Spinning Reels vs Baitcasters

[Tatulatard]

12 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Tossing a frog into the slop with a spinning setup doesn't make much sense, and tossing a ned rig on a BC isn't real practical either

Hey I've done both those things.  I actually prefer casting for 1/20 to 1/10 oz head ned rigs because i primarily swim them and like winding on a baitcast reel more than a spinning reel.  I'll also skip them under docks and dead with 8-10 lb flouro on another rig and prefer a baitcast for that kind of line.  Also the rods are bfs rods and have more backbone than any spinning rod I own.  Oh yeah, the biggest bass I have ever seen with my own two eyes came on a strike king grass popping frog my dad threw into scum on spinning rod with 30 lb fireline on an Iowa state park.  I had to pull it up and clean the slop off it to discover the biggest bass I have ever seen.  No idea on weight but I bet it was double digits.

[gimruis]

2 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

Hey I've done both those things.

I've also used a flat head screwdriver to tighten down a philips head screw.  But I am willing to admit that a philips screwdriver works better.

[garroyo130]

I need to check out some of this BFS stuff. The way people talk about it makes it seem magical. I guess I just cant wrap my mind around casting a true 1/32oz any significant distance with a baitcaster. 

[Tatulatard]

7 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I've also used a flat head screwdriver to tighten down a philips head screw.  But I am willing to admit that a philips screwdriver works better.

I won't defend the spinning rod frogging but for skipping an 1/10 oz ned head and plastic under a dock on 10 lb sniper I'll stand by my alphas sv 105 as the proper tool.  Egg beaters and 10 lb sniper are no fun.  I'm not a line twist enthusiast.  I will not tie a swivel to a tree and walk across the yard to the neighbor's bewilderment.  I will not troll an imaginary lure behind the boat with the bail open.  I will use a shallow spool sv reel on a ml bfs rod purpose built as a shallow cover finesse rod and be happy.

[Deleted account]

12 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

Curious what everyone thinks - As technology and reels get better do you think we will see less and less spinning reels? 

 

No.

[Bankc]

I HATE using spinning reels.  I have no accuracy with them.  I can stop them okay, you just put your finger on the lip of the spool.  But it's the holding and releasing the line with your finger that gets me.  

 

That being said, when casting something less than around 1/4 oz., it's hard to beat the distance you get with a spinning reel.  And they handle light braided line (less than 30#'s) so much better.  No digging in on the spool.  
 

It's like a wrench versus a ratchet.  I hate using wrenches and always pull out a ratchet if I can.  But sometimes a ratchet won't fit.  Sometimes it's just better to use the right tool for the job, even if you hate that tool.  So no, I don't see spinning reels going away.  They're too easy for beginners to use, and too useful for seasoned pros to ignore.  

 

 

[Bird]

11 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

I won't defend the spinning rod frogging but for skipping an 1/10 oz ned head and plastic under a dock on 10 lb sniper I'll stand by my alphas sv 105 as the proper tool.  Egg beaters and 10 lb sniper are no fun.  I'm not a line twist enthusiast.  I will not tie a swivel to a tree and walk across the yard to the neighbor's bewilderment.  I will not troll an imaginary lure behind the boat with the bail open.  I will use a shallow spool sv reel on a ml bfs rod purpose built as a shallow cover finesse rod and be happy.

I get what you're say'n, did all those line remedies years ago and had choice words using fluorocarbon.

Been using 15# braid and 8# fluoro leader on all spinning, not a single issue.

[GreenPig]

If I only fished shallow water, BC gear would be fine, but that's not the case. I fish some heavily pressured clear water where long cast in deep water are necessary. I tried the smallish baits with BC gear in deep water and quickly tired of manually feeding line off.

[OkobojiEagle]

Confucius often told Young Grasshopper, "Beware of the carpenter who brings only a hammer to build your house."

[TOXIC]

For me a re-hashing of all the reasons why the proper way to fish a weightless Senko isn’t necessary because there’s absolutely -0- chance you will ever change my mind.  😂😉

[Mike L]

Doesn’t it really just come down to what you prefer to use?

