Casting Rod vs Spinning Rod Specific Techniques

[Jeffrey Walker]

Are there any techniques or lures or applications that you belive are better suited for spinning rods vs casting rods?

 

From my research, it seems Drop-Shotting, ned rigs, shaky heads and sometimes wacky rigs are better suited for spinning gear but techniques like Texas rig, free rig, tokyo rig, carolina rig, punching, jika rigs are better suited for Casting gear. 

 

Cranking seems to be a matter of preference, 

[ironbjorn]

I pretty much only use spinning gear for Ned Rigs.

[MN Fisher]

Ned, dropshot, weightless plastics (wacky, T-Rig, Donkey Rig, flukes) - I do all those on spinning.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I don’t believe that one technique that justifies one over the other. I think it’s all personal preference and what you’re comfortable with.

[Jeffrey Walker]

1 minute ago, Slipknot_Fan666 said:

I don’t believe that one technique that justifies one over the other. I think it’s all personal preference and what you’re comfortable with.

Sure it is but drop-shotting for example seems to make more sense using spinning gear, easier to open the bail, drop the weight etc. 

 

Ned rigging also seems to make more sense, the lighter the weights, the harder it is for casting gear to function properly, aside from BFS stuff, so spinning gears makes more sense. 

 

Im just trying to confirm that there is a consensus, despite our personal prefernces. 

[Drawdown]

Anywhere location you need to be able to cast by flicking your wrist, regardless of technique (e.g. creeks)…spinning all the way.

 

For spinnerbaits, casting gear. Used to break off spinnerbaits while casting with spinning tackle.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, Drawdown said:

For spinnerbaits, casting gear. Used to break off spinnerbaits while casting with spinning tackle.

I skip spinners and chatters on a MH/F spinning rig with 20# 832

 

Can't skip with a BC worth a darn...

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Sure it is but drop-shotting for example seems to make more sense using spinning gear, easier to open the bail, drop the weight etc. 

 

Ned rigging also seems to make more sense, the lighter the weights, the harder it is for casting gear to function properly, aside from BFS stuff, so spinning gears makes more sense. 

 

Im just trying to confirm that there is a consensus, despite our personal prefernces. 

to drop shot on a baitcaster, just push the button and let it drop. Even easier that a spinning rod.  The bigger thing is how much weight you have and are you casting it. 
 

To me, anything over 1/4 oz or so is a baitcaster.  Specific lure doesn’t much matter. 

[Wprich]

More about weight and hook thickness than technique with me.  I'll fish a light 1/8 or 3/16 Texas rig on a spinning rod every outing but if I go to a thicker hook or something heavier I go to a casting rod.  Heavy stuff like 3/8 and above jigs, chatterbaits, magnum lizard in spring etc I throw on casting.

[fin]

You can do anything with a spinning reel you can do with a baitcaster, but the reverse is not true. Spinning rods are better with light weight lures. There are casting techniques you can do, like flipping or casting in tight quarters that you might be able to do with a baitcaster, but it can be done much easier and better with a spinning reel.

 

Spinning rod/reels are a little more awkward though. To me, it’s more of a struggle to land a big fish on a spinning rod because of the reel being on the bottom of the rod. The design of a baitcaster makes it feel easier. I like the struggle though. Catching even a small fish on a spinning rod is fun.

 

I’ve got baitcasters, but I never use them. I used baitcasters before ever trying a spinning reel. Once I saw how much more I could do, I never went back.

[Hook2Jaw]

Spinning rods and reels are amazing, and have their place.  That place used to be two spots sticking up behind the seat of my kayak, but it's more often than not just one as of late.  I use spinning gear for the Ned rig, dropshot, wacky, Neko, and finesse crankbaits exclusively.  I'll also use it for some weightless Texas rigs and shakyhead rigs with a head lighter than ³/¹⁶.

[flyfisher]

I use spinning for:

weightless soft plastics

light jigs (river mainly)

Shakey/Ned rigs

jerkbaits

 

Casting is pretty much anything else.

[gim]

2 hours ago, fin said:

You can do anything with a spinning reel you can do with a baitcaster

Not true.  You aren't going into thick weeds armed with a spinning setup and frogs or a tokyo rig punching thick mats of milfoil.  Quite simply, you will not have the leverage or wenching power that a BC setup has to horse a sizable fish out of there.

 

I see a fair amount of anglers almost exclusively using BC setups these days, even for ultra finesse techniques like neds, jig worms, etc.  Certain higher end bait casting reels can handle very light weight lures that were traditionally designed to be used with a spinning combo.  I am not one of those anglers.  I still use a spinning setup for lighter weight finesse presentations.

 

The main point I'm trying to make here is that you really should have and be proficient at using both.  Its like having multiple tools in the toolbox instead of just one.

[the reel ess]

Weightless worms like Trick Worm and Speed Worm, finesse C-rigs, very light treble lures, shaky head, anything with a light wire hook, Small Pop R. Anything difficult to cast with baitcasting gear. During spawn, I'll rig one up with a lizard. 

[Bird]

Spinning for skipping baits.

