Spinning reels just aren’t fun anymore

[NavyVet1204]

Ever since I bought my first bait caster and learned to use effectively a few months ago, I haven’t touched a spinning reel at all. My spinning setups haven’t left the man cave In months. I’m not saying that they don’t have their place, I just don’t get the warm and fuzzy for them like I do my baitcasters. Small creeks seem to be the most logical place for them at this point for me outside of cat fishing. 
Was it like this For you?

[redmeansdistortion]

I fish small creeks with baitcasters.  Inspiration came from Hobie Wan Kenobi on YouTube.  Look him up.  Word of warning, ultralight capable baitcasters can be spendy.

[Hammer 4]

Nope..Been using spinning set ups for many years, and still do to this day. They are especially good for lighter weight presentations, and allow for lighter line, and usually better casting distance with lighter lures.

[NavyVet1204]

Slinging a rooster tail or a small better spin in a small creek may be the next trip out for my spinners if I can pry myself away from my casters.

[Hook2Jaw]

Finesse is still such a large part of my overall skillset I don't leave home without one spinning rod.

[MN Fisher]

I have spinning rigs from UL to MH and I use them about as much as I do my M to H BC rigs. I guess I'm an equal opportunity rig-user.

[Team9nine]

Actually the reverse for me. After nearly 30 years of tourney fishing, almost exclusively with baitcasters, I had a chance encounter with Ned Kehde (2011), and by default, got introduced to his Midwest Finesse mindset, some of which I had already been employing in my offseason pursuits of crappie and bass. Now days, spinning is probably 75-80 percent of my fishing via various finesse presentations.

[Hammer 4]

Also, it seems that a lot of the Pro's in bass fishing are using spinning rigs these days. They are especially good for whacky rigging..?

[Darren.]

95% give or take spinning for me. I went the BC route for a spell

even attempting to do *everything* with my Shimano Chronarch

50e BC reels. ML rod for one, was able to throw some really light

weight rigs.....

 

One day the light came on in my brain that spinning was just more

efficient for a number of techniques. Especially when wind was a 

factor. Haven't found much of anything I can't do on a spinning rig

that a BC can do. But hey, to each his own. BCs are fun, they're 

cool, they're hip. Enjoy using them!  

[brophog]

17 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

 Word of warning, ultralight capable baitcasters can be spendy.

 

They can be but with every iteration they are also getting better and better at being easier to accomplish finesse tactics that were previously spinning only. A significant obstacle is the fact it’s still almost exclusively a non-domestic market and that can present certain challenges, especially in regards to rods.

[BrianMDTX]

I like both. For fishing wacky style I think it’s darned hard to beat a spinning rig. 

[DitchPanda]

I do love my baitcasters and use them alot. But I also like finesse...ned, grubs, weightless trick worm, shaky and slip shot rig..and now midsummer I just started picking a spinning rod up more often. Also in mid to late fall I throw shad raps alot. Between those two and panfishing often + a few walleye outings every year I spend a lot of time using a spinning rod. To be totally honest I'm just as comfortable with a spinning rod as a baitcaster.

There is a stigma with a lot of bass anglers where they call them sissy sticks or fairy wands. I've never figured out if they are compensating and trying to act tough or if they had bad experiences with light tackle cuz they don't know how to fight fish on it properly. My main goal is to catch bass whether that means I need to use baitcasting gear, spinning gear or the a boot lace to my truck antennae im gonna do it.

 

[Greg728]

I'm with you. I still use my spinning combos for finesse stuff but the feeling of having a well dialed in baitcaster just doesn't compare to my spinning reels. I also grew up on them but now they just don't feel right in my hands. 

[NavyVet1204]

Just now, Greg728 said:

I'm with you. I still use my spinning combos for finesse stuff but the feeling of having a well dialed in baitcaster just doesn't compare to my spinning reels. I also grew up on them but now they just don't feel right in my hands. 

thats exactly what it feels like.

[BrianMDTX]

To be honest, I do like having to play a bass (any fish) vs reeling it straight in like a crane pulling a load. I know depending on conditions (high water temps for one) it may be better for the fish to reel it in quickly. But that 6-7 lb’er I caught on a UL spinning rig was a helluva fight and I had to really play her to land her. 

[redmeansdistortion]

25 minutes ago, brophog said:

 

They can be but with every iteration they are also getting better and better at being easier to accomplish finesse tactics that were previously spinning only. A significant obstacle is the fact it’s still almost exclusively a non-domestic market and that can present certain challenges, especially in regards to rods.

Absolutely.  None of my rods came from here, they all came from overseas.  Many Japanese sites ship here very fast and it's generally cheap or even free in many cases.  I've received gear from Japan in as little as 2 days, free no less.  

[Mobasser]

I use both. I fish mostly baitcast rods/reels, but I always keep a spinning rod on board too. You never know when a lighter line and bait may work.

