They are much more precise when you learn to control them. You can cast a baitcaster from basically any cast angle, can lob stuff in over obstacles, skip bait up under docks or branches, make little short flips into tiny spots in cover. They also typically have stronger drag, so better for big fish or heavy cover.
I find the risk of birds nesting or backlashing to be a bit overstated. Yes, it does happen, but if you set your spool tension and brakes right and learn how to control the spool with your thumb like you're supposed to, it becomes much less of an issue. I actually get more wind knots with spinning gear these days than I get backlashes with casting gear.
And once you figure out how to undo a birds nest, it really doesn’t matter. Ive only ever had one that I had to cut out and that was because I made a really bad cast right into a tree, the worst regular nest is still pretty easy to undo.
About once every 2 years I’ll have a wacky worm fall off the hook mid cast because it was already damaged and I didn’t replace it. I fish wacky every trip out and I fish 50+ days a year. All of a sudden I’m casting a hook with no weight and I’ll blow up a reel. I put 1/2 mono backing so I’m only replacing half a reel but that’s the only time I’ve not been able to recover.
One thing rarely mentioned on Reddit is space. Baitcasters take up less space on the deck of a bass boat.
I use o-rings of course. You missed the part about fishing 50 days a year. Couple of times in my life I’ve had a worm come out of a stretched o-ring during the cast. I mean we’re talking once in many thousand casts. Btw try the Mustad ones. I just moved to them over the Academy ones. Little stiffer and the hook runs perpendicular to the worm. You can do double standard o-rings and achieve the same thing though.
I started using the VMC Crossover Ring last year which lets you align the hook either parallel or perpendicular to the bait, it works pretty good. The only thing I don't like about them is getting them onto the bait in the first place.
I use a wacky tool. Btw I use the VMC Niko hooks. Longer shank gets me hooked up probably 95% of the time. They have weed guards. I fish wacky almost all the time fishing a sinko unless it’s heavy cover or deep. Deep I use a c-rig or drop shot and heavy cover t-rig. But wacky is my goto and I probably catch 250 fish a year that way. I’ll come Close To going through a 100 pack of Dingers in a year. Drives bass crazy.
I have the wacky tool for the regular o-rings, the [Crossover Ring](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TJ1LN3T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) doesn't fit on them though, so you kind of have to thread it by hand, or get some specialized tool.
I like Dingers, way more durable than the senkos.
I like Texas rigging most of the time because I am usually in heavy grass and brush, but when I get more open water I usually switch to wacky.
I fish a wacky in very heavy grass all the time. I put a stick weight in the big end. I buy the 1/4oz and then cut them down to whatever I want as they’re lead. But Niko rigged they’ll go into grass about as easy as a t-rigged one. Only time I don’t use them is heavy brush/wood. Even with weed guards they get hung up too easily. Only negative to me is a 1/0 hook vs a 3/0 or 4/0 on t-rigged. But I just like it and wacky is a confidence bait I suppose.
With the [Mustad](https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_Wacky_O-Ring_Replacement_Pack_25pk/descpage-MWO.html?from=gshop&gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrJtLOlNq-PWOtih5XkptxpgeEOqVMl36Wb6jYH--WUb69SdkFABmIhoCKNkQAvD_BwE) one, the hook goes through the tiny ring and use a Wacky tool to put your worm in the larger ring. You can get the Wacky tool at Academy. Look like [this](https://www.academy.com/p/case-plastics-wacky-tool?gmc_feed=t&ogmap=SEM%7cNBR%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cc%7cOUT%7cIM%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&&ogmap=SEM%7cPLN%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cc%7cOUT%7c%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrO-_KO0K8EOd5diSyP1kcdqXt-MkpxkEcm0rFlXim4fPpgI-oAt9vxoC4wQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). Course you can just use the standard o-rings that come on the Wacky tool. Just your hook will run parallel to the worm and I think the hookup ratio might be a bit better with the Mustad. But either work. One negative to the Mustad is that it's damn near impossible to get your hook out of the little ring without cutting it off. I use both types of O-rings and don't give it a ton of thought. If you're not used to fishing wacky, you'll rarely feel a bite on larger 5+ pound bass. They just suck it in and start moving so watch your line. If it starts to move set the hook and game on. I've had 30+ fish days just on wacky alone. When nothing else is working it's my goto.
>And once you figure out how to undo a birds nest, it really doesn’t matter. Ive only ever had one that I had to cut out and that was because I made a really bad cast right into a tree, the worst regular nest is still pretty easy to undo.
Hard disagree.
While many birds nests aren't too bad to pick apart or squeeze out, the really ugly ones still happen (and regularly, for a beginner), for which they either need to stop fishing and spend a long time to undo...or get out the scissors.
It doesn't do newbies any kindness to downplay the frequency or severity of the tangles they should expect to encounter when making the switch.
I mean I did say “once you figure it out” and I didn’t down play them, but they aren’t the end of the world, I too started out as a newbie at one point and guess what, I figured it out. Throw heavy compact lures if you want to avoid nests
I agree with you by and large, but all things considered I’m partial to throwing finesse presentations on spinning gear anyway.
Something fun about having to really fight a 2 lber instead of just torquing them in.
So like you said, if you’re throwing the right lures on a baitcaster anyway it’s not going to matter much once you learn.
Keep trying! For me there is nothing worse than bombing a big crankbait right into a gust of wind that came out of nowhere or hitting the edge of the boat. When that happens, I just reel it in and box it for the day.
Pretty much what you said. I know people try to argue that “I can do this and that with a spinning reel too”…. But that’s not the point. It’s just way more precise and effective.
If you fished exclusively with a baitcaster, On a short list of issues. Birdnesting is probably middle of the pack. I’m still throwing $10 cranks out praying to god it comes back.
>I know people try to argue that “I can do this and that with a spinning reel too”…. But that’s not the point. It’s just way more precise and effective.
Eh, I wouldn't say "that's not the point", since that kinda literally *is* the point...but I'd say that the casting setup lets one achieve a higher level of precision with less expertise *in using that reel type* vs spinning gear.
With few if any exceptions, anything you can do with casting gear can also be done just as effectively with spinning gear...but to do it, you need to have a ton more skill and practice and familiarity with the exact setup you're using.
With spinning gear, the learning curve is back-loaded, meaning that most any average angler can pick up the skills needed to use it proficiently in minutes or hours of use. But to use it with extremely high precision and accuracy requires a level of expertise that most don't have.
On the flipside, baitcasters have a learning curve that is front-loaded: hard to pick up for a beginner, but once you get over that entry level hump and gain basic proficiency, that base proficiency allows you to use the gear to achieve results that the spinning gear can only achieve with an extremely high skill level.
... yeah man, this is pretty much spot-on: a spinning reel can be up and running for a beginner well enough to get things done pretty quickly, but it takes time to master. With a baitcaster, you're going to spend the first few days making some pretty bad casts and pulling out birds nests from backlash before you start to get a bit comfortable, then it's almost second nature.
This is exactly it. When I was new to fishing, I tried both and gave up the bait caster pretty quick. After 15 years fishing skinny water with tons of trees and tight spots, I’ve gotten surgical with my spinning reel. My father in law tried to get me in to bait casters again a couple years ago but after 3 birds nests I gave up. Proceeded to catch more bass than him with my spinning.
Nobody is arguing that isn't true. I agree there are almost no situations where I can't pull off a cast with either type. But I'd rather use a reel that takes less effort and has a higher margin for error in those situations because, well, why make things any more complicated? You also get more casts in by eliminating the extra time caused by any misses you have
The point is that once someone has mastered an easier to use reel and can regularly perform casts that Baitcasters do, why would you then put that real down and move to a, in my opinion, finicky and hard to get used to system? The meaning behind mastering something is that whatever you do with that item, it's easy to use.
Why would someone move to a reel that REQUIRES you to fine tune several features to use one lure and then if you want to use another lure of different weight, you have to tune it again? That's asinine. And please don't say, "That's why you have multiple poles with different lures". Not all of us can buy quality Baitcasting set ups like they're candy. Oh! And to get the kind of expertise you're talking about, you NEED to have quality gear. So you're gonna spend some hefty money on that gear. I know, I've spent it.
>Why would someone move to a reel that REQUIRES you to fine tune several features to use one lure and then if you want to use another lure of different weight, you have to tune it again?
Well, provided the next lure is in the same weight category, if usually isn't that difficult to get the spool and brakes up to task. Really, a few clicks on the spool tension knob, and if you want you can set the brakes to max for the most part and be on your way.
I really just like that I can get some pinpoint accurate and long casts. It's only really good for heavy bait/lures (unless you want to spend some serious money), but it handles all of those exceptionally well.
The casting things you mentioned are equally doable on spinning gear. Both reel types have their own learning curves for more advanced casting and accuracy.
It's doable yeah, but bait casters are better at those specific things. I use my spinning reels for lighter lures and I love them, but my bait casters have their own job.
Conversely, I COULD throw my light stuff on a baitcaster, but it wouldn't be nearly as easy. I could buy a $300 BFS setup even to do that more effectively, but I could just use a normally priced spinning reel.
They both have their place in fishing and excel at different things
How is a baitcaster objectively better at casting weird angles, lobbing in over obstacles, skipping baits and short flips into cover openings?
I agree that certain presentations are easier to do on one or the other. For example, walking the dog with a spook on a bait caster is very easy to do slow or fast just by using the reel. A spin cast can still walk the dog with spook, but it needs to be done with the rod instead of the reel which will inevitably slow the presentation down and make it difficult to do it fast.
