baitcaster VS spinning

[JCMAN]

How big of a deal is it if i only use a spinning reel for all the lures and baits i use? is there any big difference that will not help me catch as many fish? and if there is what lures work best for each?

[retiredbosn]

The main differences to me are that a b/c pole is much more powerful.  You have more control not only over your bait but the fish, say a big LM wants to run into the cover, you'll have a much better chance of turning that fish using a casting pole.  Add to that spinning reels as a general rule have no where near the drag power that a bc reel has.  Line capacity, strength of the reel, etc.  An example that I can give is I fish jigs, worms, carolina rigs, etc a lot, when I fish the river with a spinning outfit I loose many more jigs to hangs than I do with a bc outfit.  I credit this to the combination of heavier line, stronger pole and reel.  When my jig gets hung under a rock, most of the time I can flip the rock over and retrieve my jig.  I was a die hard spinning outfit fisherman, and thought bc were for the macho set or pros, however since trying a bc, I hardly ever pick up my spinning outfits, I even bought a finesse reel to handle the light baits.  Good luck

[JCMAN]

thanks  i told my dad i was going to go buy a baitcaster and he told me i wouldn't like it because of the backlash and that it would birdnest how hard is it to get used to on say a 50 to 60 dollar baitcaster? any suggestions for that price?

[central_fl_fishin]

You should use what you are most confident with.  But give a baitcaster a try sometime and practice with it for a bit.  You might find the controls are better for lure placement while casting and the increased drag capability superior to spinning gear.  I use both, but prefer baitcaters for most fishing.  I will say that casting ultra-light tackle is easier on a spinning reel, but for everthing else a baitcaster just feels better.  FYI:  I just started baitcasting 2 years ago after 30 years of spinning gear.  

[retiredbosn]

Check the flea market forum on this board, ebay, also Bass Pro Shops have their Extreme reels on sale now, last years model is 40 bucks, the extreme combo is on sale for 110, which is a steal.  There are several tips on here on how to set your baitcaster for optimum performance etc.  If you know someone who uses baitcasters they can teach you in 5-10 minutes how to use one, they are not difficult to learn to use.  Baitcasters have come a long long way, I hardly get backlashes now.  You will also be amazed with the increased sensitivity of these rods and reels.  If I were looking to add a new set up, I would definitely get a BPS Extreme combo, for you to learn with I would recommend a 6foot 6inch MH pole with a 6:2:1 reel for 110 bucks it is like buying the rod and getting the reel for free.

[central_fl_fishin]

By the way, I got a diawa tierra BC reel as my first.  Fairly cheap but has held up well and still my favorite after 2 years.  Even casts weightless plastic worms pretty far on 12lb mono. Star drags are so much easier to set during the fight than spinning drags IMHO.

[fishbully 2.0]

Its not too hard to learn how to use one, just take it out for some practice and see how it goes. I have a quantum bc that I love and a few others, it just takes some getting used to

[Hammer 4]

For the baitcaster, you need a trained thumb, which comes from practice..I have a BPS extrem, not a bad reel, once you learn to set the drag, brake ect, I have mine fairly loose, so if my thumb doesn't respond at the correct time, I get what they call a pro overrun, not nessesarrly a birdsnest, but slightly tangled line. I'd say go for the baitcaster, but allow yourself time to learn how to use it before you take it fishing.

[roadwarrior]

Fish Chris uses spinning tackle almost exclusively. Don't let anyone tell

you this gear can't handle big fish. Stick with spinning tackle and catch

a bunch of fish. When you decide to try baitcasting, buy a good quality

rig and work with it until you are comfortable casting.

8-)

[Grey Wolf]

Any one who says you need bait casting gear to catch big fish have no idea what they are talking about.

[rubba bubba]

Spinning gear will catch fish just fine.  Baitcasters are great and there are many reasons for one, but you don't *need* one to catch lots of fish.  I'd venture to guess there are countless spinning only fishermen that would wipe the floor with many of the baitcaster fishermen out there.  It's not the reel.

One of the reasons I like baitcasters so much is it's like getting a car with stick instead of automatic - makes driving that much more interesting.  I love messing around with the flexibility of a baitcaster.

