Pros / Cons of each?

Con: none are used in flyfishing

get one spinning real. the rest baitcasters. spincast is like the kid that was still wearing velcro shoes in middle school.

Spincast

Pro: it's cheap

Con: literally everything else

They each have their place. Even fly reels (snicker)

I've only ever used a baitcaster, and it was relatively cheap. Now it's 25 years old and cannot cast without birdnesting. Looking at possibly getting a spinner.

Edit: misread and thought you got a new reel after 25 years. A new bait caster will be infinitely better.

I use baitcast and spinning set ups depending on what I'm throwing.

All? I have about 12 baitcast setups, 10 spinning setups, 2 fly rods, and a couple old spincast classics.

I troll and baitfish and cast heavy lures with the baitcast setups, spincasting is for anything requiring finesse or dealing with windy days or ultralight lures, and fly fishing is because it is fun to present the lure and fight on a long whippy rod. Each has a place in the arsenal.

Mods: go ahead and move this to the "triggers" thread...


Completely different applications, though there are some crossovers.

Baitcast- tends to be more specialized- focused on fishing with lures. You can find setups for different specific types lures/fishing. Also good for down riggers & trolling.

Spinning - in my opinion, the most versatile of the bunch. It is all that I use (with minor exceptions), and I've never had a problem. Great sensitivity for tight lining, jigging, or anything slow. Can easily handle bait fishing (if that's your thing).

Spincast- modern adaptation of older design. An almagamation of both that doesn't seem to excel at earthy (in my opinion). Good for beginners, or people that tend to knot the line on the bail.

That's the short and dirty. Would be easier to answer if yuh told us how you intend to fish and use the rig.

All that said- learn to fly fish!

buy a new reel. even the cheapest of the cheap will be far easier to cast than something 25 years old.

WC87 said:

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They each have their place. Even fly reels (snicker)

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Fly reels when you need a break from boredom, the rest when you need a break from hunger.

Baitcasts are easier to pitch with which is the only time I use one. Otherwise I'm using a spin because I've yet to figure out how to use my fat ass thumb to not bird nest on long casts

Takes some practice but I could chuck a 1/2oz spoon around 70 yards with the right trout rod and reel setup. Or spinning setup for that matter. The biggest variable to me is having to cast into wind. That's much more difficult with a baitcaster.

Well, maybe 50 yards. Let's be real, I am guesstimating on the water.

I know I'm a professional baitcaster when it comes to birdnesting.

Cro: prior to commenting, where do ya live, whadaya wanna fish for, salt or fresh, live or artifical bait, boat or no boat, river, stream or lake? How much time do you wanna devote to learning to cast anyone of these, or preferably fly fish?

Zebco or GTFO

Mark Fairchild said:

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Cro: prior to commenting, where do ya live, whadaya wanna fish for, salt or fresh, live or artifical bait, boat or no boat, river, stream or lake? How much time do you wanna devote to learning to cast anyone of these, or preferably fly fish?

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Live south of Houston these days. Used to white bass fish up at Lake Livingston a ton, mostly trolling, some jigging. Interested in still doing that, but there is also a retention pond by my house full of black bass. Could be convinced to try surf fishing as well, but never salt water fished. Is it better to just spend extra for saltwater gear for the flexibility?

Cromagnum said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Cro: prior to commenting, where do ya live, whadaya wanna fish for, salt or fresh, live or artifical bait, boat or no boat, river, stream or lake? How much time do you wanna devote to learning to cast anyone of these, or preferably fly fish?

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Live south of Houston these days. Used to white bass fish up at Lake Livingston a ton, mostly trolling, some jigging. Interested in still doing that, but there is also a retention pond by my house full of black bass. Could be convinced to try surf fishing as well, but never salt water fished. Is it better to just spend extra for saltwater gear for the flexibility?

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Penn battle 2500. Less than 100. Will work for bass, the bay, and wading the surf. Will hold up to use in the salt for years. Will cast nicely much longer than any sub $100 bait caster.

The only drawback would be the ease of stopping your casts on a dime while bass fishing like you can with a baitcaster. Learn to flip the bail on a spinner at the right time for a less elegant way to accomplish the same thing.