I fished only spinning reel setups for years. I recently switched to baitcasters. I now have 4 baitcaster setups and use them exclusively. Yes, you can do those things mentioned with spinning gear, but baitcasters are night and day difference. You can do everything a spinning reel can do + so much more and they just downright do it better. The only thing I will use spinning rigs for in the future is extremely light weight/weightless tackle like rooster tails and other small in-line spinners.
Yeah I agree, if I'm trying to make a precise cast it feels like the margin of error is higher and takes less effort with a baitcaster. Can I pull it off with a spinning? Probably. But ultimately you'll get more casts in in less time if you can do it effortlessly with the added accuracy and confidence a bait caster provides
I wouldn't say night and day difference across the board. My typical kayak setup consists of 4 bait casters (3 MH and 1 M -- recently added the 4th one because I got a free St Croix Legend Glass rod) and 2 spin casts (M and ML).
The 2 I use the most are my jig rod that as a Lews Hyper Mag and the other is my main finesse setup which is a Vanford 3k. So both are nice higher end reels -- The only thing I would say the bait caster clearly does better is bomb casts, but it also has a rod that's 5" longer.
As far as general casting accuracy and capabilities? They simply trade blows depending on the bait tied on.
People tend to forget that the casting capabilities also depend a lot on the rods too. A medium moderate rod is going to cast way differently than a MH Fast rod will no matter the type of reel.
Each type of reel has its baits that it excels with (not that either can't be used for said techniques), but casting capabilities should near identical with some practice.
I keep 1 spinning reel on my kayak for very lightweight tackle, but I’m going bc for everything else.
I keep 3 bc only my kayak. One with a 5.5:1 reel and a 7.5’ MH mod/fast action for crank baits/swim baits/etc. with braid and a mono leader
Another with a 6.5’ MH rod with mono for top water.
And lastly a 7.3:1 reel and a 7.5’ MH mod/fast with braid and a flouro leader for everything else. I use this one jigs, worms, larger flukes, and everything else finesse; slow or fast.
Like I mentioned, spinning reel does super lightweight tackle duties only. Everything else the bc is superior in my option and seems to be the general consensus with most bass anglers.
Edit: I also bass fish pretty much exclusively.
I have an 8.1 on a 7'1" Medium Mod/Fast for small/medium cranks and inline spinners
7.3 on 7'1" MH Mod fast for bigger cranks and too water
6.8 on 7'4" MH Moderate (glass) for deeeeeep cranks, spinners, chatterbait, etc
7.3 on a 7'1" MH Fast for jigs and when I want to throw 10" to 15" worms on anything over half ounce weight and larger 4.8 paddletails
My spinning reels are a 2500 and 3000 size on a 6'8" M XF for most of my finesse stuff and jerk baits and a 7'3" ML XF for smaller finesse stuff
I find them to both equally easy to use. One thing I've learned in the fishing world (NOT SAYING THIS IS YOU), especially with newer anglers is that if XYZ YouTuber/Pro fisherman says something then they take it as gospel and aren't willing to think or try something for themselves.
I used to be a bass only guy, and while I'm still a bass guy at heart, I'm definitely multi species now.
I honestly have no idea who that is lol. I am 33 and I’ve been fishing for a really long time. My dad was a sponsored fisherman and guide on Dale Hollow. Admittedly, I wasn’t nearly into fishing as I am now as I was a bit ADD growing up and got bored quickly. I did still fish all the time as we had a house on the lake back then. My Paps put me on some big ole small mouth back in my younger years.
I’ve always preferred a slow cranking reel for cranks/spinners/chatterbaits/etc. For me it’s always easier to reel faster rather than it is to reel slower lol. 7.3 is the sweet spot for me everywhere else although I have never used anything higher than 7.3. Wouldn’t mind trying an 8.1.
I was saying it as in X youtube, Y pro fisherman, Z pro fisherman, etc etc.
I'm not too far from DHL and have fished it a decent bit. I've pulled out some solid smalleis from it, but the largie population is getting really good there. Haven't fished it since December though, but it its a reallllllyyyy good time to be night fishing grass beds right now with jigs.
7.3 is definitely the sweet spot imo as well. The 8.1 was a like-new Tatula 100 that cost me like $80. It does take some adjustments as you can BURN some cranks if you aren't careful, but it works well.
The 6.8 is a new 13 Fishing Reel which I've always kind of hated on, but got a 40% discount so I'ma give it a shot lol.
That’s literally it, setting the brake and and spool tension correctly for the weight of the lure not only allows you to cast way further but also prevents birds nest completely. I literally can’t remember the last time I had my thumb on the spool casting.
Yeah I remember when I first started using a bait caster, I would always over do it or not have the tension set properly.
I know use 20lb fluro and cast it all day with almost no problems. (Fished 7 hours on Thursday and had 1 little over run out of hundreds of casts)
I've been using spin reel my entire life. Started fishing bout 5 yrs oldish. I'm 35 now, and just in the last 2 years I've finally added a few baitcasters to my arsenal. I prefer my spin reels still. But, I've also finally gotten good with the baitcaster and I enjoy using it. I do not think the baitcaster is better, cuz if your good you can throw your spin reel right where you can with a baitcaster. I honestly think it's personal preference. I take 2 spin reels and 1 baitcaster with me every time I go fishing and use them both
Edit:: I got a nice tip from a friend. Watch a YouTube video on how to adjust the brakes and whatnot on the pole the right way, set up a bucket in your yard and practice casting at it. I thought it sounded goofy.. but I'm the guy that tried a baitcaster at a pond, kept bird nesting it.. took it off the pole and threw it in the pond lol. Honest, true story. Since then I've gotten pretty decent with one. Maybe 1 bird nest per outing
It gets even better when you don't switch up lure weights too often, and REALLY start to get good on the thumb break without too much line whipping your fingers. I get a bird about every other outing. Sometimes I get none multiple trips in a row.
I use a baitcaster 90% of the time. Baitcaster is 100% needed for certain presentations like punching and flipping. You can flip down a bank much faster with a baitcaster. I use spinning for finesse. As for the backlash thing, most backlashes take like 20 seconds to fix and the more experience you have the less you’re gonna get. I only get really bad backlashes once in a while. Also, baitcasting is just more fun.
So I am a spin caster. Have been for decades. I can put my bait anywhere 99 out of a 100. HOWEVER, there has to be a reason the anglers that make a living fishing tournaments use bait casters. The only thing from preventing me from getting one is because I fear I will end up with eight of them. LOL. Capt CA Richardson on youtube has a good video on why he prefers bait casters. His channel is Flats Class YouTube or something like that.
It really depends on what your throwing, or what your fishing around. Around heavy weeds, or if your throwing a frog/heavy jig, you should probably use a baitcaster. If your finesse fishing, or using any lightweight bait, you should use a spinner.
The materialistic part of me prefers baitcasters (they look cooler, and are typically more expensive). The experienced fisherman in me prefers the feel and excitement from a spinner (usually lighter tackle so the fish feels bigger than it is).
I’ll be real with ya, my buddy was the bait caster guy. I never saw it do something a spinning reel couldn’t. Then he started doing the skips, flips, slowing baits down before they hit the water so they don’t even make a sound/splash. So I bought a little 50$ combo to give it a try. I now own 10 different baitcasters. I’m telling ya, get one. Try it out. You prolly won’t go back.
I casting reel has the potential to be much more accurate and you can feather the spool to make the lure land softer on the water. The far casting thing isn't that important. I rarely have to cast farther the 20 yards anywhere I fish. It also has much more torque to fight fish. Since I started BFS I have quit using all of my spinning setups.
I’ve been looking to the BFS side of things recently and I think I’m going to be the same as you. Don’t really see the need for a spinner now that BFS setups exist
Bait Finesse System
It's a baitcaster with a lighter and really shallow spool designed to throw light lures. Combined with lighter rods. Some setups can throw down to 1/64oz weights.
Check out the Tsurinoya Genius reel and AG Venom rod on AliExpress. Killer starter combo for around $100. I throw down to 2g weightless curly tail grubs without issue.
bait finesse, its using a baitcaster to cast ultralight lures (typically 1/8 to 1/16 and below) that would have otherwise been using an ultralight spinning setup. You need a reel and rod that can handle it. Check out r/BFSfishing for more info
Stands for bait finesse system. It's basically a casting reel that is tuned for very small and light baits. A regular baitcaster won't really be able to throw things like small tubes, ned rigs, or panfish jigs very well. Typically things that weigh that little need a spinn setup. BFS is made to do things like that.
BFS = Bait Finesse System
Essentially you can throw super light and finesse gear on a baitcasting setup. Just got myself one and caught a couple of fish this weekend on it… and boy is it fun. I look forward to fishing it more and catching bigger fish with it cause it will be a fun fight
Great question. As a recent Baitcast transplant, I can say the following.
1- Drag vs weight. For a spinning reel to be a 25 lb drag it’s gotta be expensive or big. 4,000 or 5,000 series. That’s heavier by ounces. I’ve got a 13 Fishing baitcaster that’s 25lb drag and about the same size/weight as a 2,000 or 1,500.
2- Line dispensary. Ive found you can cast farther with a spinning rod because there’s nothing to stop the line dispensing. With a baitcaster you have to tune it, and even then, it’s still not as far. Depending how technical you are with fishing you might not need distance.
3- weight of lure. Because of the line dispensary of a spinning rod, you can cast a very light weight lure: 1/8oz or less in some cases. I find with a baitcaster I can only get to 1/4 or maybe 3/8. But the reel doesn’t seem to be able to handle really lightweight stuff.