Same type of debate that happens on here all the time about fluorocarbon. 
 

Personally,

I wouldn’t use monofilament to hang a picture on a wall!

I wouldn’t use a leader to fish for a bass if you paid me!

If they stopped making fluorocarbon and had to rely on braid for everything I’d probably just take up bowling again!

 

Isn’t it just a matter of how you want to do it?

It’s all about what’s more efficient, easier and more effective in your hands. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[Mobasser]

3 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Doesn’t it really just come down to what you prefer to use?

Same type of debate that happens on here all the time about fluorocarbon. 
 

Personally,

I wouldn’t use monofilament to hang a picture on a wall!

I wouldn’t use a leader to fish for a bass if you paid me!

If they stopped making fluorocarbon and had to rely on braid for everything I’d probably just take up bowling again!

 

Isn’t it just a matter of how you want to do it?

It’s all about what’s more efficient, easier and more effective in your hands. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

This is your answer right here. This is an ages old argument, and is a moot point these days. Some guys don't like spinning,some use only casting. Both have they're time and place. Use what works best for you. If your happy with your choice, and catching fish, it's all good.

[InfantryMP]

12 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Have been for 56 years now. While this coming year's arsenal has 10 baitcasters, I also have 3 spinning rigs for bass and another 4 spinning rigs for panfish...so almost as many spinning as casting.

 

I practice-practice-practice...still can't get the hang of skipping with casting gear, but skip fine with spinning...reason I have an MH/F spinning rig in my arsenal.

 

I personally think spinning will never go out of style - in fact there's bass fishermen out there who won't touch casting gear, doing all their catching on spinning gear.

 

I was not good with skipping either (still not really good). I tried out a Shimano SLX DC reel and it was very forgiving. Now I can skip under docks every other cast, definitely not every time though. 

[volzfan59]

Like my friend @MN Fisher, I've been at this for a while. For me, 57 years. After selling and giving away most of my rod and reels, I've got six baitcaster's, four spinning set ups for bass and two for panfish. As any good angler should be, I'm very comfortable using both, for any techniques that I employ.

 

Spinning gear will never, ever go out of style. Like casting gear, it will only improve.

[InfantryMP]

I still dream about catching a 2-3LB bass on a drop shot using a spinning rod. I use 55lb braid to a 8lb FC leader via an alberto knot. It is tied on every time I go out, I just cant catch anything with it for some reason. 

 

I only have 3 spinning rods, probably 15 BCs. I do not think spinning gear will ever go out. Hell even the RedCrest tournament going on right now the pros have em in hand catching spots. 

[Pat Brown]

It's kind of funny. I think that if I was limiting myself to two poles I would bring a 7 ft moderate action spinning rod and a 7 ft 6 medium heavy baitcasting rod.

 

But since I'm allowed to do whatever I want, I rarely bring a spinning rod on the boat at all.

 

When you're gonna be switching baits and techniques a lot and need a bite badly, hard to beat a spinning rod with 8 lb test line.

 

They hold a lot of line and are easy to present baits a variety of ways effectively.

 

Last year when I got serious about bass fishing, I bought baitcasters right off the bat and tried to catch fish with them from the boat but my first few 6+ lbers were all caught on spinning rods with 8 lb mono and weightless plastics fishing from the bank.

 

I will ALWAYS value that particular piece of humbling history in my own story because you should NEVER write off a magical wand that catches giant fish.

[jejenkyns]

I think it comes down to personal preference and what someone is used to. I can't foresee a time when people on mass just decide they don't like spinning gear any more, people have been using that tech for years. 

 

I haven't been fishing that long and the first setup I purchased was a spinning outfit. A quick google search told me baitcasters had a learning curve. The spinning kit just felt awkward to me and I didn't know why. I still don't. One day I was thinking back to fishing as a kid and recalled my little rod had a spincast real, soon after I bought my first baitcaster and it was pretty instantaneous for me, it just worked. Did I backlash? Of course! but they were easier for me to deal with than windknots, and less frequent. These days I barely backlash and when I do I just pick it out, no fuss. Once a year or so I hit a tree and that is a different story!