[retiredbosn]

I don't believe anyone was telling him to buy a bc, just the differences in between the two.  I still use my spinning reel, I however love the bc setups I have.  For me I think I caught just as many fish with my old zebco 202, but I get more satisfaction out of a bc, which is the reason we go fishing.  I know a local pro who cannot use a spinning reel, and skips under docks with a zebco 33.  Different strokes different folks.  Use what you like, but the differences between spincast, spinning, baitcasters and conventional reels are real.  Bottom line I loose less lures with the baitcaster.

[rubba bubba]

Apparently you missed his initial question - allow me to highlight the pertinent item being discussed:

How big of a deal is it if i only use a spinning reel for all the lures and baits i use? is there any big difference that will not help me catch as many fish?

[J Francho]

Well, thanks for pointing out our stupidity and blindness, rubba bubba.  At this rate, you'll be a moderator in no time.  You actually missed his most recent question, which I can answer.

:

Keep a sharp eye out in the Flea Market here, and you can come up with some good deals, though coming up with something durable, and quality for < $60 is a tall order, unless someone cuts you great deal.  If you can save up to the $100 point, there are some good deals on combos, and used gear.  As always, if you buy a used reel, have it cleaned, serviced, and inspected by a good reel mechanic.  Shouldn't cost you more than $20, but well worth the investment.

[rubba bubba]

Nope, I saw his latest question; I was just clarifying in response to Retired's statement about people not recommending a baitcaster (i.e. concerning why several people had responded with "spinning gear is fine" posts).

Not pointing out anyone's stupidity/blindness.  I probably should have quoted Retired so as not to be confusing.

[Fish Chris]

The answer is, no. Their is no big difference.

I use spinning gear almost exclusively, but that is mainly because I am totally lame with a bait caster. It's a long story, but trust me.... I'm in a fairly unique situation, in which no amount of practice would have made me good with a baitcaster. Heck, I don't consider myself "great" with a spinning reel (and I've been practicing with those for 40 years).... but I get it out there in front of a big one every now and again, regardless ;-)

But yes, as was mentioned above..... I always say a person should use whatever they feel the most comfortable with. That will always be the best choice.

Not trying to wear this photo out, but I caught this 71", 90'ish lb Sturgeon on my micro-light spinning rod and reel. Granted, I use braid, but the braid I use on this combo is 2 lb diameter, and still only 10 lb test. Looks and feels about like sewing thread. Works great on my rod rated for 1 to 4 lb mono.

Anyway, needless to say, after landing this fish on the micro-light, I feel pretty confident about landing any Largemouth, or Catfish, or Carp, etc, that I happen to hook on the same rod / reel combo.

One other thing.... I always have to chuckle when people come up to me and say.... "So all you use is spinning.... Is that the secret" ??? Uhhhhh..... no. The secret (which I already told you guys) is that I suck with a baitcaster  

Peace,

Fish

[central_fl_fishin]

I believe the debate on this thread boils down to this;

1) What setup catches more "fish".  The answer is not the necessarily the equipment for this general question, rather the skill/knowledge of the fisherman.  The time/location/pattern/bait/knowledge of the area is what is most important for the catch.  Otherwise there would be no need for fishing guides.  

2) The technical merits of spinning gear versus baitcasting gear.  Once again the more experienced you are with your preferred gear the chances are you will catch more with your rig.  

What retiredbosn and I pointed out is that baitcasting gear by nature has a superior drag system, which translates into (in the hands of someone that knows what they are doing) a better chance of landing bigger fish.  It is not meant as a slight against spinning gear.  That is all.  This is evident is large game fishing.  Just enjoy the sport and use what you want.  We are only here to give advise.

[Fish Chris]

Hey central, I hate to always fall back to the > braided line < rant, but it just pertains SOOO directly, to so many different aspects of fishing....

baitcasting gear by nature has a superior drag system

Hmmm. Okay.