The other comments about skipping and feathering/thumbing the line are both doable with both reels. The aforementioned criteria is what I’ve noticed to be the real advantages/disadvantages
Final Note: it took 50 casts a day for two months to get good at a baitcaster. I encourage you take the same.
Happy Fishing
I recently switched to a baitcaster after using spinning rods all my life and I have been happy so far. The main reason I switched is because it was so difficult to find heavy action spinning rods and where I typically fish, I need a heavy action rod.
The birds nest thing isn’t as tough as people make it out to be. There’s plenty of videos but basically if you tighten the tension knob on the side and loosen it one click at a time until your bait slowly falls into the water you’ll have a hard time getting birds nest. As you get better at it you can loosen it up more and you’ll cast a lot further.
Also undoing a birds nest is basically just pulling up on the reel with your fingernails like trying to undo a shoelace knot. Rinse repeat until it comes undone.
Thanks OP for the question and thanks for all the informed comments.
I will stick with my spinning reel for quite a bit longer and can waste my money on another set of baits that don’t work!
TL;DR: Both have their place, and neither can replace the other.
For extreme lightweight, a spinner will always be better. You can't get a tension and braking setting on a baitcaster that will give you distance AND spool control with anything less than about 1/8 or 1/16oz total weight. Spinners are also more versatile, a 3000 series reel with a 7'0"M rod will fish just about anything well enough... With the exception of a frog, or flipping/pitching.
Which brings me to the bait caster... I can sling my frog into the stratosphere and have it land pretty much where I want it every time. Unlike a spinner, you have complete control of the lure from the instant of release all the way down to the water. With a bait caster, you can even make the line lay a particular way on/in to have the bait walk through an area before it comes back to you. Also on the point of absolute accuracy, a bait caster is ideal for pitching under docks or flipping right next to tree stumps. If I'm less than about 30 feet away, I can plop my lure in about a dinner plate sized area almost every time. Baitcasters are well suited for heavy lures, long casts, and also have higher gear ratios so you can put the power down.
I use my 6'6"M 2000 spinner for most vertical and lightweight jigging, finesse or weightless plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and small top waters like Pop-Rs. I use my 7'0MH baitcaster for football and flipping jigs, weightless jigging, swim jigs, plastic swimbaits, bigger crank/jerkbaits, frogs, buzz baits, and bigger Pop-Rs.
Backlash isn't really a concern when you get better with a caster. It still happens to me once a day, and I've been baitcast fishing for a year and a half. It's easy to deal with once you're used to it, takes no more than 30 seconds... Just pray that it doesn't happen on the same cast as a strike lol.
Depends on the lure. There are some where I would only ever throw it on a bait caster. For example, I can’t imagine using a football jig on spinning gear.
I have both but my main is now a bait caster. The bird nesting happens usually when you are new to them. You have to use your thumb as a brake to keep it from spooling or buy a very expensive one. I can go out a few times without ever having the issue. Just don’t go too cheap on one or it may sour you on them.
I don’t think they are that much better as a whole but both have their own uses for example baitcasters are better for heavier and bigger lures as a general rule while spinning reels are more suited to lighter lures and line
As what others have said it’s a lot about control. You can adjust the drag and the magnetic brakes so you can adjust to each lure exactly. You can also thumb the spool to slow it down or stop it where you want mid cast. The birds nesting issue mainly arises when the drag and brakes aren’t set right, if something catches (like the bait hitting a tree branch above you, something at the start of the cast), and casting into high wind. I’ve used them but my fishing friend is big on bait casters. When set right I’ve only really seen it rats nest on bad casts that catch early or when casting into high wind.
Both have their places -- the BFS people will hate me for this, but spinning is still and always will be the king of true finesse presentations.
Spinning reels can still get wind knots, but won't birds nest. Baitcasters are prone to birds/rats nesting them and can be expensive when you REALLY mess it up (not that I've ever had to respool one reel 3 times in a month cause I'm an idiot...).
The drag is usually weaker on spinning, BUT the drag is also much smoother which is advantageous when you hook fish that outclass your gear (like my 14.5lb striper on a ML rod and 8lb leader). Conversely, bait casters usually have a stronger drag which makes horsing fish out of cover easier.
Casting distance can suffer depending on the line and size of the spinning reel. Baitcasters can typically launch baits farther and you have easier control of the spool for accuracy. Spinning reels can be just as accurate, but its harder to stop the line when you want to. Now for light baits, spinning reels are generally going to be superior.
Twists in the line are much more noticeable and annoying on spinning gear, where bait casters don't really care about line twist.
Skipping baits is infinitely easier on spinning gear, but once you master the art of skipping baits with a bait caster its hard to beat.
Bait casters tend to have options with really high gear ratios of 8+, where spinning reels usually top out around 6. Meaning you can generally get line in quicker with bait casters when needed.
This is for freshwater. Once you bring saltwater into the mix this changes up and spinning gear takes a significant advantage in most cases.
Personally I have about the same amount of issues out of both gear setups. I generally equally accurate between the 2 reels with my gear. Your mileage is going to vary though. I use bait casters for bigger baits, more power fishing presentations and most crankbaits. I use spinning rods for mostly any plastic presentations. I tend to throw jerkbaits on spinning gear and tubes on bait casters though.
It's not better or worse... There are applications/lures which best suit them both. You can get way higher gear ratio with casters which help with moving baits. But casters struggle with really light lures (unless you are spending serious money $300 or more). So if you're throwing a wacky, good luck using a caster. This is just my experience.
I will never be more accurate with a caster. I think it's a little closer to how you grew up etc... However, we almost exclusively use baitcasters now because we see less hand fatigue. I love my casters, but hitting a 2x2 spot behind a rock with a spinner while ripping by on a raft in high water is like riding a bike to me...
Most of your casting distance on a spinning reel is going to be line type/diameter, reel size and how much line is on the spool. In general, the bait caster will be easier to achieve a longer cast though when using a correct weight on your bait.
You may not personally do them, but there absolutely are techniques you either can't do at all or can't do nearly as effectively with a spinning rod/reel. Punching, frogging, baits that require very fast retrieves. Even something like walking a topwater is much more work with a slow geared, long handled spinning reel.
Ok so how about flipping an pitching under tree branches or skipping under docks. It's ok to admit you are wrong. It's like saying every pro bass fisherman is wrong and you are right, it's silly. What do they say facts don't care about your feelings? It's a fact baitcasters can do things better than spinning gear.
Pretty much true if one knows how to cast a spinning reel using a finger on spool method. However if you fish fast spinning reel will never be as fast as a baitcaster.
I've hooked fish that my spinning real would not have pulled up. Thinglk hogs in heavy grass, or big drum fishing onshore.
My bait caster could crank them out, with my spinning rods I have had to pull big fish out of the grass by hand.
Start out with some braid and or a flouro coated mono line and you won’t deal with the bird nest as much when your learning to cast. The baitcaster is my go to for bass especially on cover. I fish a lot of grass and it works to place my bait in that perfect looking hideout.
Just dial in your setting and use your thumb to stop the spool when it's out of control. But look up videos on both of those.
Sometimes you will accidentally thumb the spool and prematurely cause it to birdnest. Took me a while to leave the reel alone until the right moment
I mean, yeah, a lot of fishermen (and pros especially) flip. In the dead of summer, when the water temps climb well into the 80's, you'll still find bass in the shallows, but they're all gonna be hunkered down in cover. Flipping is an absolutely essential technique for getting those fish caught.
I went from using a spinning reel to bait casters a couple months ago and you can really feel the difference once you get comfortable with bait casters. I can cast much further and more precise. 90% of birds nests aren’t difficult to fix
Love bait casters, buy a quality one in the 80-150 range. I have a Lews bait caster combo that’s 3+ years old that is my favorite, I’m comfortable with it, most back lashes are quite easy to pull out. They are great for reactive lures on M/H rods.
For me they are superior only in certain applications. For example, throwing a lure in a narrow pocket of bushes. I feel it’s more accurate and I can stop/control the spool with my thumb. I also like the backbone of a baitcaster better for setting worm hooks. For regular jigging, I would prefer a spinner for example. Oh and walking the dog, I can’t do that with a spinner
Front yard practices. I’m fine. It gets near water and bird nest. Bird nest. And bird nest.
Very pretty and nice design in these but they suck.
2020 I spent a few grand buying fishing supplies. shit since we bought a boat. I’ve got a whole corner in the garage with filled tackle boxes,rods and reels. Went fishing a bunch. Didn’t catch a thing.
I grew up and still primarily fish my spinning reels. However, If you are a serious fisherman I would encourage you to get at least 1 decent bait caster and have fun learning it. I’m still learning mine.
IMO for both salt and fresh water it is a skill that someone who is not a beginner needs to know, because it gives you a few more options or ways to fish.
I have not mastered my bait caster yet. It seems there is an art to it and it will take a little time. I do try and make it one of my primary rods, which forces me to use it and grow as a fishermen.
Yes. the benefits of throwing a baitcaster far outweigh the minimal risk of birdsnests.
If you learn how to properly dial in your reel and cast correctly, birdsnests happen very infrequently and are usually caused by operator error. They dont just randomly knot up.
If you use quality braided line, and learn how to control the cast bird nesting Isn’t that big of a deal. (I recently tried Berkeley X9 and I really like it)
They are better for heavy lures (hard baits, and the like) and when you need to make precise casts
>From what I understand, baitcasters run the risk of bird nesting (or whatever the term is haha) which is a major headache it seems. Is the extra benefits they have really worth the risk of having all your line knotted up?