 

My analogy now is that casting is like stepping up to the plate in baseball. For me, I'm a righty and that's what using a baitcaster feels like to me. I can switch hit, but it will never be as natural as my dominant sided swinging motion; spinning gear feels much the same to me as stepping up to the plate left handed, I can do it, and sometimes there are advantages to doing so, but I'd prefer to hit right handed.

 

I find it very hard to imagine a world in which some people don't have the opposite experience to mine and just feel more comfortable with a spinning rod in hand.

 

Since picking up some "BFS" gear, ML rods really. I don't use my spinning kit as often, but I still use spinning at times. The biggest advantage spinning has for me is casting distance. With a spinning rod I can outcast the same lure with a comparable baitcast setup by a long margin. Conversely, I'm far more accurate with a baitcaster. So I use both.

 

That is my experience, I have no reason to believe everyone else's will be the same.

 

YMMV

[Zcoker]

Just the opposite here. Can't stand the baitcasters. Seems like everyone that I know of who's gotten into bass fishing automatically presumes that they must use baitcasters....myself included. Well, I'm done with them. Nothing but trouble for me. I've broken so many high dollar rods, lost so many nice fish, messed up so many high end reels.... 86'ing them at least for a now.  I'm very happy with my Shimano Stella 4k's on the star rods. Works wonders. I mainly go after the bigger fish and have zero issue with the spinning setups. Use what your comfortable with, not what everyone else is using.....a good motto to go by with this spinning vs baitcaster topic...imho.  

[Jig Man]

I use both depending on what I want.  I try to carry 10-12 of each.  I can throw as light as 3/32 oz on one bc setup and do part of the time.  There are techniques that make a bait caster inadequate, one example, in late winter bass sometimes can be on the first or second ledge on a bluff.  Bait casters tend to swing the bait away from the bank and many times miss that first ledge.  With spinning the bail can be left open and the bait will fall almost vertical.

[Tatulatard]

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

If I only fished shallow water, BC gear would be fine, but that's not the case. I fish some heavily pressured clear water where long cast in deep water are necessary. I tried the smallish baits with BC gear in deep water and quickly tired of manually feeding line off.

I just push the thumb bar and line strips off on its own.  This is actually one of the things I prefer about baitcast reels vs flipping a bail open.  Were you using spool tension? 

[Darth-Baiter]

Fairy Wand?  Because you’re not into it you get to label it?  
 

I love the two I have. And I can cast a BC like a rockstar.   One day I’m buying a wind buster with an exist reel so I can see what rarified air smells like.  I personally feel the fish fight on a spinning setup is more exhilarating.  A big bass is very dramatic.  
 

I get it some people don’t like it.  But I really question a person when something that has nothing to do with themselves get them bothered and all judgey.  You do you.  Let others do them. 

[Jar11591]

I always took the “fairy wand” name for how a spinning rod is held and worked, not as an insult to someone’s manhood. I could be wrong. But when I’m using a spinning rod, especially for drop shooting, the rod is held and worked like you would imagine a magic wand to be held and waved. 

[Johnbt]

"I won't defend the spinning rod frogging"

 

I will. It works well if you have a big enough rod, something like a 7' MH Conquest or my favorite, an old All Star Coastal Select - 7' MH rated for 15 to 25# line and 3/8 to 1.5 oz.

[Bird]

Another consideration with threads like these is what are we willing to spend on a baitcaster to accommodate skipping and casting light tackle.

My findings are the price point jumps drastically.........Diawa Steez, Shimano Aldebaran come to mind.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Johnbt said:

"I won't defend the spinning rod frogging"

 

I will. It works well if you have a big enough rod, something like a 7' MH Conquest or my favorite, an old All Star Coastal Select - 7' MH rated for 15 to 25# line and 3/8 to 1.5 oz.

Another skipping lure on spinning for me - my Reflexions A MH/F is rated 12#-25# line - 3/8-1.25oz - with a Supreme 30 loaded with braid, I got that covered.