The fish do care.  

There's a long list of advantages to baitcast over spinning tackle, accuracy, exact distance controlled by your thumb, tight-line casts never fouling line on hooks, instant retrieve, cranking power, nothing like line twist, and if you want, you can set up a baitcaster to cast 1/4 oz plug to 200'.   Unlikely to set up a spinning combo to do this - and if you did, by the time you got the line tight, you'd probably miss striking the fish. 

 

I measured this (2-hand) cast on google earth.  Unfortunately, when the tide began to swing out and the fish turned on, a half-dozen dolphins showed up and ended the fishing - it's OK, we had a great 2-hour drift back home on the flat, and I caught a (legal) spec limit.  

 

All the problems with spinning tackle are related to slack line - line twist, runaway line in wind, fouling line on hooks, no control on cast elevation for final distance (B/C thumb).  I would say these become less important fishing short flips with wrist snap.  You can also limit adverse slack line effects with manual bail technique.  

 

Except for a line wrap on the rod tip in 2018, I honestly can't remember backlash, and have to talk about it from basic principles.  If you're getting backlash, you address it by analyzing where it's occurring in your cast.  

  (hump photo dropped from link below)

How To Cast A Spinning Reel For MORE Distance & Accuracy

Bass Fishing Tips & Techniques by BassResource

16 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

The fish don't care. Use what your comfortable with. The only major advantage to casting gear is for casting larger baits & fishing heavy cover. If your fishing time is limited & you are mostly a finesse fisherman fishing in mostly open water go with the spinning tackle. You can always reintroduce the casting gear when the occasion calls for it. And for most fishing scenarios spinning gear is more fun because it is usually lighter in weight & you can enjoy the fish fighting more. 

I agree with Dwight here. Use the tackle your most comfortable with. Modern spinning reels have excellent drags, and we have many choices in lines to use. You can practice with your casting gear, and become better at it. But if you can use your spinning gear without problems, I'd stick with that, and keep catching fish. Good luck

Something I tell people, follow through.  This is the same line golf instructors use.  You aren't trying to beat down a angry goose (yes, I did that once on a trout stream), but a nice fluid motion that loads the tip.  As was said previously, too much jerk/snap in your casting motion will cause problems.  If you go to the driving range, you can immediately tell who's a newcomer to the sport apart from the seasoned veterans. 

 

Don't focus on distance, because that will tell your brain to snap it.  Start with more attainable distances according to your skill, and as you get used to it, reach out further.  Aside from what I just said, next time you go fishing, take only baitcast gear with you.  This will ensure that you're more mindful of your technique and skill level.  There will be no other choice but to learn since you won't have a crutch (spinning reel) with you.

@redmeansdistortion - the beauty of 2-hand cast for distance - aside from Big increase in rod/line/lure speed - the follow-through is never in your wrist, but passing the rod from your grip hand to your rod-butt hand.  

First 1/4-oz 2-hand cast in the back acre with 5500CT and 8' ML surf-lure rod (not really trying to cast distance), cast went across the fence, 75 yds into my neighbor's back acre - oops.  

These debates about whether spinning or bait casting is better are kind of like debating whether an automatic or manual transmission is better.   It depends on what you are trying to accomplish.  Are you driving in a NASCAR race or are you trying to drive to work with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on your coffee cup?

save the coffee or catch a fish

 

59 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Are you driving in a NASCAR race or are you trying to drive to work with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on your coffee cup?

You wouldn't believe the level of multitasking a seasoned pro with manual transmission is capable of behind the wheel.  My grandpa used to be a long haul trucker.  I watched that guy do more while he was rowing gears than anybody I've seen with an automatic.  Eat a sandwich, sip a coffee, have a smoke, and unfold a map in his lap to find the right route.  It was all second nature for him.

made it from Palo Duro Canyon and was fishing Cheeseman Canyon in 4 hrs, 10 min.  

 

43 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

save the coffee or catch a fish

or pick out a backlash or spend time in your back yard learning how to cast.

 

To me improving your fishing is about spending time on the water and through real experience, figuring out ways to get better.   Casting further is not always the goal.  The OPs real problem is too many backlashes.  He can spend his time getting better at casting a baitcaster or he can stop using baitcasters.  Only he can decide which makes more sense for him.  I agree with all of the advantages that a baitcaster can provide but those advantages do not always lead to more fish in the near term. 

 

Going out with your reel properly set up and known is how you concentrate on the water, never think about the reel, and never backlash.  

 

Tuning a reel isn't practice, it's making perfect.  

If you know how to set up your reel, you're done in 2 casts, which could be Alt title for this thread.  

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Going out with your reel properly set up and known is how you concentrate on the water, never think about the reel, and never backlash.  