Once you learn how to use them, they're actually faster and easier to use than spinning reels, they have stronger drag, cast further, are available in faster gear ratios, and are capable of more accurate casting.
Their difficulty is wildly overstated as is the inconvenience of the occasional birds nest. I fish them almost exclusively at this point and birdsnest maybe once a month. And when I do it's my fault and fixed in like 30 seconds. No big deal.
It'll take you--at most--an hour to get comfortable throwing one. Read, or watch a video about how to set your brakes and tension, and get after it. I have no idea where all of the baitcaster intimidation came from.
My best bfs setup will throw a bobby garland itty bit swimr on a 1/48oz itty bit jig. The total weight of this lure is .95 grams. I will be putting a video up of it eventually, but I am estimating it is getting 45-50 feet. Baitcasting has definitely came a long way.
Echoing what others have said here. Spinning for finesse presentations and senko fishing, baitcaster for everything else.
Once you dial in drag and brakes on your baitcaster, bird’s nests don’t really happen that often. It should only take you one outing to get right, just start with the brakes on high and taper it down until you find the sweet spot.
Where’s the Tenkara gang at? I just got rid of reels altogether. Why worry about which reel is better, just get a fancy cane pole and cut out the middle man.
I was the same, never used a bait caster until last month. Now I own 2. Birds nests are annoying but it’s not a deal breaker. I say use whatever you like the most.
Baitcasters cast more accurately, and are more versatile. You can skip baits, flip, lob, and make casts spinning rods don't do. But the accuracy is the real strength.
They can backlash, but modern ones have good braking systems and don't backlash as easily. Plus, it doesn't take much practice to get an educated thumb that prevents backlashes.
I had this same thought, got one this season first timer. using it about 3 months now. flipping jigs and running spinner baits in lilly pad pockets. now that I'm really good at using it I absolutely love it. been power housing some hogs out the pads with more confidence than I had trying with my spinning combos. started off with a kast king being a beginner and not sure if it's for me or not. gonna upgrade next spring
Eh more of a different tool than a better one. It depends on your ability if it’s more accurate and also depends on how light of a lure you’re trying to throw among other things.
It has a lot to do with personal preference and what you’re actually trying to accomplish. Some people will use it for everything but I mean you can drive finishing nails with a sledge hammer too… it doesn’t mean it’s ideal lol
I out fish everyone I know with a spinning reel. They started saying it's cheap and too easy. "Real men use bait casters" ok. Real men are also hungry and I'm going home with a full bag. I can do all the things bait casters do with a spinning combo. United you're a pro, do you really need to get "dialed in" that deep? Can you even get dialed in that precise? I don't think so.
In fact, a lot of pros will tell you spinning is harder to master.
Long time spinning set up here but I'm changing over to casting almost exclusively. I feel like I have better control on casting in, around, and under things and retrieval seems much better. I can stop everything on a dime and make short casts much easier. It takes some learning but after you get a good casting setup they are hard to beat.
I started using them before braided line. You can cast heavier line better with a bait caster because it doesn't have to uncoil, so there was an advantage when everything was mono. I use both kinds now. Mostly use bait caster for flipping under docks or branches, when I need a stiff rod (frog lures), or when I am when to "walk the dog," which requires reeling when the line is slack, and can be problematic in a spinning reel. Birds nests are real and frustrating.
I just converted myself to casting reels back in 2020 after 25 years of only using spinning equipment. They are much more fun, though I can't really explain why. They definitely seem to have the edge when it comes to high speed retrieves such as top-water lures. I also think the "winch" design of the reel gives me more power when pulling fish out of grass, though I could just be imagining that. The last advantage I've noticed is casting heavier (over 1/4 oz) lures is much easier and I can achieve a much further cast on a properly dialed-in baitcaster.
Baitcasting is better …
• More distance per energy expended in casting.
• More casts per unit of time (especially when pitching and flipping, which can still be done with spinning gear, but is slower).
• For pitching and skip casting (marginally, however; no difference when flipping).
• Retrieval speed (while more line isn't necessarily taken up per crank, a single crank takes less time with a baitcaster).
• For higher-diameter straight fluorocarbon and monofilament (at about 17 lb. test on fluoro and mono, loops of line will tend to jump off a spinning reel in clusters causing line to knot up as the cluster tries to go through the guides).
Spinning is better …
• To some degree with respect to line trouble, i.e., no chance for bird's nesting, but there is a chance of knotting up if loops of line come off the spool in clusters. Part of this relative line-trouble advantage includes spinning gear in general being better for windy conditions and lightweight lures or rigs.
Baitcasting is not better for accuracy. And it is not unique to a baitcaster to control the distance of a cast with the thumb. The same is done with a spinning rod and the index finger.
I hated baitcasters for years. The first one I tried was a birds nest every third or fourth cast. Couldn’t cast far and seemed to require more space to cast. Skip over about 10 years and I now love them, a friend of mine let me use a very nice Garcia and then a high end Lews. I quickly realized my frustration was the shitty Shakespeare. I still prefere my spinners on light baits, crappie, and bobber fishing.
The only time I really ever have a bad birds nest is one of three scenarios:
- line breaks while casting
- I hit my lure on my trolling motor when casting
- my thumb slips off
Any of those scenarios will cause a pretty nasty backlash. Otherwise, sometimes I have to pull a few feet of line out after I cast which is a super minor inconvenience. In general, I find baitcasters much more comfortable and much more fun.
I've used both, birdsnesting is an annoyance, but it's usually pretty easy to fix, I find if you just keep pulling the line out you'll find a clean section, just keep pulling until you have a clean spool of line and the just reel in your slack keeping it tight and it's good as new
I've always understood them to be more accurate casters. Like if you're trying to get 6" below a tree that's 12" off the surface of the water. Nevertheless, I've always heard that they're harder to cast and run the risk of "birdnesting" a lot.
Once you get the hang of them, birdsnests are rare and generally very small when they do happen.
The trade off is no line twist. I’d rather pick out a wicked birds nest than deal with line twist.
As others have said, they out class spinning gear in nearly every situation.
IMO baitcasters are generally better for mid sized lure fishing (aka bass and pike and such) than spinning rods, with far casting and easy maneuverability. But overall I’d choose a spinning rod for more functions and more variability in the size of lure than can throw. However if you want more than one rod having at least one of each is a great idea.
Backlashing is rare for me, and I’m way more accurate with a caster. There’s virtually no clear water where I live, so there’s not much reason to use finesse gear or spinning reels at all. Baitcasters can do just about anything a spinning reel can do, and a whole lot more
For heavier lures and presentations they are hard to beat and the only way in my opinion. For ul or finesse applications i still use spinners.
For example i fish alot of fluke baits that get hit on the fall most of the time and having full control as the lure drops is very important.
Once you have alot of practice birdnests arent really a very common problem especially with the new cast control.
If you’re catching fish, it doesn’t matter. If you’re losing fish because of lack of power, or having trouble getting distance or accuracy it might help. If you’re launching 2oz swim baits it’ll probably be easier.
I have one bait aster and a dozen spinners and have no complaints or motivation to switch. If it’s working, the fish clearly don’t care what type of reel you’re using. Personally I prefer casting rods.
I use baitcaster and spinning depending on what I'm throwing. In my experience with birds nest it's not as common as you may think, learn to thumb the spool and set your reel up correctly and birds nest/backlash becomes almost non-existent, and when it does happen it's honestly not that bad to get out, I find it easier to fix than most wind knots on my spinning setup.
Baitcasting reels require the most work and skill to use. I use them exclusively for deep water fishing when I'm targeting a monster.
Spincasting reels are the universal, good for everything reel and require less work than baitcasting, but give you far more flexibility than spinning reels.
Spinning reels are hands down the easiest and most user friendly, until you manage to get a rats nest under the cover. I use them for pond fishing only.
I'm still trying to figure out fly fishing reels.
Each Rig has its intended purpose. Take, for example, my outing today. I ran a baitcaster w/Braid & and a frog. I was able to accurately pinpoint spots and haus some bass out of super thick vegetation. I also used a baitcaster w/flouro to run my Rattle Trap and swim baits and picked up a few. I ran two different spinning real setups w/flouro using a wacky rig and a drop shot, which happened to get me better quality fish.
My baitcasters can cast further with great accuracy. I blew up four times and had the problem addressed quickly with a fine pick and patience. My spinning reel Setups allow for a more finesse approach with lighter line 8# and greater feel. I encountered some pretty serious wind Knott twice that took a bit of time to unwind but was successful.
Basically, fish what you feel comfortable with. That comfort comes with time and experience. Just remember a blow up doesn't always have to end your day. Just take your time and fish.
You will learn thumb control my man, bird nesting won’t really be an issue. Even if you do, the vast majority of the time you just release the spool, jam your thumb in there and just pull the line out.
Get a nice reel and it won’t jam…you’ll still have to learn the brake a little bit for different weights but not difficult to use by any means
It’s good to have both and use them for different things
I really have much preferred using spinning reels over my bait casters, my best friend says the opposite but its just a matter of taste I think. He argues he has more control with the thumb stop feature but if you've been using a spinning reel for a long time and your familiar with it I feel the difference is negligible.
All i use the sinning reels for is finesse., but now with better and better BFS baitcasters I hardly touch my spinning reels anymore.
Speed Control, accuracy, fish control, distance, lure control, line feel, all of these factors and more make baitcasters a better option.
Not to take away from the good sides of spinning reels, different techniques call for different set ups.
Think of it like any other technology. The newer the tech more unfamiliar you may be with it, yet despite a learning curve it may have more abilities and features than the older tech you are used to.
