Duck Hunting Forum banner

Spinning v. Baitcast.......what do you prefer?

3K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  ks_waterfowler 
#1 ·
hey guys, i am going to invest in getting me a second bass set-up. i hear all these good things about a baitcasting reel and how i should get one*from piers at school and other people*. i have a Bass Pro Shops medium-heavy rod. it is a stiffer rod, and i like a stiffer rod so i want to make this my pole for like crankbaits, jigs, spinners, etc. and leave my spinning reel for like softbaits, topwater, etc.

i was wondering what do you guys prefer? baitcast or spinning? and also, what is more beginner friendly? ive used a spinning reel for about 3 years now, so i think that i have it down.

thanks guys,

ILgoosehunter
 
#2 ·
spinning reels are the most user friendly of the two, there is no doubt, but I have both and use one or the other depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.

I have two bass spinning reel's, one is on a medium action rod, the other MH. I normally use them for smaller lures, like small crank baits, grubs, rooster tails, etc. Things that are just too light to cast with my baitcaster.

I have several bait casters, most on medium heavy rods. I prefer to fish with these if given the opportunity b/c of cast control. With Jig's and worms, you can flip and pitch. I even feel like I have more control on regular casts b/c I can thumb the spool, handy for spinnerbaits, crankbaits, etc.

Also the gear ratios on most bait casters are a little lower than those on spinning reels which offer up a slower retrieve. Not a big deal for some baits, but for some it is. Again, what I use greatly depends on the bait I'm using and the presentation I'm trying to achieve.

All that being said, baitcasters are more difficult to use. They have gotten a lot better over the years, thumbing the spool is less of an art than it once was, but at the same time when you're on the lake the last thing you want to do is pick out a birds nest. I would borrow a friends, or buy a cheap Shimano or something and try it out. I would practice in your back yard with a plug, just casting at first, then you can start to try and learn to flip and pitch. Once you go fishing with it, keep your spinning reel handy, so if something does happen you can just change over.
 
#5 ·
thanks guys,,,,i think il be investing in a cheap baitcast reel. i looked at the rod and its a bass pro MH rod. i think itl be a great combo if i find the right reel.

more opinions please guys!

thanks.
 
#6 ·
IMO if you can't afford a decent bait caster I would either save some money or if you need another reel right now stay with spinning. I have found with cheap reels they tend to backlash easier and blow up faster. I'm not saying you have to spend a fortune as I purchased a Gander Mountain reel for $60 and have had no problems with it on my bass rod. Also stay away from mono line on a bait caster. Braid is much more forgiving when it comes to back lashes. Also you said you already have a rod. Is the rod designed for a bait caster or a spinning reel??
 
#7 ·
jasper said:
IMO if you can't afford a decent bait caster I would either save some money or if you need another reel right now stay with spinning. I have found with cheap reels they tend to backlash easier and blow up faster. I'm not saying you have to spend a fortune as I purchased a Gander Mountain reel for $60 and have had no problems with it on my bass rod. Also stay away from mono line on a bait caster. Braid is much more forgiving when it comes to back lashes. Also you said you already have a rod. Is the rod designed for a bait caster or a spinning reel??
thanks for the advice.....it is made for a baitcasting reel. which makes sence to get a baitcasting for it. if it comes down to it, i may just buy another spinning and another rod for it and just use 2 spinnings and hold off on the baitcasting for awhile longer......my second question is for you jasper,, is how big of line do you use in your setup? ive heard of people using 12-15 or 12-20. what do you prefer? i mean is there a difference in casting or is there no difference. what poundage do you prefer on your bass setup?

sorry for dumb questions, but im a rookie. haha. tryin to learn.

thanks, ILgoose
 
#8 ·
I'm not Jasper, but normally bait casters do better with heavier line. I use 12-20 with not problem. Again, what line I put on them depends on what I intend for the rod. I put heavier line, 15-20lb, on my flipping and pitching rod. For my spinner's and cranks, I'll put 12 lb line on them. I personally can't tell a huge difference in cast-ability, but I would not go lighter than 12lb.

