I'm kind of a newbie when it comes to fishing. On that note, I've always owned a spinning reel. I've been told by several people that I should switch to a baitcaster. What's the benefit?

I'm going fishing in Canada in June and will be fishing for Pike and Walleye.

TIA

Baitcasters give you a lot more accuracy vs. a spincaster. Spin casters will give you more distance in your casting. I say you need both. If fishing around sticks or up against the bank I will use a baitcaster when fishing off a pier on the coast I will use a spincast reel.

They have different capabilities and applications.

harge is pretty much right on.

Baitcasters are more accurate, better control, smoother operation and better drags but more difficult to cast. Spinning reels are more of an open water reel. It does not take much skill to use a spinning reel.

Once you learn to use a baitcaster, it is hard to pick up a spinning reel again. I can throw my baitcasters just as far or farther than my spinning reels.

Also remember the name Shimano. They consistently make great reels. Abu-Garcia's are pretty good also. Stay away from Diawa's.

I use baitcasters and really like them...I have a pfleuger and an abu garcia. They take some practice to get good with and backlash is always a possibility, but once you get good with them, they're hard to beat.

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Also remember the name Shimano.

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+1

Never had any problems with their baitcasters or spinning reels.

If you can't be as accurate with a spinning reel as you can a baitcaster then you need to practice more.

And actually, spinning reels generally have more reliable drags due to the larger surface area available for the drag washers.

They're specific tools for specific applications. In saltwater I prefer a baitcaster when throwing topwaters, most suspending lures (i.e. Corkys or Catch2000s), and weighted touts. I use spinning reels for spoons, lighter touts, weedless/unweighted presentations, and DOA shrimp lures. Unless I'm flyfishing I'll use a spinning rig almost exclusively when sightcasting to reds because it's easier to accurately toss light/unweighted plastics accurately so as not to spook the fish.

In freshwater I use a baitcaster for the majority of applications but will use a spinning rig for: drop-shotting; shakey-head/finesse worms; carolina-rigged worms; lighter jigs; and skipping lures under docks/piers/etc.

All things being equal a spinning rig casts farther.

And regarding skill, at the beginner level a spinning rig is easier to use because you don't have to worry about backlashing but to really be an expert with either one takes about the same level of skill.

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Once you learn to use a baitcaster, it is hard to pick up a spinning reel again.

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I disagree. I predominantly fish with bait casting equipment, but every once in a while the situtation calls for lighter tackle.

Bream, crappie, and small mouth bass are a lot more fun on light action tackle. Also, lighter rods make it easier to cast lighther tackle.

Plus what Finn said.

[This message has been edited by jh0400 (edited 1/3/2011 11:54a).]

I love my baitcasters. I have not used Shimano, but I know that if you don't want to ever buy another baitcaster reel, get a Garcia. I have some from the 60's and 70's that have spent their lives with saltwater and never been more than hosed out when they got home....they are still ticking.

Finn for the win.

I own many of both. They simply don't make a baitcaster rig suitable for ultralight fishing, and if you are trying to throw for distance, the drag of spinning a spool without backlashing it gives a disadvantage to baitcasters. Also, casting into the wind can be difficult with them.

I used to be very spinning oriented, but now I'm probably 50:50 and use the best reel for the situation.

I have a small issue with the terms used in this thread. IMHO:

1. Spinning reel =



2. Baitcast =



3. Spincast =



When I think of spinning reels, I think of Penn and Quantum.

When I think of baitcasters, I think of Shimano and Abu Garcia.

When I think of spincasters, I think of cheapos like Zebco, which by the way, I used exclusively until my first real job.

I would not think of telling anyone to go on a trip and have to learn how to use a baitcast if all they had used prior to was a spinning reel.

A baitcaster of comparable size is going to be tougher than a spinning reel. You can handle a bigger fish. The drag on a baitcast is better. Some one well versed with both can more accurately cast a baitcast. Just the opposite if you aren't well versed. Accurate to them might simply be west.

A spinning reel is easier to cast for a newcomer. You will cast farther...will probably have adequate drag.....enjoy the trip.

[This message has been edited by sunchaser (edited 1/3/2011 1:46p).]

Spinning/Spincaster reels impart line twist to the line. Since I abandoned spinning reels I rarely use them except for crappie fishing. Spincasters can cause line wear where the eyelet is at the front of the reel. Spinning reels can do this, too if the roller on the bail becomes stuck and does not rotate.

I fish in canada for pike/walleye every other year and used spinning reals exclusively until last year when I tried a baitcaster for the first time. Spinning reals work fine and unless you have a lot of time to practice a baitcaster between now and June, you are probably better off sticking with what you know. It's amazing how much time you'll lose fishing digging searching for knots in your line the first time a big gust of wind hits and you overrun the spool.

As long as you have a reliable reel (and you are going to need multiple set ups for lures/jigging with an extra reel for each), you'll be fine with a spinning reel.

Where are you going by the way? We use Loon Haunt outposts and they have always been great.

