Falcon Coastal Rods

[JohnB]

Anyone here have any experience with these? I am thinking about getting the Medium Popper.

[wnyBob]

Anyone here have any experience with these? I am thinking about getting the Medium Popper.

Falcon makes a decent rod. I don’t have an inshore that you’re thinking about. I do have one fresh water UL that served it’s purpose well.

Don’t know what all you’re wanting to use it for.

Coincidentally, I have been looking for another inshore rod and been doing some researching, searching around and watching some other boards. Falcon didn’t come up. But if you’re still shopping, then for comparison purposes take a look at the Shimano Teramar Southeast Inshore rod. Very highly recommended, very good reviews and close to the same price point you’re at. Another good one with good reviews and close in price and always a sleeper is the Cabela’s Salt Striker Inshore rods. I’ve had other Salt Strikers and they’re good rods, but just may not be quite as sensitive in the tip as the others. Upping the ante of course but with very good reviews is the St. Croix Tidemaster Inshores and upping the ante again is the St. Croix Avid Inshores which speak for themselves. And all of them have choices of rated rods in the M power and lure weight ranges you’re looking at on the Falcon.

I’m looking for a light enough rod to finesse cast lighter bait in tidal creeks going through and around salt marshes which can get you in close quarters, but with enough back bone to stop a lunker, if you get lucky, from heading towards the marsh or oyster beds and pull it out. And all the comments and reviews of the above say any of them in M power F action will get the job done.

I’m still waffling on how much money I want to part with. Guys say no matter how much you want to spend, a lot or a little, you won’t be sorry with the Teramar, which makes it very tempting. . But I’ve also had good luck with the Salt Stikers but I have one so would like to try something different. And I do like my St. Croix fresh water rods. Then I think if I’m really feeling flush with cash why spend $150. on a Tidemaster when $200. gets you an Avid. I need to do something by next month but I’m still on the fence. But the Teramar is definitely one of my choices I’m sure I would be happy with. If my wife doesn't kill us with the Christmas budget, I may still treat myself to the Avid Inshore, otherwise probably the Teramar.

not trying to dissuade you from a Falcon, I’m sure they’re alright. Just giving some food for thought on what I've found and I've spent hours looking at them.

[JohnB]

Bob, I have looked at the Teramar at my local Dick's Sporting Goods. I think it was a 7'mh. I personally thought the rod was heavy. Another rod choice that I have looked at is the Tidewater at Dicks. They are very nice rods. My thoughts are why spend two hundred on an Avid when one hundred more will get me a Loomis MBR842 GLX. That is really what I want anyway. I keep telling myself that all I really need for salt water is a one hundred dollar rod and while that may be true, I have rarely been one to do the practical thing and actually save some money. LOL John

[JohnB]

I forgot to mention that I will be using this rod for Snook, Reds, Speckled Trout, Pompano, Pinfish, baby Grouper, Ladyfish etc etc etc. I will be using DOA Shrimp, light jigs, Senko's etc.

[wnyBob]

Bob, I have looked at the Teramar at my local Dick's Sporting Goods. I think it was a 7'mh. I personally thought the rod was heavy. Another rod choice that I have looked at is the Tidewater at Dicks. They are very nice rods. My thoughts are why spend two hundred on an Avid when one hundred more will get me a Loomis MBR842 GLX. That is really what I want anyway. I keep telling myself that all I really need for salt water is a one hundred dollar rod and while that may be true, I have rarely been one to do the practical thing and actually save some money. LOL John

John

lol yeah, that’s usually my buying habits too. I’m always willing to up the ante a little after justification, rationalization or just plain impulse. I’m looking at the M power F action, 7’6”. I think the Teramar is rated ¼ - ¾ and the St. Croixs 3/8 - ¾. I’d be throwing primarily fresh or frozen shrimp or crab with just a little help from a split shot to add some weight, or some plastics.

What reel are you putting on it? I haven’t been into salt all that long and I’m in the process of upgrading and adding some back-up spares, now that I know the area better where we go. I have a fortune in fresh water gear and now building a new collection for salt. I’d been getting Penns for both surf rods and inshore. I have a Slammer 360 on the Salt Striker inshore rod that I do have but it was just a little heavy. I think I’m going to move it to the shelf and try a Slammer 260 for that rod. and I just got a Shimano Stradic FI 3000 for the new inshore rod that I don’t even have yet. lol I did find very good feedback and recommendations on the Stradic FIs for salt and particularly lighter rods that we’re looking at. Shimano discontinued the FI so I jumped on one before the stocks got depleted.

Nice you could find something at Dick’s to handle. We’re retail deprived. The Dick’s and Gander MT that we have are an hour drive and they’re dinky and pitiful small. The closest Cabela’s is 5 hours. ouch! So I have to do nearly all my tackle retail therapy online, research it the best I can then order online and hope for the best. I’ve been pretty lucky generally as long as I spend the time looking first. Some stuff is no brainers, but rods and reels are a challenge, if it’s something new outside of what you’ve already used. So I do a lot of reading customer and board reviews and opinions. Like I guessed on that Slammer 360 and if I could have handled them side by side I’d have got a 260 the first time. The reel is great but the size was wrong. But the Slammer is a nice reel regardless, solid and dependable.

It's all fun.

[JohnB]

Hi Bob, I am buying rods for a Calcutta 100B and a Calcutta TE100GT. Another rod to look at is the Hurricane Redbone rods. Some guys on another forum had good things to say about them.

[wnyBob]

Bob, I have looked at the Teramar at my local Dick's Sporting Goods. I think it was a 7'mh. I personally thought the rod was heavy. John

John,

Your perception of the weight of the Teramar was right. It took me forever to find it. Shimano's website on the rod specs cuts the spec table off and doesn't show the weight. But then somehow I stumbled onto a link to down load a catalog PDF and found the catalog had the entire spec chart. As an example for what I'm looking at, the Teramar SE Inshore spinning 7' 6" M F weighs 6.7 oz. Then I already had a St. Croix catalog and the Avid Inshore 7' 6" M F weights 5.1 oz. then I found some more reviews on the Teramar, all still good on overall performance and guys liked the rod, but there were reviewers comlaining that they were not real sensitive in the tip. Of course they were also using MH and H with lure weight ratings of a couple oz and more, that's a stout rod, and sometimes a stiffer tip comes with the territory on the heavier rods. So there goes the bank account lol and another notch up for the St. Croix. lol

You're looking at casting rods anyway obviously

Also, did you see on this TT board under the tackle forum. the revelation that Loomis is owned by Shimano now and has been since 1999 or something like that.
Bob

[btoups]

I have used Falcon Coastal rods for a number of years and feel that they are a very good value at that price point. I use them for inshore saltwater fishing in South Louisiana mainly for redfish and speckled trout. These rods have held up well and I've never had one break yet(knock on wood). I've caught redfish over 20lbs on a light Falcon Coastal rod. Even though this is not what the rod is designed for, it handled the fish very well.