If you are fishing large lures, on the downrigger, or bouncing bait, you just can't beat a baitcast. By design, a baitcast allows the line to come off the spool very smoothly...think about the way the line comes off a spinning reel vs a baitcast. For lighter stuff like fishing small floats/jigs, spinners, and casting long distances with light lines the spinning reel is best. If you haven't done it already, learn to use a baitcast, there is a reason why virutally all serious anglers use them.

As far as spinning reels are concerned the Okuma and Shimano are both very good particulary if you stick with the more spendy models.

RM