i was wrong all along

[d-camarena]

Ive always been a all spinning type of guy. I flip, punch, topwater, and crank with spinning gear. Well last week my girl gifted me a 7ft berkley lightning rod and a 2016 shimano caenan, i wasnt too excited but i decided to take it with me on a fishing trip today. It changed my whole perspective on baitcastin gear, it made flipping and punching 100% easier. I feel like i was way more efficient with my casting and i was more accurate. Im a beleiver now.

That being said, bait monkey has me by the throat and i need some new reels. 

[new2BC4bass]

Welcome!  I was 100% spinning until I got back into fishing locally in '09.  (Had fished on visits to Florida for the previous 3 years.) Decided to try baitcast reels.  Never looked back.  It has been about 7-1/2 years of increasing my arsenal.  It is easy to get carried away.  I hesitate to mention how many reels I now have.  Let's just say that some of the money from my second job was put to good use.   And that the Bait Monkey loves me.  

EDIT:  You have a very nice girlfriend.  Wish I was young enough to have such a good one. 

[WPCfishing]

I haven't used a spinning Rod and reel since 1984. I hate them.. Yuck !

Good move...  

[Jeff H]

Versatility and options never hurt a darn thing! 

[crypt]

oh my you will have fun now………….!!!!!!!!!! bait monkey beware….

[timsford]

I still use spinning quite a bit. Jerkbaits and walking baits up to 3/8oz, anytime I'm skipping under docks or trees, or with any other bait under 1/4 oz I still prefer spinning. I can do it all with a baitcaster, but spinning is so much easier to manage with light line unless you have at least 400-500 to spend on a bfs combo. I am more accurate with baitcasters, and the extra power on the retrieve is a big reason to take up baitcasting. If you like that reel any of the older curados, chronarchs, or citicas have the same braking system. I'd look at some of the d series reels used if you want a great deal on a similar reel. The e series is great too, but the prices have went way up lately. Daiwas are very nice also. I use reels from both and would recommend the tatula and tatula ct as great reels on a budget. Lews mbs can be found at a great price on fleabay, and the quantum energy is another pretty nice dual braking reel like the Lews that can be found around 100 on sheltons clothing.

 

The pfleuger supreme xt and patriarch reels are both really nice for the price. Lots of nice baitcasters available but you may like the one you have and get more. I know you didn't ask, just thought I'd throw some good budget options out there on reels with quality braking systems that will help you learn more easily, and that are made well and will last a while with regular maintenance

[lo n slo]

13 hours ago, d-camarena said:

 

That being said, bait monkey has me by the throat and i need some new reels. 

aint one thing wrong with that combo she got you!

[Molay1292]

Somewhere the Bait Monkey smiles......

[S Hovanec]

I only use my baitcasters a couple times a year anymore, just in the spring for the jerkbait bite.  The rest of the year I'm fishing deep and vertical,  two things that spinning gear does much better than casting. 

[Molay1292]

I use to try and find ways to avoid using spinning equipment, as I had it in my mind that I just didn't enjoy it.   Once I used a very balanced, sensitive spinning rod and reel I have enjoyed them to no end.   I would say they play a bigger part in my fishing now than the casting reels.

[OCdockskipper]

As a pre-teen getting into bass fishing, I saw casting gear being used by B.A.S.S. pros while spinning gear was being used (upside down) by people using hot dogs to catch catfish.  Therefore, I used casting gear exclusively, even when it wasn't the right tool.

40 years later, I use both.  I don't try to make my casting gear do stuff that is better handled by spinning gear and vice versa.  I can feather a lure with my index finger on a spinning rod as well as my thumb on a baitcaster.  A side benefit of switching between the two is it helps fight off fatigue that older body parts are susceptible to when using one type of gear exclusively.

 

[MIbassyaker]

I was an all-spinning person until this year, when I added some new baitcasting setups, I've been using them extensively for the last 4 months. I find them much better than spinning for several things, including handling most heavier baits (say, about 1/2oz and over), jigs, and most horizontal cast-and-crank applications. I also accept they are better in principle for some things that I personally have not yet noticed much of an advantage in practice, such frogging (casters have a drag and power advantage, in principle) and pitching (casters have push-button efficiency advantage, in principle).  But I still find myself preferring spinning for virtually all plastics, including texas rigs with weights up to 1/4oz, as well as most hardbaits 3/8oz and under.  And, maybe I'll change my mind eventually with more experience, but I remain entirely unconvinced that baitcasters have any kind of inherent advantage for casting accuracy.

[MassYak85]

I still prefer spinning for "finesse" presentations but casting is much more comfortable for me to use. 

[d-camarena]

I dont think i could ever stop using spinning gear but im gonna be using a casting gear a lot more. 

Just as reference, for punching i use a 7'3 heavy action spinning rod with a 4000 reel. Caught hundreds of fish with that set up but it is very heavy and tiring. Im gonna replace that set up with a casting rig.

 

By the way that lightning rod is not a bad rod. 

[fishnkamp]

d-camarena  Let me ask a couple of questions. First you say you need some new reels.  What are you looking at spinning or baitcasting. If the baitcasting are you  leaving the combo you have intact and you would like to add some more rod/reel combos?  what are you looking to put together in terms of techniques and what is your budget for each?

[d-camarena]

I have one baitcasting set up. I will need at least 2 more for different teqniques. The rest of my rods will stay spinning for now.

I need 1 for plipping n pitching which is the combo i already have. I need another one for punching and 1 for frogs. Budget of about 200 each combo

For punching im lookjng at the lighting rod 7'6 heavy. Anybody have that rod?

[Cardiologist]

I use both. 90% of the time I use spinning. Spinning does pretty much everything you want. 

[adrenalizd]

Right now you can pick up a tatula,  even a type r for a little over 100, you can also grab a tatula rod for about the same price. They are worth way more than their price in my opinion.  You can also pick up a st. Croix Mojo bass for 79 right now.  You can put together a pretty awesome combo for $200.

I am seeing the tatula r100h and the r100xs for 109.95. Right now.  That's a crazy price for the amount of reel you get. 

[the reel ess]

I love BC reels . I was the opposite way completely. In my heyday, the '80s, every "serious bass fisherman" had a couple or three BC combos. Spinning was for crappie or for the women and children in the boat. BC just feels better in my hands. It's a better balance where the reel is placed and I hold ity with my less dominant hand, making my reel hand the more agile one to crank with.

Now I carry 4 BC combos and 2 or even 3 spinning combos most of the time. They each have their purpose.

[d-camarena]

On 9/19/2016 at 10:30 PM, Cardiologist said:

I use both. 90% of the time I use spinning. Spinning does pretty much everything you want. 

Punching, heavy topwaters, flipping, stitching big worms and swimbaits are techniques i dont ever see myself doing with spinning gear again.and trust me ive done it before

[Bankbeater]

When I started fishing all I used were spinning reels. Then I went through a period of about three years where I used nothing but baitcasters.  Now I use both.

[JustJames]

Welcome to the bright side ?.

Anyway I have 4 spinning setup but mostly I prepared for my wife and kids, on the other hand I have more than10 baitcasting for bass, catfish and saltwater. 

I do use spinning setup from time to time mostly light jig for sunfish.

[bigfruits]

i use spinning for jigs/plastic under 3/8oz,  jerkbaits and poppers.

baitcasters for everything else except the smallest of moving baits.