Spinning rods for everything?

[The Rooster]

Anyone here use spinning rods for everything? I’m on the fence about going that route. I’ve considered the techniques and baits I fish and I think I could use spinning gear for all of it. I don’t do “frogging” so there’s no concern about not having a heavy enough rod, although I think that would be possible to set up also. 
 

The main reason I’m considering it is for comfort. Today I was fishing a spinnerbait on a spinning rod and I also had another one on a casting rod and fished them side by side. That casting rod was actually causing pain in my hand to cast that bait, but the way I hold that spinning rod allows me to lob that bait out there with no issues and I found myself loving how it fished on that rod. The rod is a Lew’s Classic SP combo that I got at Walmart for $50. Rated as medium but it feels more like medium heavy, or maybe a mag medium. Whatever it is, it seems to be great with spinnerbaits. I bought one of these combos last year for my son-in-law who is just getting into bass fishing. I normally use more expensive rods, but this one felt so nice and well balanced and the reel was so smooth that I wanted one for myself so I went back and got one more. I’ve fished this $50 combo side by side with my self paired $250 combos for a year and it still impresses me when I use it. 
 

Anyway, I got off track. I’m thinking seriously of selling my baitcasters and just replacing them with spinning gear. I’m just wondering who else already does this.

[Rucksack]

I fish exclusively spinning rods. My main rod is a medium heavy with a 2500 spinning reel on it. I literally do everything on it and couldn't be happier. I've never felt limited on any technique. 

 

I'm just not a baitcaster guy. I'm sure they're great, but I just love spinning gear. It's always been what I've fished fresh and salt water.

[herder]

I only have spinning for freshwater, I've been a finesse guy all my life.

Saltwater I have a couple of conventional that get a lot of use and heavier spinning gear, different ballgame in the salt. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I surely love to catch big Bass on the Pixie Wands, but there's no way I could Bass fish in the current manner I do without the usage of baitcasters.   It also works the other way, no way I could I fish the way I do with spinning gear.    

 

I can't imagine fishing in a world without power Bass fishing technique.

 

Baitcasters are so good these days, they can throw everything from micro stuff to 5oz+ swimbaits.   They can skip, they hardly ever backlash, and require fair less maintenance in my experience than spinning reels. 

 

Ultimately though, Bass fishing is what you make it......there is no one set path, technique, or philosophy behind Bass fishing.   If only using spinning gear leaves you fulfilled within the hobby, then that's the right path for you.   

[cody_ia]

i have several baitcast rigs but the artritus in my hands makes them very uncomfortable to use. i bank fish for bass. i keep it as simple as i can. bass fishing doesnt have to be complicated. i do this to relax and have fun. 95% of the time i use 2 spinning rods.

 

rod #1 - 

7' med/heavy fenwick hmg with a penn battle 3 3000. spooled with 30# power pro and 12# big game mono for leaders. i fish texas rigged worms/lizards, jigs and spinnerbaits on this rod. 

 

rod #2 - 

7' medium fenwick hmg with a penn battle 3 2500. 20# power pro and 8# big game leaders. on this rod i fish wacky rigged senkos, ned rig, shaky head and jighead/grubs. 

 

all of my tackle, water bottle and other essentials go in a backpack. its light, mobile and i can cover alot of shoreline. 

[padlin]

Just the opposite of a couple of you. I was all spinning until the arthritis in my knuckles got bad when casting heavy jigs and spinner baits, it’s actually pinching the line to the rod just before release that does it.
 

i tried every which way to hold the rod, 1 finger over the reel, 2 finger, 3 finger, they’d all provide relief for a bit, but just a bit. Finally broke out the one baitcaster I had been loaned by my SIL some time back and once I got used to it, as in learning to cast it, found it works. Added a 2nd setup, one for spinnerbaits, one for jigs. Everything else is spinning.

 

if it weren’t for the arthritis I’d still be all spinning, never had a reason to change. Might be different if I had a bass boat, can’t get down pitching from a canoe.

[Darren.]

Use what feels comfortable to you-- what feels right to you.

There are lots of people who use spinning gear only. I do

probably 90-95% of the time, if not more. I've got an old 

post, don't feel like searching for it right now, where I went

through my experiment to see if I could do everything with

casting gear. While I found I could do most, I felt spinning

was just better FOR ME for my style. There is a pro out

there who uses spinning for everything from frogging to

big 'ol Texas rigs, etc. I read about him, and I think if you 

look back at some of my posts you may find the link (or 

just Google it).

