So before I can start looking into spinning rods I guess I'm just curious as to what you all use a spinning rod for? I got so caught up in the baitcaster world I've neglected spinning rods all together. Is it really just meant for super-light tackle only? Or are there certain conditions/instances where you would pick up the spinning rod over the baitcaster? I have limited rods as I prefer to invest in lures and baits lol but I feel ready to expand again.

Any advice is very appreciated! Thanks in advance!

My current Bass aresenal:

6'6" Medium action Carbonlite (used for a variety of everything that's medium-small in size/weight mostly crank baits)

7'2" Shimano Cumara MH Xfast tip (Heavy jigs, T-Rig, Top water)

Light jigs, shaky heads, small flukes and just about and light or finesse presentations that use are using less than 1/4oz in weight. I use casting for just about everything except finesse, for me the spinning rod really can't be beat unless you have the money for a really nice finesse casting set up. I caught some nice largemouth in January and if it wasn't for spinning I would have never got a bite as I had to use a 1/16oz shaky head with a 4.5" straight tail finesse worm, no way I would have been able to cast and fish that set up effectively with a casting set up so yeah, there is a lot you can do with the spinning set up!

I also have forgotten my spinning gear in favor of casting rods.  Lots of others use spinning gear the same way "smalljaw" does.  However, some mighty big saltwater fish have been caught on spinning gear.  Just ask SirSnookalot.    He mainly fishes spinning gear in both freshwater and saltwater, and fishes almost every day.  Darn lucky retired old geezer. 

 

My latest spinning rod was a RivverRunner for panfish.  I have a MH Daiwa Cielo (older model) Jig & Worm rod.  Received a Fenwick Elite Teck 6'9"MF Jig & Worm rod over the winter.  No reel on it yet.  Tried using a Villain ML for panfish, but the rod's rating is too accurate.  It won't load with those dinky weights.  I am going to try it with some of those 4-5 inch finesse worms.

I would recommend an abu garcia cardinal reel with either a pinnacle rod or daiwa rod.

I use mine for bass, pickerel, panfish and perch. Theyre not just for light tackle thats a myth, considering that their the best striper reels.

I gave up on b/c long before I was a daily saltwater fisherman, fishing saltwater has only amplified my position on choice of gear.  For what I do and the waters I prefer to fish, bass too, there is a spinning rod and reel made to use from bluegill to tuna.  For my purposes a b/c is used only for using live or cut bait and not a low profile model.  I don't advocate just using spinning gear for bass fishing, if I exclusively fished bass in areas that required a mh or hvy rod, heavy lines, I'd be using b/c gear too.  I avoid those areas as that kind of fishing doesn't appeal to me, I go out of my way to fish more open water regardless of my target species.  It isn't always possible to fish bass ( snakeheads ) in water void of heavier slop or vegetation, for those conditions I do seem to manage with spinning gear, but b/c may be more appropriate.  IMO it's not the weight of the lure that dictates the type of gear, it's what you are pulling the fish out of.