Thanks for all the advice. Keep it coming. This is where we are going.

http://www.wanikewinlodge.com/

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sunchaser
posted 1:15p, 01/03/11



I would not think of telling anyone to go on a trip and have to learn how to use a baitcast if all they had used prior to was a spinning reel.

A baitcaster of comparable size is going to be tougher than a spinning reel. You can handle a bigger fish. The drag on a baitcast is better. Some one well versed with both can more accurately cast a baitcast. Just the opposite if you aren't well versed. Accurate to them might simply be west.

A spinning reel is easier to cast for a newcomer. You will cast farther...will probably have adequate drag.....enjoy the trip.

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Agree with the stuff in italics and disagree with the stuff in bold.

Baitcasting reels are often better suited for really big fish because of the ability to have higher gear ratios and multiple speeds of retrieves but not because of drag. Everything I've ever read, heard, or personally experienced pointed to spinning reels having a more reliable drag due to being able to have more surface area on the drag washers.

Regardless, a good quality spinning reel will easily handle large muskie & pike.

I'm a fan of Shimano. Especially the Stradic, at it's price point I don't think another reel compares.

I've caught many large reds and specs, even a few decent sharks, on spinning reels. the drags are sufficient for what we're doing, and if you MUST have a little more pressure, you have a hand....


And I COMPLETELY disagree on this nonsense of "baitcasters are more accurate". spinning reels require more control, but I can cast farther and every bit as accurately as any baitcaster made.

The idea of baitcaster superiority is held over from two things:

A. the early years, when drags where indeed a factor and often lacking

B. The Texas(and southern) "one of them there fancy baitcasters" bass fishing attitudes. I will never understand how the bass fisherman's obsession got started, except that they're expensive and "feature loaded"(sounds like a bass boat to...)....

Finn.....I have all sorts of reels. I use only spinning reels for my wading or bay fishing. The drags are adequate.

I have several baitcast setups that I use for shrimp boat type fishing etc. These are mostly Shimano Calcutta 400 or 700's. You can put castable line on them and be able to crank them up to a drag of 15# or so.....If you don't know what that feels like...that's a lot. They are going to weigh 3/4 to approximately a little over a pound.

If you compare that to a top quality spinning reel that will accomplish the same deal you are talking about something that is much larger....they will weigh somewhere between 2 to 3 pounds....plus it's hard to find a place to store one on a small boat. That's why I was saying comparable sizes....meaning the physical size.

^^ See I wasn't talking about offshore stuff I assumed we where sticking to inshore. My offshore rigs are AVET baitcasters. Then drag does matter...

Drag matters where ever you are fishing....you want to wade for reds with 6-8# test on a spinning reel....you need to have a really good drag or be super fast in knee deep water.

Fair enough.

I have a Calcutta 400 that is fantastic. I had 2 but one got stolen. Fantastic reels.

If you're comparing it to my Stradic 4000s, then yes the Calcutta is better suited for big fish. But I've caught a 25# jack in the surf with the Stradic with no problem. However, if you compare a the Stradic 4000 to a Curado 200 I'll put money on the Stradic having a better drag.

Point being, I'm sort of agreeing with you. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison when it comes to the sizes of reels and their drags if you're looking at spinning vs. baitcasting.

And yes, I know what 15# of drag feels like.

I don't care all that much for going way off shore and trolling all day but I do really like chasing shrimp boats or working weedlines with relatively light tackle and sightcasting to dorado, ling, etc.

I've landed two reds over 35" standing on a concrete pier, unable to move more than a couple of feet either direction, medium action rod, Garcia cardinal reel(not the only bulls I've ever landed, just good examples). Never had a problem with the level of drag I had, like I said, you have a perfectly good hand . I've gotten smart and gone to braided lines now, not only do they cast better once they're broken in, if I need to STOP a fish by hand, I usually can.

I have a friend that caught a 120lb blacktip with a citica.

bet that was a fun one, kayak?


I want to go on a cajun sleigh ride, watched a friend get towed down the beach last year on a small kayak. We laughed....ALOT...

I don't think the fish really care.

Use whichever you are comfortable with.

Personally, I don't like spinning reels. I'm not accurate with them and they just don't have as smooth a feel to me. But I am one of those "Southern Bass fisherman" so I'm probably biased.

I do know, though, that when the money is on the line for those guys, 90% of the time they are using bait casting reels. They have their pick of any type they want, and they prefer bait casters.

Also agree that if you haven't had adequate time to practice with a baitcaster, stick with the spinning reel because you are used to it.


Shimano is definitely the way to go.

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I do know, though, that when the money is on the line for those guys, 90% of the time they are using bait casting reels. They have their pick of any type they want, and they prefer bait casters.

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Not the case at all. You look at pros and they've got probably 10-12 rods rigged up at one time when they're fishing a bass tournament and it's probably a 60/40 split between baitcasting to spinning depending on the application.

Tournament pros will tell you that baitcasting reels and spinning reels are tools with specific applicaitons and when the approach calls for one or the other they use it.

And there certainly is a regional bias, especially in saltwater. Go to Florida and you'll see that spinning rigs outnumber baitcasters probably 3:1, even when going after big snook and tarpon.