I know jasper mentioned using braided over mono, my opinion is that I would learn with mono, just simply because its so much cheaper. Braided is great, it is less prone to backlash, but nothing pisses you off more than having to cut a birds next out of expensive line.

You can get a descent reel for around $40-$50, I like Shimano's, but some people like their own brands. I learned on a cheap cheap combo my dad bought me when I was 12 (I think it was $20 for a combo). I do admit it was way more difficult to cast than nicer reels, and I had more than my fair share of birds nests, but it definitely made me a better caster.
 
#9 ·
i myself prefer and stick to shimano reels; i personally don't think you can get a better reel. i have 2 calais dc's, a calais 200A, 4 curado E7/E5's, and a hand full of citica's.

i recommend that you start off with a citica, you should be able to find one pretty cheap on ebay. you wont regret it, if you don't like it, let me know, i'll buy it off you at a fair price.
 
#10 ·
side-slippin said:
i myself prefer and stick to shimano reels; i personally don't think you can get a better reel. i have 2 calais dc's, a calais 200A, 4 curado E7/E5's, and a hand full of citica's.

i recommend that you start off with a citica, you should be able to find one pretty cheap on ebay. you wont regret it, if you don't like it, let me know, i'll buy it off you at a fair price.
I have 3 Citica's from the mid 90's that I'm still using. It used to be 4, but a bearing went out it one of them last week. I would try to repair it, but I think I got my $90's worth of use out of it and its probly time for a new reel. I've even had fair luck out of their Collisto's. They don't last as long, but still cast pretty smooth and are half as much as a Citica.
 
#11 ·
I use 17 or 20# test on my bass rod. I fish waters with either a lot of northers or a lot of muskies and they tend to bite off so I also use hard mono leaders on all of my rods. For the amount of money you would spend on a nice spinning outfit you can easily buy a good bait caster. I never use my spinning outfits unless it is for a friend who has never casted a bait caster before. There is a learning curve but once you have it all figured out you can have so much more accuracy with you casting. I also prefer them for the hook set as well. I keep my thumb on the spool when setting the hook so my drag has no affect on it. Again I come from the muskie fishing side and believe in very strong hook sets. Just remember as you change lure sizes with a bait caster you have to adjust the brake on the reel. When you first start off I recommend going on the tighter side while you work on getting use to thumbing the reel. As you get more comfortable you can loosen it up for longer casts but remember the looser you go the more likely you are to get a back lash. Also set the brake accordingly for casting into the wind. I never thought of that when I first made the switch and I still remember the back lash that followed.
 
#13 ·
go with the baitcaster.like others have said the use of heavier line is important.your stiffer rod will work fine for jig's worm's stuff like that but you will want something that has a fast taper to it for crank baits and spinnerbaits.i bought the cheaper baitcasters when i first started and with in a month i wanted something better.i would try 1 that has atleast 6 ball bearings.i throw baitcasters about 80 percent of the time.i like throwing flukes and senko's on a spin cast and really light jigs.i'am left handed and there werent alot of companies out there that accommendated my need i started throwing 5501 c3 and i still use these reels today clean them once or twice during the season and totally a major cleaning at the end of the season and they last along time.i use a 5:3:1 for jig's and a 6:3:1 for spinnerbaits and crank baits wish i had a 7 something for high speed retrieves.
 
#15 ·
ILgoosehunter12 said:
thanks for the input guys!
...WAIT,..don't go anywhere yet! , I didn't get to say anything!..I'm like everyone else, nothin' beats a good levelwind. Once you wean yourself off of the others, and have thousands of "professional overruns, you'll never want to go back to some of them :yes: O.K.,..that's what I wanted to say Goosehunter,.... :hi:
 
#16 ·
swampbilly 1980 said:
ILgoosehunter12 said:
thanks for the input guys!
...WAIT,..don't go anywhere yet! , I didn't get to say anything!..I'm like everyone else, nothin' beats a good levelwind. Once you wean yourself off of the others, and have thousands of "professional overruns, you'll never want to go back to some of them :yes: O.K.,..that's what I wanted to say Goosehunter,.... :hi:
I was wondering when you were going to chime in.

