I got one yesterday on a Neko.  she was a fiver.  very stubborn.  

 

I carry one spinning combo with me usually.   my bass boat partner gives me a rash of trash talk.   I believe it is a good tool in my hand.  my (fav)spinning combo is aesthetically unpleasing.  Phenix Maxim with a Vanford.  the green camo rod, and red reel look kinda gross together.  hahah..  I have nobody to impress.  that Phenix is fine.  I have had it, or one just like it so long I am crazy accurate with it.  yesterday, I was standing in my kayak and just letting the wind push me past submerged stumps.  one comes into view; I would carpet bomb it with the Neko.  fun and satisfying.   accuracy counts.

 

the drag, the one hand holding, the jerkiness of the surging bass.  on spinning it is fun!!   it seems more violent than an equal fight with casting gear.  I cant put my finger on it.   maybe it is because the line is coming into the rod further from the rod axis causing additional torque?  dunno.  so fun!!

 

 

I know what you're saying. For me it seems like I can get the drag dialed perfectly on my white stradic. Which allows the fish to surge but the rod flex's/adsorbs the surge while the drag just screams. I also think the sound of the drag heightens the experience.

 

That being said I've had a few knock down heavy weight fights on my casting gear. Equally as fun but different vibe. More like a couple heavy weight boxers trading blows where spinning is maybe more like light/middle weight boxers and more foot movement. 

I fish my spybaits on a medium light with 6 pound test. a 2 pound bass feels like a ten on there.

hmm, my last big redfish on spinning gear was 2017

 

Its definitely different.  With spinning gear, especially light spinning gear, you are fighting the fish with the rod and just taking up the slack with the reel when you can.  With casting gear the line is heavier and I rely on the drag much less.  I can just lean on the fish with the rod to turn her and use the torque of the reel to winch her in.

@Darth-Baiter time for you to go striper fishing!!

 

scott

I wouldn't say spinning gear, but light gear in general. During smallies spawn, i use a light or an ultra light setup with 3" easy shiners, and it feels like you caught a 20lb+ musky, especially in the rivers where i mostly fish. Haven't used any spinning setups for over 10 years, and ain't missing em even a tiny bit. 

1 hour ago, softwateronly said:

@Darth-Baiter time for you to go striper fishing!!

 

scott

Yea.  I

missed this years Texoma trip.  Lake was high so very few fish caught   On spinning gear. Same 2500 reel it’s very exciting 

14 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Yea.  I

missed this years Texoma trip.  Lake was high so very few fish caught   On spinning gear. Same 2500 reel it’s very exciting 

 

I caught a 15ish pound brown trout about 15 years ago on a ML avid.  I never knew a drag can scream that loud and that long.  

 

scott

4 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

 

I caught a 15ish pound brown trout about 15 years ago on a ML avid.  I never knew a drag can scream that loud and that long.  

 

scott

Haha.  Last year I got a 20lb stripper. Reel was screaming.  So fun.  I honestly didn’t think I would win. 

I have several 2500 reels on ML spinning gear, personal favorites for clear water.

Pay a little extra for reels with good drags, makes a huge difference when a good fish decides to take the bait.

Yes it's very fun.

My largest smallmouth (approximately 3 lbs.) was caught on a 6' ML Lightning spinning rod over 50 years ago.  Was using either 4# or 8# XL.  My 2 heaviest fish (20# catfish and 35# carp) were caught on spinning rods with 8# XL.  Lots of fun.  

 

oh yeah

15 hours ago, softwateronly said:

@Darth-Baiter time for you to go striper fishing!!

 

scott

(there's a blood feud in our trout tailwater w/ stripers that wash over the spillway during floods - they'll pluck a 16" rainbow from the end of your line)

100%

Got my "spinning rod PB" this year scoping and was an epic fight. I was really glad I had a nice reel with great drag. The fish and I were both wiped out at the end of it.

I use a spinning setup about 40% of the time here during the season, so almost half.  For both largemouth and brown bass.

 

I feel better using it for smallmouth because of the environment - there aren't thick weeds, pads, or docks for the fish to wrap around.  Nearly all of the smallmouth I target and catch are in more open-type water where the substrate is rock or gravel.  As long as my knots hold, the fish will eventually tire itself out and I will land it.

Spinning gear with a good drag, paramount.

Most of my spinning reels are ML for finesse but certainly fun when bigger fish attacks it 

I caught a couple of the biggest bass I’ve ever caught this year on spinning gear and a wacky rig. It was a huge rush.

Of course it didn’t pull anything like this thing did, which was caught on an even lighter spinning rod and a Ned rig.

14 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I caught a couple of the biggest bass I’ve ever caught this year on spinning gear and a wacky rig. It was a huge rush.

Of course it didn’t pull anything like this thing did, which was caught on an even lighter spinning rod and a Ned rig.

not to diminish from that giant cat..but what pants are those?  bibs?

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

not to diminish from that giant cat..but what pants are those?  bibs?

Simms Prodry Bibbs

^^oh..nice.