1 hour ago, DitchPanda said:

I do love my baitcasters and use them alot. But I also like finesse...ned, grubs, weightless trick worm, shaky and slip shot rig..and now midsummer I just started picking a spinning rod up more often. Also in mid to late fall I throw shad raps alot. Between those two and panfishing often + a few walleye outings every year I spend a lot of time using a spinning rod. To be totally honest I'm just as comfortable with a spinning rod as a baitcaster.

There is a stigma with a lot of bass anglers where they call them sissy sticks or fairy wands. I've never figured out if they are compensating and trying to act tough or if they had bad experiences with light tackle cuz they don't know how to fight fish on it properly. My main goal is to catch bass whether that means I need to use baitcasting gear, spinning gear or the a boot lace to my truck antennae im gonna do it.

 

Ya. That's the old school deal. I made a thread about that topic also: Bubba and Sissy. 

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, NavyVet1204 said:

Ever since I bought my first bait caster and learned to use effectively a few months ago, I haven’t touched a spinning reel at all. My spinning setups haven’t left the man cave In months. I’m not saying that they don’t have their place, I just don’t get the warm and fuzzy for them like I do my baitcasters. Small creeks seem to be the most logical place for them at this point for me outside of cat fishing. 
Was it like this For you?

Nope.

I use both.

As for spinning reels just not being fun anymore,

we must have different ideas as to what fun is.

Because this . . . is tons of fun ~ 

A-Jay

[Mobasser]

I think the way spinning reels and rods are made these days, they can whip a good size bass. The drags are super smooth to help protect lighter line, and the reels are very durable. I still like, and have fun fishing with both casting and spinning. Use the one that fits your style of fishing. If you feel more confident with one or the other, you'll catch more fish.

[galyonj]

1 hour ago, Greg728 said:

...the feeling of having a well dialed in baitcaster just doesn't compare to my spinning reels.

I think the difference is that I get a lot of satisfaction after dialing one in just right.

 

I took the 5.6 LFS I throw plugs with apart and cleaned/greased/oiled all the innards a couple days ago, and bombing that popper out when I finally got it all dialed in felt real good.

 

Spinning reels have a lot of value for me still, but I'm a lot less comfortable with them now, even though I fished way more of my life with one than with a BC.

[Mobasser]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Nope.

I use both.

As for spinning reels just not being fun anymore,

we must have different ideas as to what fun is.

Because this . . . is tons of fun ~ 

A-Jay

A-Jay, I'm with you here. A well set up spinning outfit is tons of fun, and can catch some hogs too.

[soflabasser]

Try catching a decent sized shark or any big fish on a spinning reel and you will see why I prefer catching fish on spinning reels over other reels. 

[Mobasser]

I tend to look at it like this. I don't catch " hawgs" on every trip. They're rare for me. I catch a lot of bass in the14" to 18" range. Fighting these fish on a med spinning rod is sporting and fun too. But, should I hook a big bass, I feel confident that my spinning tackle can land him too.

[DitchPanda]

28 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I use both. I fish mostly baitcast rods/reels, but I always keep a spinning rod on board too. You never know when a lighter line and bait may work.

Ya. That's the old school deal. I made a thread about that topic also: Bubba and Sissy. 

Exactly...I remember that thread. The macho mindset about it is crazy to me...I had a buddy argue with me about the usefulness of a "wimpy" spinning rod as it pertains to bass. It ended with him saying: Why would I need that crap? And me replying:You dont...just stick with your baitcasters under all circumstances and I'll keep catching more fish than you.

 

22 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Nope.

I use both.

As for spinning reels just not being fun anymore,

we must have different ideas as to what fun is.

Because this . . . is tons of fun ~ 

A-Jay

How could it not be fun to fight a big powerful fish on a less powerful setup where you actually have to fight a fish? To me fishing is a gamble and while you try to put the odds in your favor your still gonna lose some hands...that's all there is to it. But to me that's the appeal of fishing...winning that exchange even when it's not a guaranteed outcome. So riding that edge of uncertainty makes it more exciting and gives me a greater feeling of accomplishment when it works out. So while I love catching a 5lber on a topwater frog there is a totally different feeling of satisfaction I personally get besting that same fish on a spinning outfit with 6lb test.

All im saying is they are both tools that I won't go without. And while I lean heavier on baitcasters I will never not own several spinning combos as well. I mean to me it's like the difference between a spinner bait and a chatterbait. A lot of people say they are interchangeable and while I agree there is some overlap there is also A lot of difference. Tools for every job..otherwise your taking a flat screw out with a phillips. For instance a spinner bait is good around wood but not grass in my experience..the opposite is true of chatterbait. Kinda like saying a lipless and a squarebill are the same so you don't need both.

[zell_pop1]

I use both, but man I suck at getting accurate casts with a spinning reel. They do skip easier though.