For someone that calls backlashes "Professional Overruns," I already knew what your opinions was. :biggrin:
 
#17 ·
GroundSwatter said:
swampbilly 1980 said:
ILgoosehunter12 said:
thanks for the input guys!
...WAIT,..don't go anywhere yet! , I didn't get to say anything!..I'm like everyone else, nothin' beats a good levelwind. Once you wean yourself off of the others, and have thousands of "professional overruns, you'll never want to go back to some of them :yes: O.K.,..that's what I wanted to say Goosehunter,.... :hi:
I was wondering when you were going to chime in.

For someone that calls backlashes "Professional Overruns," I already knew what your opinions was. :biggrin:
.... :lol3: ,..G.S.,..Sometimes it's almost easier getting an "overrun" out of a level wind reel with the minnow still on the hook, than to have to re-bait a hook on the wife/daughters' rods when they use a closed face spin caster :yes: They can't seem to time the release of the button to allow the line to come out and the minnows get snatched off when they cast ...... :beer:
 
#18 ·
swampbilly 1980 said:
ILgoosehunter12 said:
thanks for the input guys!
...WAIT,..don't go anywhere yet! , I didn't get to say anything!..I'm like everyone else, nothin' beats a good levelwind. Once you wean yourself off of the others, and have thousands of "professional overruns, you'll never want to go back to some of them :yes: O.K.,..that's what I wanted to say Goosehunter,.... :hi:
lol...yea i "professinal overruned" my buddys baitcaster pretty good....i might get one and just tie a weight on and just practice in the backyard and then try some baits.
 
#19 ·
ILgoosehunter12 said:
swampbilly 1980 said:
ILgoosehunter12 said:
thanks for the input guys!
...WAIT,..don't go anywhere yet! , I didn't get to say anything!..I'm like everyone else, nothin' beats a good levelwind. Once you wean yourself off of the others, and have thousands of "professional overruns, you'll never want to go back to some of them :yes: O.K.,..that's what I wanted to say Goosehunter,.... :hi:
lol...yea i "professinal overruned" my buddys baitcaster pretty good....i might get one and just tie a weight on and just practice in the backyard and then try some baits.
Get yourself a rubber practice plug or use a 1oz. sinker. Best to start heavier and work your way to a lighter weight after you "get the feel".
 
#20 ·
While I own many baitcasters (all Shimano ranging from Calcutta to Calais to Curados) and typically use them for most of my bass fishing. But there is a time and a place for spinning gear as well...ultralight fishing, trolling, live bait flipping and some crankbait fishing can be more easily done with open face spining reels.

A good thing is to have at least 3 rigs when you go fishing. 1 baitcaster set up with a med or med/heavy, fast tipped rod for spinnerbait, jig or worm fishing (carolina or texas rigged), another baitcaster with a softer rod for larger crankbaits or topwater and finally a spinning rig with a 6-1/2 medium action for lighter stuff like smaller crankbaits.
 
#22 ·
I prefer bait caster, but IMO the spin-cast is simpler to use. I started on spin caster and still use them today. they have a purpose in your arsenal of weapons. As said b4 in other post in this thread. But for Bass fishing day-in and out. I never leave the house without my baitcasters. :wink:
 
#23 ·
Bait caster for me over everything else.

I just don't like spinning reels because it feels like there's more stretch/flex than a stiffer casting rod. Definately use braided line though. It doesn't have any line memory which is why mono backlashes more. Stay away from flourocarbon on a bait caster.
 
#24 ·
I use spinning reels almost exclusively for bass. I am running an abu garcia baitcaster on one rod http://store.rogerssportinggoods.com/se ... ack/Detail.

When you go to catfishing mine are all nice baitcasters. My grandpa wouldn't let me fish with him till I could hit a 5 gal backet lid with my baitcaster. I still do pretty good with them, but I am not the sniper I used to be with one.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top