My 2 favorite are flukes and wacky Senko's.

All finesse is done on spinning as well.

 

BUT, if I consider every bait in my tackle bag, 75% would get thrown on casting.......all trebles, all top water, Jigs , Spinnerbaits etc.

[CrashVector]

I fish similar techniques on both setups, to me, the weight is what decides it.

 

The only exception being a pit boss on a 3/0 EWG with a 1/8oz weight.  I'll throw that on both, but only in a pinch.

 

Spinning, I tend to use for ned rigs, floating worms, weightless Texas rigs, etc.

 

Anything with 1/8oz or heavier goes on a baitcaster.

[Mike L]

I use casting gear exclusively. 
And that includes skipping and a few of the so called finessey stuff. 
Don’t use or need a spinning setup for my preferred techniques and presentations as my setup are tailored to what I need. 

 

 

 

Mike

[casts_by_fly]

You can have this tool

 

 

Or this tool do to basically the same thing.

 

 

Depending on the thing, one will be slightly better or will be much better.  I like to carry fewer tools so I try to live with the compromises of one of them to do more things (I fish a baitcaster mostly), but every now and then you need to do a job and the tool you have won't cut it and you need the other one.  

[fin]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Not true.  You aren't going into thick weeds armed with a spinning setup and frogs or a tokyo rig punching thick mats of milfoil.  Quite simply, you will not have the leverage or wenching power that a BC setup has to horse a sizable fish out of there.

 

I see a fair amount of anglers almost exclusively using BC setups these days, even for ultra finesse techniques like neds, jig worms, etc.  Certain higher end bait casting reels can handle very light weight lures that were traditionally designed to be used with a spinning combo.  I am not one of those anglers.  I still use a spinning setup for lighter weight finesse presentations.

 

The main point I'm trying to make here is that you really should have and be proficient at using both.  Its like having multiple tools in the toolbox instead of just one.

 

I didn’t expect that comment to go unchallenged. lol.

 

There’s very little vegetation where I fish, so that’s not an issue for me.

 

I agree it’s good to know how to use both, and there are situations where a baitcaster might be preferable, but the spinning is more versatile overall. And if you’re bank fishing like me, and you don’t want to carry multiple rods, to me it’s a no-brainer which one to choose.

[Choporoz]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Not true.  You aren't going into thick weeds armed with a spinning setup and frogs or a tokyo rig punching thick mats of milfoil.  Quite simply, you will not have the leverage or wenching power that a BC setup has to horse a sizable fish out of there.

Less true.

 

Of course there is spinning gear that will do all that just fine.  Not me.  Not most.   But there are plenty of spinning anglers out there with HF spinning rods catching frogs and punching.

4 hours ago, fin said:

You can do anything with a spinning reel you can do with a baitcaster...

This is a fair statement.  

[TOXIC]

Question comes up often and usually garners a lot of debate. Historically, spinning setups were considered novice gear for those who couldn’t handle a baitcaster or needed the bigger more efficient drag systems on baitcasters.  Enter finesse fishing and upgraded attention from manufacturers on spinning gear.  The notion that spinning gear is not needed is now moot.  Look at any upper level tournament anglers gear and you will find spinning gear 100% of the time.  Can you throw a weightless Senko on a baitcaster? Sure.  Will it catch fish? You bet.  Is it more effective on spinning gear?  Yes it is.  I have yet to see anyone who can cast a weightless Senko with a baitcaster and not have it pendulum back.  You need the free line of a spinning reel for the best action.  Sure, you can manually peel line off a baitcaster but since 90% of your bites on a Senko come on the fall, I guarantee you are going to miss bites.  My boat deck is evenly stocked with baitcasters and spinning setups.  I have punched with 50lb braid and a 1 oz weight on spinning gear and I have thrown weightless plastics on baitcasters but as a rule it’s the other way around. 

[gim]

4 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

I have punched with 50lb braid and a 1 oz weight on spinning gear and I have thrown weightless plastics on baitcasters but as a rule it’s the other way around. 

That is the point I was trying to make.  Using the most effective tool for the job will make you a better angler.  Just utilizing one tool for every job might work, but it will not be as effective.  That is simple physics.

[Jig Man]

I find spinning setups superior to bait casters when vertical fishing with the exception of a jigging spoon.  It just takes too long to get a bait down 30-60’ on a bait caster. 

[Bird]

I have no issues with spinning reels and some days it breaks up the monotony of power fishing "preferred method" just to throw a 3" Keitech on a 1/16 head using light gear.

 

It does however make me grin when I see someone throw a buzzbait on spinning and the bait finally surfaces half way back to the boat ?, or a Spinnerbait fluttering backwards when it hits the water.

Certainly this can be mitigated by fingering the spool.......like a baitcaster.

 

[Deephaven]

Dropping really light lures to the bottom, in particular when deep I find much easier on spinning.  ie, letting 1/4 oz go down to 20-30' would be brutal on a BC.  I dislike having to strip line by hand to get it down...

The other technique where I like spinning is for skipping ultralight lures or weightless ones. For pretty much everything else I prefer a casting rod.