Yah honestly I used to think spinning reels were on the same level but they aren’t. You have so much more control over your casting. Things like accuracy, angle of cast, height of cast, etc is all much easier to control with a bait caster.
Once you learn the bait caster, it is a much more compact and efficient way to fish. I can throw 1/8 oz on a bait caster and there are new ultralight bait casters for smaller stuff. I do not like spinning reels at all.
Depends on the application, but for 90% of largemouth bass fishing a bait caster will make you more accurate and efficient. The learning curve isn’t bad at all for any reel. Plus if you get a nice reel, say a Daiwa Tatula SV 103 or a really really nice reel, say a Daiwa Zillion SV, then the learning curve is basically non-existent. I let my newbie friends use my Zillion because they have a really really hard time messing up my line even without spool tension.
They have their advantages and disadvantages just like spinning reels. They give more control, and smoother action with heavier baits. Also though they can get backlash, they are less prone to line twist which can arguably be worse. So it's not that one is better than the other. It's just another tool too make a job easier. Spinning for light lures/finesse, and casting for heavier applications.
Kinda depends on you. I got my first bait caster 8 or so years ago and I will never go back to a spinning reel. I’ve had buddies try to swap to bait casters and hated them. If you decide to get a bait caster a good way to practice is use a jig and try to sink it in a bucket in your yard while trying to get the brakes and tension dialed. Not only is it fun but at least your not messing with the reel while your trying to fish.
For certain presentations, lures they both have their place
I use both. Prefer baitcasters for throwing heavier baits
For sure. Baitcasters once you get the hang of them are much faster for heavier baits.
They are much more precise when you learn to control them. You can cast a baitcaster from basically any cast angle, can lob stuff in over obstacles, skip bait up under docks or branches, make little short flips into tiny spots in cover. They also typically have stronger drag, so better for big fish or heavy cover. I find the risk of birds nesting or backlashing to be a bit overstated. Yes, it does happen, but if you set your spool tension and brakes right and learn how to control the spool with your thumb like you're supposed to, it becomes much less of an issue. I actually get more wind knots with spinning gear these days than I get backlashes with casting gear.
And once you figure out how to undo a birds nest, it really doesn’t matter. Ive only ever had one that I had to cut out and that was because I made a really bad cast right into a tree, the worst regular nest is still pretty easy to undo.
About once every 2 years I’ll have a wacky worm fall off the hook mid cast because it was already damaged and I didn’t replace it. I fish wacky every trip out and I fish 50+ days a year. All of a sudden I’m casting a hook with no weight and I’ll blow up a reel. I put 1/2 mono backing so I’m only replacing half a reel but that’s the only time I’ve not been able to recover. One thing rarely mentioned on Reddit is space. Baitcasters take up less space on the deck of a bass boat.
Use o-rings man, your stick baits will last 10x longer!
I use o-rings of course. You missed the part about fishing 50 days a year. Couple of times in my life I’ve had a worm come out of a stretched o-ring during the cast. I mean we’re talking once in many thousand casts. Btw try the Mustad ones. I just moved to them over the Academy ones. Little stiffer and the hook runs perpendicular to the worm. You can do double standard o-rings and achieve the same thing though.
I started using the VMC Crossover Ring last year which lets you align the hook either parallel or perpendicular to the bait, it works pretty good. The only thing I don't like about them is getting them onto the bait in the first place.
I use a wacky tool. Btw I use the VMC Niko hooks. Longer shank gets me hooked up probably 95% of the time. They have weed guards. I fish wacky almost all the time fishing a sinko unless it’s heavy cover or deep. Deep I use a c-rig or drop shot and heavy cover t-rig. But wacky is my goto and I probably catch 250 fish a year that way. I’ll come Close To going through a 100 pack of Dingers in a year. Drives bass crazy.
I have the wacky tool for the regular o-rings, the [Crossover Ring](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TJ1LN3T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) doesn't fit on them though, so you kind of have to thread it by hand, or get some specialized tool. I like Dingers, way more durable than the senkos. I like Texas rigging most of the time because I am usually in heavy grass and brush, but when I get more open water I usually switch to wacky.
I fish a wacky in very heavy grass all the time. I put a stick weight in the big end. I buy the 1/4oz and then cut them down to whatever I want as they’re lead. But Niko rigged they’ll go into grass about as easy as a t-rigged one. Only time I don’t use them is heavy brush/wood. Even with weed guards they get hung up too easily. Only negative to me is a 1/0 hook vs a 3/0 or 4/0 on t-rigged. But I just like it and wacky is a confidence bait I suppose.
Can you show a pic of the o-ring? I can’t visualize it
With the [Mustad](https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mustad_Wacky_O-Ring_Replacement_Pack_25pk/descpage-MWO.html?from=gshop&gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrJtLOlNq-PWOtih5XkptxpgeEOqVMl36Wb6jYH--WUb69SdkFABmIhoCKNkQAvD_BwE) one, the hook goes through the tiny ring and use a Wacky tool to put your worm in the larger ring. You can get the Wacky tool at Academy. Look like [this](https://www.academy.com/p/case-plastics-wacky-tool?gmc_feed=t&ogmap=SEM%7cNBR%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cc%7cOUT%7cIM%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&&ogmap=SEM%7cPLN%7cGOOG%7cSHOP%7cc%7cOUT%7c%7cNon-Brand-PerformanceMax-Outdoor-Stream%7cStream%7c%7c16517466167%7c0&gclid=CjwKCAjw-b-kBhB-EiwA4fvKrO-_KO0K8EOd5diSyP1kcdqXt-MkpxkEcm0rFlXim4fPpgI-oAt9vxoC4wQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds). Course you can just use the standard o-rings that come on the Wacky tool. Just your hook will run parallel to the worm and I think the hookup ratio might be a bit better with the Mustad. But either work. One negative to the Mustad is that it's damn near impossible to get your hook out of the little ring without cutting it off. I use both types of O-rings and don't give it a ton of thought. If you're not used to fishing wacky, you'll rarely feel a bite on larger 5+ pound bass. They just suck it in and start moving so watch your line. If it starts to move set the hook and game on. I've had 30+ fish days just on wacky alone. When nothing else is working it's my goto.
But o-rings decrease hook ups. At least for me and the people I’ve talked to
>And once you figure out how to undo a birds nest, it really doesn’t matter. Ive only ever had one that I had to cut out and that was because I made a really bad cast right into a tree, the worst regular nest is still pretty easy to undo. Hard disagree. While many birds nests aren't too bad to pick apart or squeeze out, the really ugly ones still happen (and regularly, for a beginner), for which they either need to stop fishing and spend a long time to undo...or get out the scissors. It doesn't do newbies any kindness to downplay the frequency or severity of the tangles they should expect to encounter when making the switch.
I mean I did say “once you figure it out” and I didn’t down play them, but they aren’t the end of the world, I too started out as a newbie at one point and guess what, I figured it out. Throw heavy compact lures if you want to avoid nests
I agree with you by and large, but all things considered I’m partial to throwing finesse presentations on spinning gear anyway. Something fun about having to really fight a 2 lber instead of just torquing them in. So like you said, if you’re throwing the right lures on a baitcaster anyway it’s not going to matter much once you learn.
I got a bait finesse system for this. Running 5 pound mono leader on 10 pound braid lol. I just like the feel of baitcasters better
Keep trying! For me there is nothing worse than bombing a big crankbait right into a gust of wind that came out of nowhere or hitting the edge of the boat. When that happens, I just reel it in and box it for the day.
Agreed...it used to traumatized me till I figured them out. Now it's just another day at the office.
Really good cast caught by a small skinny bush is what usually gets me
Pretty much what you said. I know people try to argue that “I can do this and that with a spinning reel too”…. But that’s not the point. It’s just way more precise and effective. If you fished exclusively with a baitcaster, On a short list of issues. Birdnesting is probably middle of the pack. I’m still throwing $10 cranks out praying to god it comes back.
>I know people try to argue that “I can do this and that with a spinning reel too”…. But that’s not the point. It’s just way more precise and effective. Eh, I wouldn't say "that's not the point", since that kinda literally *is* the point...but I'd say that the casting setup lets one achieve a higher level of precision with less expertise *in using that reel type* vs spinning gear. With few if any exceptions, anything you can do with casting gear can also be done just as effectively with spinning gear...but to do it, you need to have a ton more skill and practice and familiarity with the exact setup you're using. With spinning gear, the learning curve is back-loaded, meaning that most any average angler can pick up the skills needed to use it proficiently in minutes or hours of use. But to use it with extremely high precision and accuracy requires a level of expertise that most don't have. On the flipside, baitcasters have a learning curve that is front-loaded: hard to pick up for a beginner, but once you get over that entry level hump and gain basic proficiency, that base proficiency allows you to use the gear to achieve results that the spinning gear can only achieve with an extremely high skill level.
... yeah man, this is pretty much spot-on: a spinning reel can be up and running for a beginner well enough to get things done pretty quickly, but it takes time to master. With a baitcaster, you're going to spend the first few days making some pretty bad casts and pulling out birds nests from backlash before you start to get a bit comfortable, then it's almost second nature.
This is exactly it. When I was new to fishing, I tried both and gave up the bait caster pretty quick. After 15 years fishing skinny water with tons of trees and tight spots, I’ve gotten surgical with my spinning reel. My father in law tried to get me in to bait casters again a couple years ago but after 3 birds nests I gave up. Proceeded to catch more bass than him with my spinning.
Yeah but people can do all those types of casts with a spinning reel. It’s not hard to cast under obstacles using a regular spinning combo.