But then if a person is even 'remotely' concerned with a smooth drag, they had better be using braided line, and here's why;

Monofilament, by nature of it's high % of stretch, will build up a ton of energy, then, when the drag system finally hits its breaking point, all that stretch energy will be released at once. Then the drag will stick, and the energy starts building up again, until it finally unsticks, and releases again.... over and over. This is called drag surge. It's totally the lamest thing on the planet, and heck yea', if your using mono, you had better have a drag which is as "unsticky" as is technologically possible.

With braid on the other hand, because it has virtually zero stretch, you will have virtually zero drag surge as well..... even with a not so perfect drag..... although I still prefer as silky smooth a drag system as possible :-)

Just some food for thought if anybody here is still using rubberband, for line (sorry, I mean mono :-)

Peace,

Fish

[central_fl_fishin]

Fish Chris,

Hey, braid is great, I use it.   But..   Spool drag dictates how much force can be applied before it let's go.  You can have 100lb braid, but if the fish can produce more than your drag rating for an extended time all you do is lose line until your gone. 100lb braid does not mean you land the big catch, only that the line can withstand that much pressure.  It's like putting Off Road tires on a minivan.  Looks cool but torque is what it's all about. :)

[SirSnookalot]

Chris.............great sturgeon and a real feat in landing it, is that a recent catch?

I use spinning exclusively (I'm equally at home with a bait caster, 55 years of experience). 10# braid for bass, 15 or 20# for saltwater.  Most of my fish have to be lifted over a seawall, otherwise it would be 10# braid for saltwater.

Again...........Great fish

[retiredbosn]

Awesome fish Chris, the largest I've caught on an ultra light is a 20lb cat, I was confined to the bank and had to switch line, she was guarding a nest and bit anything I put in it. After she broke my line 3 times I put some 17lb mono on the reel, I think it held like 10yds. The water was so snag infested that I couldn't turn the fish before she fouled my line and snapped it, that changed when I put the heavier line on. I have little problem in landing fish while in a boat with ultralight rigs, typically what happens though is the boat is taken to the fish not the other way around, (small aluminum job, doesn't work in my fiberglass boat). No I don't use the trolling motor to chase the fish down, but the boat has less water drag than a big fish pulling. The only time this doesn't happen is if the fish gets into current then the fish typically spools me or breaks the line, I need to switch to braid from the sounds of it.

On an unrelated note, you mentioned getting your scale certified on another thread. Do you use a special portable scale? How do you go about getting a scale certified, I guess it would vary from state to state, but knowing the process would help me know who to contact, etc.

[Denea]

JC, I have 2 baitcasters sitting in my garage. If you would like to take one for a test run, I have no problem with you checking one out (before you buy one, info on them is below - both are left hand)... even though I don't know you personally and all, but apparently you had (or have) my brother as a Gym Teacher...so if anything happens to it, I'll take it out on him

I replied to your PM you sent, just let me know... also, they don't have any line :'( as I don't use them

Clarus 6'6 with Daiwa Exceler 100HL

Clarus 6'10 with Quantun Energy PTxm

Get a hold of me,

Denea

[retiredbosn]

what a deal!!! Hey wait didn't I have your brother as a teacher too?  lol

[coffee]

I have used spinning gear exclusively except for catfishing, the only reason I use baitcasting for that is because of the line capacity and the fact I have a few abu garcias that hold up well to the fight.  I am starting to use some b/c stuff for largemouth now, but only because I want to try something different.  I am not sure how it will work out, but I will give it a try.

I caught several (I lost track how many) over 100lb blacktip sharks off the coast of South Carolina with a guide using spinning gear for two days.  The gear never gave an ounce of problems and those sharks were tough fighters.  I spent several years catching musky and northern pike using Pflueger Presidents with no issues.  Those fish fight a heck of a lot more than largemouth, weigh more too.  You can catch very large fish using spinning gear, it works fine.

What it really boils down to is use what you are comfortable with.  I am more comfortable with spinning gear, which is pretty much what I use most times.  I don't feel like I am missing too much not using baitcasting stuff.  

[The Virginian]

I'm going to order a BC BPS Extreme, I'm unsure what unsure what action to buy though, ML, M, MH or H? I plan on lake fishing for LMB. Any advise would really be appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric