You're gonna get whipped more often than not. The more limber the rod, the less pressure you can put on the fish. You need a rod with some backbone to catch big bass. It also helps out to select a model with long handle. The longer handle provides some additional leverage that'll help you get a big fish up and out of heavy cover.
Many anglers are inclined to reel faster and pull harder than normal when they get a big bass on.
Rushing a big bass that's not ready to throw in the towel can spell disaster. This is especially true when your gear isn't stout enough to back you up. There's nothing wrong with putting some pressure on a lunker largemouth. The trick is to learn when to apply it and how far you can push the fish without getting into trouble. The peak big bass season is still ahead in East Texas.