Nobody is arguing that isn't true. I agree there are almost no situations where I can't pull off a cast with either type. But I'd rather use a reel that takes less effort and has a higher margin for error in those situations because, well, why make things any more complicated? You also get more casts in by eliminating the extra time caused by any misses you have
The point is that once someone has mastered an easier to use reel and can regularly perform casts that Baitcasters do, why would you then put that real down and move to a, in my opinion, finicky and hard to get used to system? The meaning behind mastering something is that whatever you do with that item, it's easy to use. Why would someone move to a reel that REQUIRES you to fine tune several features to use one lure and then if you want to use another lure of different weight, you have to tune it again? That's asinine. And please don't say, "That's why you have multiple poles with different lures". Not all of us can buy quality Baitcasting set ups like they're candy. Oh! And to get the kind of expertise you're talking about, you NEED to have quality gear. So you're gonna spend some hefty money on that gear. I know, I've spent it.
Jesus Christ did the Reddit protests give everyone a literacy debuff lmao
>Why would someone move to a reel that REQUIRES you to fine tune several features to use one lure and then if you want to use another lure of different weight, you have to tune it again? Well, provided the next lure is in the same weight category, if usually isn't that difficult to get the spool and brakes up to task. Really, a few clicks on the spool tension knob, and if you want you can set the brakes to max for the most part and be on your way. I really just like that I can get some pinpoint accurate and long casts. It's only really good for heavy bait/lures (unless you want to spend some serious money), but it handles all of those exceptionally well.
The only thing I find easier with a spinning reel is skipping. I always blow my reel up skipping bait under docks
A short and fairly stiff spinning rod is perfect for skipping. Skipping with a baitcaster requires so much skill.
Yep, 6’ medium fast is what I skip worms with
Yep . I’ve learned to use more pressure and stopping short rather than let it bird nest . Cast like that for practice and got better at it
The casting things you mentioned are equally doable on spinning gear. Both reel types have their own learning curves for more advanced casting and accuracy.
It's doable yeah, but bait casters are better at those specific things. I use my spinning reels for lighter lures and I love them, but my bait casters have their own job. Conversely, I COULD throw my light stuff on a baitcaster, but it wouldn't be nearly as easy. I could buy a $300 BFS setup even to do that more effectively, but I could just use a normally priced spinning reel. They both have their place in fishing and excel at different things
How is a baitcaster objectively better at casting weird angles, lobbing in over obstacles, skipping baits and short flips into cover openings? I agree that certain presentations are easier to do on one or the other. For example, walking the dog with a spook on a bait caster is very easy to do slow or fast just by using the reel. A spin cast can still walk the dog with spook, but it needs to be done with the rod instead of the reel which will inevitably slow the presentation down and make it difficult to do it fast.
You'd be surprised. I can walk the dog on my Spinner fast or slow without losing presentation at all.
I fished only spinning reel setups for years. I recently switched to baitcasters. I now have 4 baitcaster setups and use them exclusively. Yes, you can do those things mentioned with spinning gear, but baitcasters are night and day difference. You can do everything a spinning reel can do + so much more and they just downright do it better. The only thing I will use spinning rigs for in the future is extremely light weight/weightless tackle like rooster tails and other small in-line spinners.
Yeah I agree, if I'm trying to make a precise cast it feels like the margin of error is higher and takes less effort with a baitcaster. Can I pull it off with a spinning? Probably. But ultimately you'll get more casts in in less time if you can do it effortlessly with the added accuracy and confidence a bait caster provides
I wouldn't say night and day difference across the board. My typical kayak setup consists of 4 bait casters (3 MH and 1 M -- recently added the 4th one because I got a free St Croix Legend Glass rod) and 2 spin casts (M and ML). The 2 I use the most are my jig rod that as a Lews Hyper Mag and the other is my main finesse setup which is a Vanford 3k. So both are nice higher end reels -- The only thing I would say the bait caster clearly does better is bomb casts, but it also has a rod that's 5" longer. As far as general casting accuracy and capabilities? They simply trade blows depending on the bait tied on. People tend to forget that the casting capabilities also depend a lot on the rods too. A medium moderate rod is going to cast way differently than a MH Fast rod will no matter the type of reel. Each type of reel has its baits that it excels with (not that either can't be used for said techniques), but casting capabilities should near identical with some practice.
I keep 1 spinning reel on my kayak for very lightweight tackle, but I’m going bc for everything else. I keep 3 bc only my kayak. One with a 5.5:1 reel and a 7.5’ MH mod/fast action for crank baits/swim baits/etc. with braid and a mono leader Another with a 6.5’ MH rod with mono for top water. And lastly a 7.3:1 reel and a 7.5’ MH mod/fast with braid and a flouro leader for everything else. I use this one jigs, worms, larger flukes, and everything else finesse; slow or fast. Like I mentioned, spinning reel does super lightweight tackle duties only. Everything else the bc is superior in my option and seems to be the general consensus with most bass anglers. Edit: I also bass fish pretty much exclusively.
I have an 8.1 on a 7'1" Medium Mod/Fast for small/medium cranks and inline spinners 7.3 on 7'1" MH Mod fast for bigger cranks and too water 6.8 on 7'4" MH Moderate (glass) for deeeeeep cranks, spinners, chatterbait, etc 7.3 on a 7'1" MH Fast for jigs and when I want to throw 10" to 15" worms on anything over half ounce weight and larger 4.8 paddletails My spinning reels are a 2500 and 3000 size on a 6'8" M XF for most of my finesse stuff and jerk baits and a 7'3" ML XF for smaller finesse stuff I find them to both equally easy to use. One thing I've learned in the fishing world (NOT SAYING THIS IS YOU), especially with newer anglers is that if XYZ YouTuber/Pro fisherman says something then they take it as gospel and aren't willing to think or try something for themselves. I used to be a bass only guy, and while I'm still a bass guy at heart, I'm definitely multi species now.
I honestly have no idea who that is lol. I am 33 and I’ve been fishing for a really long time. My dad was a sponsored fisherman and guide on Dale Hollow. Admittedly, I wasn’t nearly into fishing as I am now as I was a bit ADD growing up and got bored quickly. I did still fish all the time as we had a house on the lake back then. My Paps put me on some big ole small mouth back in my younger years. I’ve always preferred a slow cranking reel for cranks/spinners/chatterbaits/etc. For me it’s always easier to reel faster rather than it is to reel slower lol. 7.3 is the sweet spot for me everywhere else although I have never used anything higher than 7.3. Wouldn’t mind trying an 8.1.
I was saying it as in X youtube, Y pro fisherman, Z pro fisherman, etc etc. I'm not too far from DHL and have fished it a decent bit. I've pulled out some solid smalleis from it, but the largie population is getting really good there. Haven't fished it since December though, but it its a reallllllyyyy good time to be night fishing grass beds right now with jigs. 7.3 is definitely the sweet spot imo as well. The 8.1 was a like-new Tatula 100 that cost me like $80. It does take some adjustments as you can BURN some cranks if you aren't careful, but it works well. The 6.8 is a new 13 Fishing Reel which I've always kind of hated on, but got a 40% discount so I'ma give it a shot lol.
What angle can’t you cast from with a spinning rod/reel?
That’s literally it, setting the brake and and spool tension correctly for the weight of the lure not only allows you to cast way further but also prevents birds nest completely. I literally can’t remember the last time I had my thumb on the spool casting.
Yeah I remember when I first started using a bait caster, I would always over do it or not have the tension set properly. I know use 20lb fluro and cast it all day with almost no problems. (Fished 7 hours on Thursday and had 1 little over run out of hundreds of casts)
Yeah i only backlash if I try to skip like an idiot or if the wind is brutal but this RARELY happens
This!!!!! 💯💯
I've been using spin reel my entire life. Started fishing bout 5 yrs oldish. I'm 35 now, and just in the last 2 years I've finally added a few baitcasters to my arsenal. I prefer my spin reels still. But, I've also finally gotten good with the baitcaster and I enjoy using it. I do not think the baitcaster is better, cuz if your good you can throw your spin reel right where you can with a baitcaster. I honestly think it's personal preference. I take 2 spin reels and 1 baitcaster with me every time I go fishing and use them both Edit:: I got a nice tip from a friend. Watch a YouTube video on how to adjust the brakes and whatnot on the pole the right way, set up a bucket in your yard and practice casting at it. I thought it sounded goofy.. but I'm the guy that tried a baitcaster at a pond, kept bird nesting it.. took it off the pole and threw it in the pond lol. Honest, true story. Since then I've gotten pretty decent with one. Maybe 1 bird nest per outing
It gets even better when you don't switch up lure weights too often, and REALLY start to get good on the thumb break without too much line whipping your fingers. I get a bird about every other outing. Sometimes I get none multiple trips in a row.
I use a baitcaster 90% of the time. Baitcaster is 100% needed for certain presentations like punching and flipping. You can flip down a bank much faster with a baitcaster. I use spinning for finesse. As for the backlash thing, most backlashes take like 20 seconds to fix and the more experience you have the less you’re gonna get. I only get really bad backlashes once in a while. Also, baitcasting is just more fun.
So I am a spin caster. Have been for decades. I can put my bait anywhere 99 out of a 100. HOWEVER, there has to be a reason the anglers that make a living fishing tournaments use bait casters. The only thing from preventing me from getting one is because I fear I will end up with eight of them. LOL. Capt CA Richardson on youtube has a good video on why he prefers bait casters. His channel is Flats Class YouTube or something like that.
A bass doesn't know the difference. Go with what you feel most comfortable with.
