f99, I'm curious about your comment about bait casting reels for jigs. Seems to me and from experience bait casters don't handle light weight very well and will "bird nest" on you when trying to cast light weight. This is hard to do with a spinning reel. I have not used a spinning reel for steelies but logic seems to use a spinning reel for light weight versus a bait caster.

You said it's easier to free spool with a bait caster which I agree with but are you casting the jigs or floating them from a boat?
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