Shimano SVS Infinity braking is the touchiest system out there unless you're throwing aerodynamic baits, IMO. You think you're dialed in, then a puff of wind happens through, and you'll need to lean into the spool where you might not need to with other braking systems. Throw in casting from a seated position where one's casting mechanics are quite altered compared to casting while standing and your game better be tight, especially with lighter or wind catching baits. I can understand the OP's frustration especially because he's not at a near-expert level.

 

Compared to every other system I use whether mag or friction I need to concentrate and mind things more with a Shimano with SVS Infinity to keep things in check, especially with anything less than aerodynamic hard baits like a lipless, standard crank, or a poop bait that'll fly a mile. Tie on a flat side 75 crank without making adjustments and you'll need be ready for the inevitable. Just a PIA.

 

I almost wish I didn't give my brother my Chronarch E7 with its reliable 6 pin VBS system. So much less touchy.

23 hours ago, 07Rapala said:

I know that I'm at a hard point in the learning curve, and it will get better with practice, but I'm not sure I have the time or patience right now to commit to working on it. It does't feel worth it.

It might not be with the way you choose to fish and especially with the gear you've chosen. Read above for my angle on that.

I fish with spinning gear from a canoe. I can use baitcasters as I once fished for only muskies, but my spinning outfits were bought for northwestern Ontario and they still work for Maine's lmb. 

 

You are absolutely right about the wind putting you in awkward casting positions while canoe-fishing. I don't think there's a worse boat than a light, high-sided canoe in the wind, but there's also no lighter boat, which I need as I'm old and weak. 

To be the very best and most versatile bass fisherman possible, you need both spinning and baitcasting.

 

If you just have one, you are 100% limiting yourself.

 

If I had to just have ONE, it would definitely be baitcasting. No question.

 

JMO

And then along came BFS!

Tom

17 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

To be the very best and most versatile bass fisherman possible, you need both spinning and baitcasting.

 

If you just have one, you are 100% limiting yourself.

Tell that to @Swamp Girl who routinely 100% mops the floor with everyone posting on the Latest Catch section while using 30 year old spinning gear.

14 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

100% mops the floor with everyone posting

 

Not @Lottabass. That guy catches a lotta bass.

Use what works best for you. I've been using spinning gear for 60 + years for fresh and salt, never had a problem. Only time I put down spinning gear is to pick up a fly rod.

38 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

If I had to just have ONE, it would definitely be baitcasting. No question.

We all have different perspectives on these things. I only use casting gear these days, but I’m not doing the entire spectrum with one combo. So, if I was limited to only one combo, it’s a spinning combo.

The fly rod and the baitcaster are much more complimentary than either with spinning tackle.  

Wrist snap with spinning tackle is extra distance.  

Wrist snap with baitcaster is backlash, and with a fly rod, it's tailing loop.  

 

40 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Tell that to @Swamp Girl who routinely 100% mops the floor with everyone posting on the Latest Catch section while using 30 year old spinning gear.

I never said you can’t catch fish.

 

I said you are limiting yourself.

 

Huge difference.

I agree with @WRB-2.0, get a BFS set up and have the best of both worlds. 

It hasn't been my observation that typical 28-30mm spooled BFS reels throwing finesse baits, especially plastics, are any easier to master than typical 34mm spooled reels and conventional baits. In fact, there's a learning curve with BFS. An adjustment to one's casting mechanics. If the OP is overpowering his casts while seated with his Shimanos trying to hit the distances he's capable with what he's described as his comparable spinning gear, then I seriously doubt BFS is his answer. But hey, for about $400 out the door he can find out for himself if he wishes.

 

I prefer casting gear and I'm 8 to 1 owning casting to spinning rigs. However, I'm not under the illusion that I can automatically  outcast my spinning gear with casting gear because I can't, especially BFS casting versus spinning. A 3000 sized reel spooled with PE #.08 on a 7'-7'6" ML can throw an 1/8 oz quite a ways.

I don’t feel like it’s that important to use both - but I enjoy the ability to be more efficient and quiet and accurate and baitcasters are a useful tool in that regard but by no means essential to catching large bass or numbers of bass.  There are many presentations I HaTe throwing on a bait caster like a jerkbait or weightless plastic or jig minnow or a flashy swimmer - basically different tools have different applications for me and I appreciate having them all for me - you should use what you enjoy having for you.

I also have been using spinning reels for 60 years but dabbled with baitcasters. I never could trust them. I would be casting well and suddenly it blows up. Screw 'em. But I just got a Shimano SLX DC XT (only from Japan) which is the bomb. I'm throwing 4' unweighted senkos to 1/2 oz lures without having a backlash. It's great in the wind also. Very impressive