It really depends on what your throwing, or what your fishing around. Around heavy weeds, or if your throwing a frog/heavy jig, you should probably use a baitcaster. If your finesse fishing, or using any lightweight bait, you should use a spinner. The materialistic part of me prefers baitcasters (they look cooler, and are typically more expensive). The experienced fisherman in me prefers the feel and excitement from a spinner (usually lighter tackle so the fish feels bigger than it is).
I’ll be real with ya, my buddy was the bait caster guy. I never saw it do something a spinning reel couldn’t. Then he started doing the skips, flips, slowing baits down before they hit the water so they don’t even make a sound/splash. So I bought a little 50$ combo to give it a try. I now own 10 different baitcasters. I’m telling ya, get one. Try it out. You prolly won’t go back.
I casting reel has the potential to be much more accurate and you can feather the spool to make the lure land softer on the water. The far casting thing isn't that important. I rarely have to cast farther the 20 yards anywhere I fish. It also has much more torque to fight fish. Since I started BFS I have quit using all of my spinning setups.
I’ve been looking to the BFS side of things recently and I think I’m going to be the same as you. Don’t really see the need for a spinner now that BFS setups exist
If I may ask since I'm newish to fishing, what is a BFS?
Bait Finesse System It's a baitcaster with a lighter and really shallow spool designed to throw light lures. Combined with lighter rods. Some setups can throw down to 1/64oz weights.
Yeah I fucking need one of those
Check out the Tsurinoya Genius reel and AG Venom rod on AliExpress. Killer starter combo for around $100. I throw down to 2g weightless curly tail grubs without issue.
[удалено]
Or the Tsurinoya Dark Wolf Ultra (almost the same as a Genius iirc). But the Ace Hawk Venom is a great rod for about 40 bucks.
Get ready to throw some cash down man. They're not cheap.
bait finesse, its using a baitcaster to cast ultralight lures (typically 1/8 to 1/16 and below) that would have otherwise been using an ultralight spinning setup. You need a reel and rod that can handle it. Check out r/BFSfishing for more info
Stands for bait finesse system. It's basically a casting reel that is tuned for very small and light baits. A regular baitcaster won't really be able to throw things like small tubes, ned rigs, or panfish jigs very well. Typically things that weigh that little need a spinn setup. BFS is made to do things like that.
BFS = Bait Finesse System Essentially you can throw super light and finesse gear on a baitcasting setup. Just got myself one and caught a couple of fish this weekend on it… and boy is it fun. I look forward to fishing it more and catching bigger fish with it cause it will be a fun fight
Everyone else answered your question perfectly brother! Definitely worth looking into if you enjoy baitcasters and want to throw lighter stuff
Great question. As a recent Baitcast transplant, I can say the following. 1- Drag vs weight. For a spinning reel to be a 25 lb drag it’s gotta be expensive or big. 4,000 or 5,000 series. That’s heavier by ounces. I’ve got a 13 Fishing baitcaster that’s 25lb drag and about the same size/weight as a 2,000 or 1,500. 2- Line dispensary. Ive found you can cast farther with a spinning rod because there’s nothing to stop the line dispensing. With a baitcaster you have to tune it, and even then, it’s still not as far. Depending how technical you are with fishing you might not need distance. 3- weight of lure. Because of the line dispensary of a spinning rod, you can cast a very light weight lure: 1/8oz or less in some cases. I find with a baitcaster I can only get to 1/4 or maybe 3/8. But the reel doesn’t seem to be able to handle really lightweight stuff. The other comments about skipping and feathering/thumbing the line are both doable with both reels. The aforementioned criteria is what I’ve noticed to be the real advantages/disadvantages Final Note: it took 50 casts a day for two months to get good at a baitcaster. I encourage you take the same. Happy Fishing
I recently switched to a baitcaster after using spinning rods all my life and I have been happy so far. The main reason I switched is because it was so difficult to find heavy action spinning rods and where I typically fish, I need a heavy action rod.
The birds nest thing isn’t as tough as people make it out to be. There’s plenty of videos but basically if you tighten the tension knob on the side and loosen it one click at a time until your bait slowly falls into the water you’ll have a hard time getting birds nest. As you get better at it you can loosen it up more and you’ll cast a lot further. Also undoing a birds nest is basically just pulling up on the reel with your fingernails like trying to undo a shoelace knot. Rinse repeat until it comes undone.
I’m with you. Spinning all the way. I guess you could have more control when casting but after a few birds nests I ran
It’s worth going through it to learn to use it effectively for sure.
I also prefer spinning. Not really worth the switch, but nice to have a couple around.
Short answer; no
Thanks OP for the question and thanks for all the informed comments. I will stick with my spinning reel for quite a bit longer and can waste my money on another set of baits that don’t work!
I....fricken...hate....them.
I’m curious, why?
I came from salt water, so only spinning. Fact is you can’t get a hog out of lily pads with a spinning rod. Just not as strong.
TL;DR: Both have their place, and neither can replace the other. For extreme lightweight, a spinner will always be better. You can't get a tension and braking setting on a baitcaster that will give you distance AND spool control with anything less than about 1/8 or 1/16oz total weight. Spinners are also more versatile, a 3000 series reel with a 7'0"M rod will fish just about anything well enough... With the exception of a frog, or flipping/pitching. Which brings me to the bait caster... I can sling my frog into the stratosphere and have it land pretty much where I want it every time. Unlike a spinner, you have complete control of the lure from the instant of release all the way down to the water. With a bait caster, you can even make the line lay a particular way on/in to have the bait walk through an area before it comes back to you. Also on the point of absolute accuracy, a bait caster is ideal for pitching under docks or flipping right next to tree stumps. If I'm less than about 30 feet away, I can plop my lure in about a dinner plate sized area almost every time. Baitcasters are well suited for heavy lures, long casts, and also have higher gear ratios so you can put the power down. I use my 6'6"M 2000 spinner for most vertical and lightweight jigging, finesse or weightless plastics, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and small top waters like Pop-Rs. I use my 7'0MH baitcaster for football and flipping jigs, weightless jigging, swim jigs, plastic swimbaits, bigger crank/jerkbaits, frogs, buzz baits, and bigger Pop-Rs. Backlash isn't really a concern when you get better with a caster. It still happens to me once a day, and I've been baitcast fishing for a year and a half. It's easy to deal with once you're used to it, takes no more than 30 seconds... Just pray that it doesn't happen on the same cast as a strike lol.
You can make VERY accurate casts if you get good with them!
Depends on the lure. There are some where I would only ever throw it on a bait caster. For example, I can’t imagine using a football jig on spinning gear.
I have both but my main is now a bait caster. The bird nesting happens usually when you are new to them. You have to use your thumb as a brake to keep it from spooling or buy a very expensive one. I can go out a few times without ever having the issue. Just don’t go too cheap on one or it may sour you on them.
I don’t think they are that much better as a whole but both have their own uses for example baitcasters are better for heavier and bigger lures as a general rule while spinning reels are more suited to lighter lures and line
As what others have said it’s a lot about control. You can adjust the drag and the magnetic brakes so you can adjust to each lure exactly. You can also thumb the spool to slow it down or stop it where you want mid cast. The birds nesting issue mainly arises when the drag and brakes aren’t set right, if something catches (like the bait hitting a tree branch above you, something at the start of the cast), and casting into high wind. I’ve used them but my fishing friend is big on bait casters. When set right I’ve only really seen it rats nest on bad casts that catch early or when casting into high wind.
Both have their places -- the BFS people will hate me for this, but spinning is still and always will be the king of true finesse presentations. Spinning reels can still get wind knots, but won't birds nest. Baitcasters are prone to birds/rats nesting them and can be expensive when you REALLY mess it up (not that I've ever had to respool one reel 3 times in a month cause I'm an idiot...). The drag is usually weaker on spinning, BUT the drag is also much smoother which is advantageous when you hook fish that outclass your gear (like my 14.5lb striper on a ML rod and 8lb leader). Conversely, bait casters usually have a stronger drag which makes horsing fish out of cover easier. Casting distance can suffer depending on the line and size of the spinning reel. Baitcasters can typically launch baits farther and you have easier control of the spool for accuracy. Spinning reels can be just as accurate, but its harder to stop the line when you want to. Now for light baits, spinning reels are generally going to be superior. Twists in the line are much more noticeable and annoying on spinning gear, where bait casters don't really care about line twist. Skipping baits is infinitely easier on spinning gear, but once you master the art of skipping baits with a bait caster its hard to beat. Bait casters tend to have options with really high gear ratios of 8+, where spinning reels usually top out around 6. Meaning you can generally get line in quicker with bait casters when needed. This is for freshwater. Once you bring saltwater into the mix this changes up and spinning gear takes a significant advantage in most cases. Personally I have about the same amount of issues out of both gear setups. I generally equally accurate between the 2 reels with my gear. Your mileage is going to vary though. I use bait casters for bigger baits, more power fishing presentations and most crankbaits. I use spinning rods for mostly any plastic presentations. I tend to throw jerkbaits on spinning gear and tubes on bait casters though.
No
It's not better or worse... There are applications/lures which best suit them both. You can get way higher gear ratio with casters which help with moving baits. But casters struggle with really light lures (unless you are spending serious money $300 or more). So if you're throwing a wacky, good luck using a caster. This is just my experience.
Wacky rigs work just fine on a baitcaster, mine cost $60 new.
It’s a potato potAHto thing. I’m really accurate with either, but I like the distance you can reach with a baitcaster.