I prefer a 9' spinning rod setup for the flats. I can cast a measured 70 yards with a 1/4 ounce jig in front of my house and I can spool the reel with a better than average SE wind.

I like a setup like this for distance and you can do it all day with very little effort.

To the OP.....I would buy the setup that best suits what you are going to do the most and make do when you try something new.

Cro: These are only my thoughts and there are of course both Green Cars and Blue Cars made and sold.

1. Spincast: From what you said and where you are, and as odd as it may seem, I would start with a good Abu or Zebco spincaster. Good, not the bottom of the line Walmart $19.95 version, but a really good model. You can jump into the fishing game and the pond behind your house for less dollars, faster learning curve and immediate enjoyment. There will be more time fishing and less of a learning curve just about the equipment. Do not be deterred by the purists, those guys disparage automatic shotguns for muzzleloaders.

2. One Size Fits All: If you decide that you are into fishing then you can make the decision on further equipment. My opinion, and everyones mileage will vary, is that there is no satisfactory bridge between salt and fresh equipment. Salt equipment is always geared to heavier weights of rods, reels, lines, hooks and weight. Does that mean you cannot cast a plug in the surf with a fresh water weight rod and reel, no it does not. Materials of Construction on Fresh and Salt equipment are usually different to account for salt environment corrosion. Salt equipment is normally more expensive. If you find yourself doing salt fishing A LOT, you will want salt type equipment.

3. Fight through the hype: If you get into fishing, the next step in equipment is fighting through the hype. Quickly you will find that you are supposed to need a bait casting rod, a drop shot rod, a pitching rod, a spinning rod, low profile reel, fast retrieve reel for some artificial and a slow retrieve reel of others. Lots of both fact and fiction surround all of these choices. It is a fun journey fraught with lots of fun, mistakes and money. It is the same thing in all activities that men do, we just cannot help but create equipment we believe is the ONLY way to go.

Best of Luck in your new pursuit!!

Spinning: more fishing, less birdsnest.

Baitcast: more birdsnest, but a little better with heavier line.

Someone bought me a new Lew's baitcast for Christmas, but the old Shimano spinning reel still gets more use.

Flyfishing: thats for neckbeards that drink IPAs and wear funny looking hats.

fightingfarmer09 said:

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WC87 said:

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They each have their place. Even fly reels (snicker)

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Fly reels when you need a break from boredom, the rest when you need a break from hunger.

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You could easily replace "fly reels" with "bowhunting" and have an accurate statement.

Appreciate all the info, but I'm not a new Angler. I have been fishing for over 30 years, but just been too cheap to buy a new rod&reel until old trusty of the last 20 years gave up.

Zebco 33. EOT

TexasAggie_02 said:

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Zebco 33. EOT

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Only if it has Snoopy on it.

I keep a spinning rod in the boat for when I take my wife to the lake...

Spincast - great for that rod you keep at the farm that anyone can use. Including you wife, you kids, grand kids and that slow brother in law that shows up with a coffee can of worms.

Bait cast if you know what you are doing or are willing to learn. Once you learn, you will never want to use anything else, unless....see spin cast

Spin cast - light/ultralight tackle (but then why aren't you using a fly?) Medium - windy Bay wade fishing. And drowning bait. Heavy - heaving big bait out far.

you're lucky to have a place to fish.

I've caught fish using both spinning and baitcasting reels with worms/flukes all the way to crankbaits/spinnerbaits.

But if I have to choose just one, I would pick the spinning reel. It's just easier to manage with lighter tackle than the baitcaster. And using the spinning reel for cranking isn't that bad. Those bass in the pond ain't gonna care what reel you're using.

Or how about an umbrella?

Get a Grizzly ...

Everybody complains about backlashes on a baitcaster; however, if you twitch your lure during the retrieve the dreaded twist on a spinning reel can be just as bad. Since I like to twitch soft plastics to imitate a darting bait during the retrieve, I will take a baitcaster with the brakes set correctly. It is just as good as a spinning reel for what I do.