power for hook setting on the bigger bass.

Thanks in advance

Wdy

[Loomis24]

I have a couple Verdicts and they are great. Very light and sensitive and hold up very well. I do not think that you can beat this rod with the price tag that it comes with. Good luck

[WdyCrankbait]

Loomis, yeah that is kind of what I was thinking as well. I never had a Abu rod before I mostly use Crucials, but for $130.........not to many other rods ought there like that.

[Loomis24]

Ya they are very good rods. I have a casting one as well, I also have 2 Veritas. One spinning and one casting. Those are very good rods as well. I am a big fan of Abu Garcia. I think that they make good products and their customer service is usually always great. Hope this helps. I can only speak for what i have owned. I have never used Falcons but i know several people that love them

[Pantera61]

The Verdict is an excellent rod. I also have some experience with Falcon rods, which are also top notch. That being said, the Verdict is not in the same class with the Falcon Cara line.

I would put the Cara in the upper echelon of domestic sticks. Well built with excellent components and a reputation based upon long years of service.

[WdyCrankbait]

Thanks Pantera, yeah, I figured they were in different classes. I am just not sure with the $60 price difference and not being able to have the Falcon rod in my hand to play around with.

Pantera, sensitivity, and weight are the most important things to me.

I have fished two local bass tournaments and had to resort to plastics on each occasion to catch bass. Yesterday, it was Paca Craws and I lost a couple keepers because I did not have the hook setting power (I was using a 6'-3" Shimano Compre rod, middle of the road Shimano and 8# copoly P-Line). The strikes were there, nothing like feeling that "thump," when a bass inhales a paca craw! Either, I am getting an old reliable Shimano Crucial, or Abu Verdict, or Cara T7.

Shimano Cruicals and their reels are standard equipment for me. I call it the Toyota Camry effect "Shimano tackle is not that bright, glitzy, glamarous, it just dead nuts reliable."

Sorry for the rambling, but Pantera, what is the more seneitive rod? Abu or Falcon

Thanks!

[Pantera61]

Thanks Pantera, yeah, I figured they were in different classes. I am just not sure with the $60 price difference and not being able to have the Falcon rod in my hand to play around with.

Pantera, sensitivity, and weight are the most important things to me.

I have fished two local bass tournaments and had to resort to plastics on each occasion to catch bass. Yesterday, it was Paca Craws and I lost a couple keepers because I did not have the hook setting power (I was using a 6'-3" Shimano Compre rod, middle of the road Shimano and 8# copoly P-Line). The strikes were there, nothing like feeling that "thump," when a bass inhales a paca craw! Either, I am getting an old reliable Shimano Crucial, or Abu Verdict, or Cara T7.

Shimano Cruicals and their reels are standard equipment for me. I call it the Toyota Camry effect "Shimano tackle is not that bright, glitzy, glamarous, it just dead nuts reliable."

Sorry for the rambling, but Pantera, what is the more seneitive rod? Abu or Falcon

Thanks!

If $60 upfront isn't a problem with you, I would go with the Cara, especially for tournament fishing. The Verdict is a great rod, I use the MH F casting rod for flippin'/pitchin' and the ML F spinning for finesse presentations. Both rods are quite sensitive.

I have more to follow, right now I have to run ...

[Hooligan]

If $60 upfront isn't a problem with you, I would go with the Cara, especially for tournament fishing. The Verdict is a great rod, I use the MH F casting rod for flippin'/pitchin' and the ML F spinning for finesse presentations. Both rods are quite sensitive.

I have more to follow, right now I have to run ...

Excellent advice. The other rods mentioned really don't compare to the Cara. I no longer have any in use because I've upgraded but one of my partners is Falcon rods to the core. He would rather fish the Cara than an NRX and I mean that in every sense. I don't understand it, but he's in tune with the rod, so I don't question it.

[WdyCrankbait]

I dont think $60 difference is really a deal breaker. I guess it is not being able to hold it before I actually decided. I have never heard anybody say anything bad about Falcon rods, that is saying a lot because there is usually one person or two that go against the grain.

[Pantera61]

I dont think $60 difference is really a deal breaker. I guess it is not being able to hold it before I actually decided. I have never heard anybody say anything bad about Falcon rods, that is saying a lot because there is usually one person or two that go against the grain.

Okay, I'm back (band practice --- bass angler/bass player).

I was using Megabass and Evergreen rods for tournaments when the dollar was strong against the yen. When the dollar tanked, I had reservations about using premium tackle during tournaments. Not for fear of breakage but my boats didn't have lockable rod storage and I didn't want other concerns. That thought process extended to premium American rods like the Cara line or St. Croix or Loomis.

I had some Abu Crossfire rods in the mid 1990s that I thought were pretty good. I saw the Vendettas were available and picked a few up and I thought they performed well. Great performance + great price = happy angler. I was available to field test a prototype of the Veritas for about a year and put it through some serious paces. Again I was impressed, based upon that I tried out the Verdict.

My limited usage with the Verdict has been a positive experience. Sensitivity is on par with more expensive rods. The spinning rod ML F has been used with 1/32 and 1/16 jigs and strike detection is phenomenal. Fish fighting control is top notch. I would recommend it highly.

The Cara though, is a couple of notches higher in components, performance, long term durability and time in the field. There is a greater amount of background on the Cara than the Verdict.

Will you be satisfied with the Verdict? Absolutely. If you're not the type of guy who doesn't second his choices, you won't have a problem. If you're the type of guy who wonders what could have been, just go for the Cara. If you wind up not liking it, it will retain value after a season.

Good luck with either choice, it's hard to go wrong.

[s13john]

id do the cara micro amistad

[WdyCrankbait]

I went up to my Local BPS today to get a couple collared shirts for work so, of course I walked over to the fishing department and found a Verdict. I was playing with the 7' MH spin rod and thought is was great. But, then i picked up a Boyd Bockett rod that was sitting right next to it and WOW that was a lot lighter! I am not looking at Bockett rods it was just right there and I wanted to compare. So, I think I am going to pull the trigger and get a Cara T7 here soon...Thanks everybody!