 

Technology has gotten better with BFS casting gear for 

super light weight stuff. But money and time do not grow

on trees. I don't put as much of either into fishing as I did

just a few years back. So I won't be experimenting again, 

I'll just use what I like and not worry about everyone else.

 

Should something come along that blows my mind and

cause the bait monkey to become a bait gorilla...maybe

I'll check it out. But I don't see that happening again.

[A-Jay]

11 hours ago, The Rooster said:

Anyone here use spinning rods for everything?

 

10 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Ultimately though, Bass fishing is what you make it......there is no one set path, technique, or philosophy behind Bass fishing.   If only using spinning gear leaves you fulfilled within the hobby, then that's the right path for you.   

 

I agree with @AlabamaSpothunter perspective noted above.

As for me & my fishing,

I use everything for everything.

A-Jay

 

[OkobojiEagle]

I am the antithesis of A-Jay...

[A-Jay]

3 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

I am the antithesis of A-Jay...

So you're young, smart & very good looking. Most importantly, you catch big bass like nobody's busines.

Congrats

A-Jay

[bulldog1935]

I'm in the baitcast for everything camp

But those of you throwing big swimbaits on your spinning gear might want one of these

[padlin]

I’ve got one for the surfcaster, actually tried mounting it on my MH spinning bass rod just before picking up the baitcaster, way too wide to fit the rod.

[bowhunter63]

I use them more and more. But Traps , Spinnerbaits or Topwater always Baitcasters

[WaskaCrank12]

Only going into my third year of boat bass fishing and I have all spinning set-ups (and 1 bait casting set-up) - I have been giving that bait casting set-up an opportunity (practicing in the yard, ect...) yet it has not worked out well to this point (ie, many line blow-ups/birds nests) - I live in a high wind area and the spinning set-ups have worked out well for me - I really enjoy throwing medium to deep crank baits - and I do this on spinning set-ups as well (iRod Kaimana Coastal - Heavy/Moderate and a Daiwa Rebellion - Heavy/Moderate) -  there are several factors in my choosing spinning set-ups at this point - 1. I am starting this fishing journey later in life and spinning gear has proven itself easier to use, 2. I fish in a very windy area which has made the bait caster set-up a real challenge (and I was spending quite a bit of $$ purchasing line due to the birds nests/blow-ups) 3. Our on the water season here in MN is very short and I want to enjoy the on the water time as much as possible (not untangling line) - As many have mentioned it is really what is best for you and your current situation - for me that current situation means spinning set-ups (I will continue to noodle around with the bait caster a bit)     

[Brian11719]

When I started out yes since I figured casting reels weren't worth the backlashes...years later don't really backlash much anymore and even if I do I can usually clean it up. Plus there are some rods like a heavier crankbait / swimbait / flipping / punching setup that I pretty much wouldn't recommend throwing on a spinning setup...even if you could technically get away with it chances are it isn't going to be ideal and your hand / arm might be sore after a bit...

 

I'm actually in the 'both' camp. Own 5 spinning rods and 6 casting rods. Aside from a few exceptions anything over 1/2 oz gets thrown on a casting setup and lighter stuff gets thrown on a spinning setup...haven't gotten into BFS and not sure that I ever will but I do lean heavily towards finesse lures at several of the spots I fish at since they see a lot of traffic / pressure.

 

If you aren't going to throw really heavy stuff you could look at a rod line like the Dobyns Sierra and get away with most things on a spinning rod, but my experience has been as long as it's 1/2 oz or over I don't have much of an issue throwing it on a casting setup...I suppose one exception would be around docks and in that case I prefer a heavier spinning setup sometimes since you don't have to worry about backlashes.

 

...also if you find yourself fishing in heavy wind...in that case a rod like the Sierra SA 704SF can really come in handy.

[MIbassyaker]

I was all-spinning until about 10 years ago because...that's what I learned on, that's what everyone I knew always used, and it never occurred to me that I "needed" a baitcaster for anything....including spinnerbaits, jigs, frogs, etc.  I did indeed use a spinning rod for those things and believe it or not actually caught fish.   Nowadays I use a baitcaster and spinning rod each about 1/2 the time, and wouldn't want to be without either of them.

 

When I started using baitcasters, I discovered why they are preferable over spinning for many presentations. They are much better for heavy cover and most horizontal crank-and-wind retrieves, for instance.  The learning curve wasn't as steep as I thought it would be -- I picked up on how not to backlash pretty quickly after a little practice (the braking systems on reels these days are very forgiving).  