One major MAJOR difference:

Cheap and expensive spinning reels cast about the same. The qualitative difference is in the retrieve and drag, and to a much smaller degree, how they deal with line twist.

This lets you get away with a relatively cheap spinning reel in many cases.

I'll fish with a $30 spinning reel. A baitcaster under $75 will usually be more trouble than it is worth.

I got my first spinning reel from Wal-Mart when I was about 7 years old. I'd never used one before and decided to practice in the backyard casting into the pool.


First cast went over the fence, over the powerlines, and landed in the neighbor's backyard.

For whatever reason I prefer baitcasting reels. I've used them all, however not enough since I had to work for a living...

Shimano baitcast gets my vote for number one. Although, I will say that spinning reels can be a lot of fun for perch/crappie and the like.

Shimano Curado
Shimano Curado
Shimano Curado

Back off all the brakes and learn how to brake with your thumb.

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Not the case at all. You look at pros and they've got probably 10-12 rods rigged up at one time when they're fishing a bass tournament and it's probably a 60/40 split between baitcasting to spinning depending on the application.

Tournament pros will tell you that baitcasting reels and spinning reels are tools with specific applicaitons and when the approach calls for one or the other they use it.

And there certainly is a regional bias, especially in saltwater. Go to Florida and you'll see that spinning rigs outnumber baitcasters probably 3:1, even when going after big snook and tarpon.

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They all do have 10-12 rods rigged. That is true. But 60-40 is a MAJOR over estimate. Sure, there are a few who use the spinning reel on a normal basis, Ike comes to mind. You'll find the spinning reel in use with a lot of finesse techniques. Most tournament fishermen, though, fish fast and power fish.

I've followed Van Dam around a couple of times and have yet to see him use a spinning rig. I've never even seen one on his deck. Not to say he never uses them, but he rarely does. Same goes for a bunch of the big name fishermen.

The only ones I see use spinning set ups are the finnesse guys. Most of those fish cold water lakes in the north.

Spinning fan here. But, both get the job done.

Here I come to save this thread...

Ok, you're going pike/musky fishing.

Reguardless of what it is, you need a lower gear ratio reel with a good amount of torque for fishing the large lures with lots of resistance that you will use for pike/musky.


some rhetorical questions for you...

Are you fishing for just pike/musky or walleye and smallmouth too?

Do you want only one setup?

How much do you want to pay?

What length rod can you take up there with you?

Based on these questions, here's some food for thought. Typically baitcasting gear is preferred for this type of fishing. The retrieving torque is generally better on a 5:1 ish baitcaster and it's able to handle the 20+ lb test you will be using a little better. Obviously fishing with a reel with which you are comfortable will be the most enjoyable for you on your trip.

I would prefer baitcasting for this type of fishing, and I typically let the technique decide what to use as I am equally adept at either baitcasting or spinning gear. The main problem with spinning gear for pike/musky fishing is the rods, not so much the reel. A good, comfortable rod that will offer you a decent weight, good feel, and are well matched for the technique are hard to find. Most heavy action spinning rods are glass/composite and quite heavy and are not designed to be overly sensitive. So the rod is what limits spinning's effectiveness IMO.

You can find a decent graphite/composite rod perfect for musky fishing for around $70 if you go with baitcasting. Also, you can find better medium heavy to extra heavy rods that you WILL be using in shorter lengths with casting gear.

Casting lures you will be using will be among the lest troublesome to throw on baitcasting anyway.

Reel suggestions:
Again, how much do you wanna pay?
For a good bargain for an effective reel, the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500/6500C3 is kind of the standard for pike/musky. Even if you wanna pay more (than $90) you'd be hard pressed to find a more effective reel before you fork out over 2 bills.

Money no object/most comfortable fishing. I'd go with a Curado 300 (D or E) if money was no object or you wanted to guarantee the most trouble free casting. Set 3 brakes on in a Y pattern and you're good to go. 2 brakes on is the standard once you're more comfortable. The Abu Garcia Revo Toro standard retrieve (5.4:1 ratio) is also a good choice if you'd prefer that.

Rods rated from 1/2 to 2 oz that are 6'6" to 7'6" are going to be your best bet. Look for Heavy to Extra Heavy bass gear, or specialized musky rods.

I'm not giving a spinning reel suggestion as I just don't have any good answers if you chose to go that route. I'll just say don't hesitate to go that route if you'll absolutely be better suited for casting.

Overall my suggestion would be to buy the Curado/Toro if you want a baitcaster but don't want to practice/money is no object. Go with the ambassadeur if you're on a budget (I'd think $90 vs. up to $250 is not really that significant vs. the total cost of the trip) and will be able to practice with it.

The Curado 300 or Ambassadeur 5500 and MH rods will be the most duel applicable to the smaller species (smallmouth/walleye) that may also be there to fish for.

Trust me, I'm a doctor.

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Here I come to save this thread...

Ok, you're going pike/musky fishing

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I'm glad you saved it. All along I thought he was fishing for pike and walleye.....