Spinning or baitcasting reel - your opinion

I asked for suggestions on a new spinning reel and have been getting some advise to go with a baitcasting reel. I have used them and didn't have much problem getting use to it over the ease of a spinning reel. Anyone have ideas on the benefits of a baitcaster?

Take Parker's advice for what it is worth - free.

I use a spinning reel when I am boondogging, casting Dick Nites, or need to cast really light weight terminal tackle for picky fish.

All else, I use a baitcaster. That'd be for drift fishing, big spinners, spoons, jigs, hover fishing, backbouncing, trolling, mooching, plugging, jigging.

Note: Most of the true, die-hard jig guys use spinning reels. I'm not a die-hard jig guy, so ignore the baitcasting bit and jigs.

Both reels have their functionality and their place. It really all comes down the the type of fishing you do.

I'll second Parkers advice about using a spinning reel for very light weight casting.

However, in your previous post you said your new reel would be used for trolling and casting spoons in salt--if that's the case I'd go with a level wind or bait-caster.

If you do go that route consider going 'goofie' and buying a reel that is opposite of your strong arm/hand.

Most right handed guys use a right hand retrieve--not because it makes the most sense, but because that's how they learned/started. It actually makes more sense to cast and set the hook with your strong hand /arm and reel with your other hand. When you go to set the hook, the most power and coordination is with your strong arm/hand.

Alot of fish that have been lost by right handed guys casting with their right hand and switching hands to hold the rod with their left and retrieve with their right.

My 2 cents

I agree the spincast for light setups, but for salmon I use a level wind. I beach fish primarily, and sacrafice a little distance by not using a spin rig, but the drag system is better on a level wind. I like to set my drag a little light and use my thumb to control how much line I let the fish take. As far as the dominate hand theory I prefer to reel with my right (dominate) hand, can't say I lose lot of fish that way

Baitcaster all the way for me, I just never got the jist of a spinning outfit. I always seem to experience line twist and make a mess. I'll second the notion for a righthanded person to get a left handed reel. If I cast with my right hand, and reel with my right hand, I've got to change the hand my rod is held in every time I retrieve a cast. Do that a thousand times a day and you're tired. Cast with right hand, reel with left hand, you never have to change hands.

Pardon me if I'm insensitive, but spinning reels are clunky, akward and quite frankly ***gy reels. I don't care how much lead I was throwing; even if I was just throwing straight eggs, I wouldn't be caught dead with a spinning reel. It's like wearing Roffe stretch pants and skiing parallel, sorry about the analogy, but that's how I felt when I used a spinning reel. Not to mention it was more difficult and uncomfortable to use than my baitcaster. Buy a good baitcaster and practice. Lose the mullet and half-shirt and become a "cool" fisherman.

I use both. The spinners come out mostly for casting spoons, spinners, and jig/float combos. It's partially a lure weight issue but I also can only have so many rods in the boat, and some people can't use a baitcaster AT ALL.

Regarding "insensitivity", I usually reserve that title for blunt but irrefutable honesty, not elitist opinions. :rolleyes:

I use whatever kind of rod/reel combination best gets the job done for the type of fishing I want to do. So on my boat I typically have a fly rod/reel, and rods set up with bait casters and spinning reels. As noted above some people just find casting a spinning reel easier so that is what I give them. If I'm casting light gear I'll usually grab the spinning rod. If I'm throwing a fly its always the fly rod Trolling gets the old Penn 109 on the old Eagle Claw glass.

If I'm fishing on my friends bass boat it is exactly the same. We'll pitch heavy jigs with the bait casters and carolina rigs with the spinning rod. We'll also pitch gitzits with the spinning rod. So it all depends on what type of fishing you are doing and how comfortable you are casting the rod.

Ok lets take this a set further. Which bait caster? Lots of options out there, whats your go to?

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For the rivers I've been using a Shimano Chronarch 101 for about 4 years--nothing but good things to say about this reel.

The Pflueger Trion has the same low profile, 5 main bearing and 1 anti-reverse roller like the Chronarch--but it's only $99.95 (half as much as a Chronarch). I was checking them out at Outdoor Emporium and the reel wants to spin forever. Now that there available in left hand retrieve--that will probably be my next fresh water reel.

For casting in the salt, the Calcuttas are hard to beat. If you don't want to spend $170-350 on Shimano Calcutta--Check out the Okuma Iduron with 7 bb's for $100. I've never used an Okuma Bait-caster, but if there as nice as their spinning reels I've used--there probably great reels worth taking a look at.

Another pretty popular baitcaster with a decent price/performance point is the Shimano Curado or Curado BSF.

AFAIK the difference between the standard and the BSF is weight, a little casting distance, and price. I have the standard and I think it was 99.95 4 years ago. The bsf was a new model and about $20 more at the time.

Think of the Curado as the Honda Accord of the baitcasters...not too spendy, good performance, dependable, but nothing fancy.

Shimano Chronarch.

Or, if you want to go on the cheap, Shimano Curado BSF.

Pretty much have the same opinion as other on the original intent of the thread. Ultra light weight gets a spinning reel and everything else gets a baitcaster, WITH one exception: When bank fishing humpies I use spinning reels loaded with 50# PowerPro. I know it sounds absolutely excessive but the fish don't give a rip, it's as thin as 12# mono, and you can pull logs in from the middle of the river. If it does break it'll break off the lure without leaving 40' of line hanging in the current. I don't fish PowerPro or other microfiber lines from a baitcaster because you if hang up, pulling it free (or breaking it off) buries the line deep into the spool. Seems easier to get it out on a spinning reel.

It really comes down to what you'll be doing with it mostly. Most n00bs to the fishing scene won't have a clue of what to do with a baitcasting reel but can manager a spinning reel with relative ease. So if you're running a boat where you might be intruducing people to fishing that's something to consider.

As far as brands go this varies a lot. I was a died in the wool, nose stuck in the air, Shimano Calcutta user until I tried a Pflueger Trion. Now I own more Trion's than Calcutta's. For the money spent it can't be beat IMHO. One thing to watch out for is some of the Garcia reels (and possibly other brands) seem like a really good deal but the mechanism that controls the level wind never disengages when casting. This feature might be great when letting line out for trolling but it's a detriment to your casting distance.

As for spinning reels really take a look at the Pflueger series of spinning reels. Have some of the best drag systems and smoothest feel I have found in reels under a hundred bucks.

My .02 cents!

As a hardcore float/jig fisherman, I prefer a baitcaster to a spinning reel, unless I'm using very light gear in the summer. It's much easier to control line flow with a baitcaster so you end up with less slack on the water. When the float goes down, you spend less time reeling before you can set the hook.

Shimano stradic for spinning reel / Calcutta for bait casting.Your most likely gonna need both sooner or later.There's no way around it the way I see it.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I find the main advantage to a baitcaster is the ability to "put on the brakes" when your cast is headed for a tree on the opposite bank. The main disadvantage is the dreaded "backlash".

If you're guessing from this post that my casting technique could use some work, you would be correct.

I recently got a Quantum "Cabo" baitcaster (the small one) cuz it will be used some in saltwater for jigging. What a nice smooth little reel!

As far as spinning reels go, I love my Shimano Symetre 2500