 

I'll still use spinning over casting for light lures, especially vertical presentations. I also still prefer spinning in current, as well as fishing from shore, where casting angles are limited by tree limbs and stuff.  I do not experience the same frustrations others seem to have with spinning.  For instance I find line twist mostly avoidable or at least managable as long as you are careful.  Braid nearly eliminates the effect of twist, but even without braid, simply paying attention and occasionally letting out line to detwist a bit solves the problem.

 

Nor do I experience all the advantages people claim about casting, such as inherently better accuracy. I can easily match thumb control on casting gear with "finger-control" on spinning. I can pitch, roll-cast, and drop a bait with more-or-less silent entry using either.  

 

My point is, it's not really possible to predict whether you'd find using spinning more useful or advantageous than a baitcaster. It depends on the kinds of water and cover you fish, the kinds of presentations and lures you use, your own preferences, comfort level, habits, and skill.  You'll have to try it a bit to know.

[Junk Fisherman]

I could do it for smallmouth but why would I want to?  Spinnerbaits, ch@#$^%baits, jerkbaits, cranks, topwater, C-rigs, Texas-rigs, frogs, A-rigs, jigs, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some all work better on a baitcaster rig compared to a spinning rig.  And while I use spinning a lot more than the average bass fisherman, I still wouldn't want to not have baitcasters in my arsenal.  They are simply a better tool for the job than a spinning combo for all the presentations I listed.    

[WRB]

Bass anglers were slow to adopt spinning outfits into their bass fishing. Today it’s about 50-50 ratio.

Like conventional casting reels spinning reels have made tremendous design advances and today it’s possible to use either one for everything in bass fishing.

Tom

[Columbia Craw]

Just a thought, don’t limit your options.

[MediumMouthBass]

I couldnt imagine doing this ever again, because this was me a few years ago.

I love spinning rods for 3/8 and under jerkbaits, crankbaits, topwaters, and of course finesse techniques. But anything over 3/8oz is a pain, poor casting distance, beating up your fingers pinching the line on these heavy baits over and over again, not to mention you have to give it your all when you cast. A casting rod/reel is easier on the body, gets better distance, handles heavier baits and lures unbelievably better, and there is no line going under the spool spindle wrapping around it to worry about, nor the wind tangling it and making a mess that makes fixing a backlash look easy. I will never go back, ever

On 3/14/2025 at 6:57 PM, The Rooster said:

That casting rod was actually causing pain in my hand to cast that bait

Casting rods arent the issue, its the brand and model.

I bought a Zillion reel, hated it. Felt to small, uncomfortable, made my hands hurt and cramp. Thought alot about selling it, now that im changing over all of my rods to higher end ones i decided to try it on one of them. Its now one of my favorite reels. Now that i know this anytime i pick up one of these rods (as i have 14 of them) i can feel the discomfort.

 

Spinning combos are good for many things though, they have their advantages along with disadvantages compared to casting ones. However you will be limiting yourself going to spinning gear only, the same is true for the opposite. But if you dont fish anything that really requires a baitcaster going to all spinning should be fine for you.

[33oldtimer]

Use whatever is comfortable and works for you. I didn't use baitcasters until a few years ago and got along fine with spinning reels and Zebco 33s.

 I like baitcasters for heavier lures, faster retrieves, fishing heavy cover. 

[livin2fish]

I have both, and use both, about equally.  I could fish "only" baitcasting or spinning but probably won't because not being willing to spend money for good ultra finesse baitcasting rods and reels. On the other hand, my favorite way to fish is pitching of which "for me" is more easily done with baitcasters.  It all comes down to personal preference.  Glad both are available. 

[Hulkster]

I guess it depends what you are throwing. Small spinner baits are fine on spinning gear but trying to cast and retrieve a 1/2 oz one or better with big blades on it sucks. Way too much resistance in the water for a spinning reel. Same with a big mepps spinner or even a crankbait with a big lip on it. 

[WRB]

Spinning in general have high IPT then bait casting reels anywhere between 34-38+ inch per turn or equal to 8:1 or 9:1 bass side casting reels resulting in lower torque to over come high water resistance lures.

Tom

[MN Fisher]

35 minutes ago, WRB said:

Spinning in general have high IPT

Reason I buy my spinners JDM...why Daiwa and Shimano think that us Americans want all high-speed spinning reels I don't know. The Shimanos I get from Digitaka are all in the 26-29 IPT range instead of the 34+IPT of the 'HG (high gear)' reels that are what's available here.