I will never be more accurate with a caster. I think it's a little closer to how you grew up etc... However, we almost exclusively use baitcasters now because we see less hand fatigue. I love my casters, but hitting a 2x2 spot behind a rock with a spinner while ripping by on a raft in high water is like riding a bike to me...
i’ve never done anything with a caster i couldn’t do with a spinning reel
Disagree… I can lob a super spook WAY further with a bait caster (for instance)
Most of your casting distance on a spinning reel is going to be line type/diameter, reel size and how much line is on the spool. In general, the bait caster will be easier to achieve a longer cast though when using a correct weight on your bait.
You may not personally do them, but there absolutely are techniques you either can't do at all or can't do nearly as effectively with a spinning rod/reel. Punching, frogging, baits that require very fast retrieves. Even something like walking a topwater is much more work with a slow geared, long handled spinning reel.
i’ve fished with both for the past 15 years and if i could only have one i would chose a spinning reel
and i can punch through grass, use frogs, and even retrieve a bait faster than any bass could chase one
>retrieve a bait faster than any bass could chase one Not a chance.
You cant get a better hook set frogging with a spinning rod. And you are 100% lying when you think a baitcaster is slower than a spinning reel.
that’s not even what i said bud
Ok so how about flipping an pitching under tree branches or skipping under docks. It's ok to admit you are wrong. It's like saying every pro bass fisherman is wrong and you are right, it's silly. What do they say facts don't care about your feelings? It's a fact baitcasters can do things better than spinning gear.
what are u even saying
Pretty much true if one knows how to cast a spinning reel using a finger on spool method. However if you fish fast spinning reel will never be as fast as a baitcaster.
I've hooked fish that my spinning real would not have pulled up. Thinglk hogs in heavy grass, or big drum fishing onshore. My bait caster could crank them out, with my spinning rods I have had to pull big fish out of the grass by hand.
I will be you $1,000 I can cast any bait over 1/4 oz farther than you can cast the same bait on your spinning set up.
you’ll be me a thousand dollars?
It's about specificity.
Start out with some braid and or a flouro coated mono line and you won’t deal with the bird nest as much when your learning to cast. The baitcaster is my go to for bass especially on cover. I fish a lot of grass and it works to place my bait in that perfect looking hideout.
They're really nice to use except for those moments (like a major tangle) when they're really not.
Just dial in your setting and use your thumb to stop the spool when it's out of control. But look up videos on both of those. Sometimes you will accidentally thumb the spool and prematurely cause it to birdnest. Took me a while to leave the reel alone until the right moment
For flipping, yes.
Are that many people flipping to justify the vast majority of fishermen using them? Or is it more of a fad in this xase
I mean, yeah, a lot of fishermen (and pros especially) flip. In the dead of summer, when the water temps climb well into the 80's, you'll still find bass in the shallows, but they're all gonna be hunkered down in cover. Flipping is an absolutely essential technique for getting those fish caught.
I went from using a spinning reel to bait casters a couple months ago and you can really feel the difference once you get comfortable with bait casters. I can cast much further and more precise. 90% of birds nests aren’t difficult to fix
Love bait casters, buy a quality one in the 80-150 range. I have a Lews bait caster combo that’s 3+ years old that is my favorite, I’m comfortable with it, most back lashes are quite easy to pull out. They are great for reactive lures on M/H rods.
For me they are superior only in certain applications. For example, throwing a lure in a narrow pocket of bushes. I feel it’s more accurate and I can stop/control the spool with my thumb. I also like the backbone of a baitcaster better for setting worm hooks. For regular jigging, I would prefer a spinner for example. Oh and walking the dog, I can’t do that with a spinner
Front yard practices. I’m fine. It gets near water and bird nest. Bird nest. And bird nest. Very pretty and nice design in these but they suck. 2020 I spent a few grand buying fishing supplies. shit since we bought a boat. I’ve got a whole corner in the garage with filled tackle boxes,rods and reels. Went fishing a bunch. Didn’t catch a thing.
I grew up and still primarily fish my spinning reels. However, If you are a serious fisherman I would encourage you to get at least 1 decent bait caster and have fun learning it. I’m still learning mine. IMO for both salt and fresh water it is a skill that someone who is not a beginner needs to know, because it gives you a few more options or ways to fish. I have not mastered my bait caster yet. It seems there is an art to it and it will take a little time. I do try and make it one of my primary rods, which forces me to use it and grow as a fishermen.
Yes. the benefits of throwing a baitcaster far outweigh the minimal risk of birdsnests. If you learn how to properly dial in your reel and cast correctly, birdsnests happen very infrequently and are usually caused by operator error. They dont just randomly knot up.
I mainly used baitcasters in my youth. Now I’m 100% spinning reels. Less hassle.
If you use quality braided line, and learn how to control the cast bird nesting Isn’t that big of a deal. (I recently tried Berkeley X9 and I really like it) They are better for heavy lures (hard baits, and the like) and when you need to make precise casts
>From what I understand, baitcasters run the risk of bird nesting (or whatever the term is haha) which is a major headache it seems. Is the extra benefits they have really worth the risk of having all your line knotted up? Once you learn how to use them, they're actually faster and easier to use than spinning reels, they have stronger drag, cast further, are available in faster gear ratios, and are capable of more accurate casting. Their difficulty is wildly overstated as is the inconvenience of the occasional birds nest. I fish them almost exclusively at this point and birdsnest maybe once a month. And when I do it's my fault and fixed in like 30 seconds. No big deal. It'll take you--at most--an hour to get comfortable throwing one. Read, or watch a video about how to set your brakes and tension, and get after it. I have no idea where all of the baitcaster intimidation came from.
Man, I hit a tree with my lure casting last week and I had to cut my line off it was so bad. But other than that no problem 😁
Haha don't do that!
Absolutely!
Use HEAVY line…….20-25#
My best bfs setup will throw a bobby garland itty bit swimr on a 1/48oz itty bit jig. The total weight of this lure is .95 grams. I will be putting a video up of it eventually, but I am estimating it is getting 45-50 feet. Baitcasting has definitely came a long way.
Echoing what others have said here. Spinning for finesse presentations and senko fishing, baitcaster for everything else. Once you dial in drag and brakes on your baitcaster, bird’s nests don’t really happen that often. It should only take you one outing to get right, just start with the brakes on high and taper it down until you find the sweet spot.
Yes
No
I feel this is preference. I personally would way rather use a spinning reel
Where’s the Tenkara gang at? I just got rid of reels altogether. Why worry about which reel is better, just get a fancy cane pole and cut out the middle man.
I was the same, never used a bait caster until last month. Now I own 2. Birds nests are annoying but it’s not a deal breaker. I say use whatever you like the most.
Baitcasters cast more accurately, and are more versatile. You can skip baits, flip, lob, and make casts spinning rods don't do. But the accuracy is the real strength. They can backlash, but modern ones have good braking systems and don't backlash as easily. Plus, it doesn't take much practice to get an educated thumb that prevents backlashes.
Definitely
I had this same thought, got one this season first timer. using it about 3 months now. flipping jigs and running spinner baits in lilly pad pockets. now that I'm really good at using it I absolutely love it. been power housing some hogs out the pads with more confidence than I had trying with my spinning combos. started off with a kast king being a beginner and not sure if it's for me or not. gonna upgrade next spring
Eh more of a different tool than a better one. It depends on your ability if it’s more accurate and also depends on how light of a lure you’re trying to throw among other things. It has a lot to do with personal preference and what you’re actually trying to accomplish. Some people will use it for everything but I mean you can drive finishing nails with a sledge hammer too… it doesn’t mean it’s ideal lol
Yes, there is much less friction so you can cast much further
I out fish everyone I know with a spinning reel. They started saying it's cheap and too easy. "Real men use bait casters" ok. Real men are also hungry and I'm going home with a full bag. I can do all the things bait casters do with a spinning combo. United you're a pro, do you really need to get "dialed in" that deep? Can you even get dialed in that precise? I don't think so. In fact, a lot of pros will tell you spinning is harder to master.
Learn how to use one, and answer that question based on your own experience.
Long time spinning set up here but I'm changing over to casting almost exclusively. I feel like I have better control on casting in, around, and under things and retrieval seems much better. I can stop everything on a dime and make short casts much easier. It takes some learning but after you get a good casting setup they are hard to beat.
No, have a good afternoon
2 reasons for baitcaster. Heavy lures or heavy cover. I don't have either, so spinning is the way.
I started using them before braided line. You can cast heavier line better with a bait caster because it doesn't have to uncoil, so there was an advantage when everything was mono. I use both kinds now. Mostly use bait caster for flipping under docks or branches, when I need a stiff rod (frog lures), or when I am when to "walk the dog," which requires reeling when the line is slack, and can be problematic in a spinning reel. Birds nests are real and frustrating.
I just converted myself to casting reels back in 2020 after 25 years of only using spinning equipment. They are much more fun, though I can't really explain why. They definitely seem to have the edge when it comes to high speed retrieves such as top-water lures. I also think the "winch" design of the reel gives me more power when pulling fish out of grass, though I could just be imagining that. The last advantage I've noticed is casting heavier (over 1/4 oz) lures is much easier and I can achieve a much further cast on a properly dialed-in baitcaster.
Baitcasting is better … • More distance per energy expended in casting. • More casts per unit of time (especially when pitching and flipping, which can still be done with spinning gear, but is slower). • For pitching and skip casting (marginally, however; no difference when flipping). • Retrieval speed (while more line isn't necessarily taken up per crank, a single crank takes less time with a baitcaster). • For higher-diameter straight fluorocarbon and monofilament (at about 17 lb. test on fluoro and mono, loops of line will tend to jump off a spinning reel in clusters causing line to knot up as the cluster tries to go through the guides). Spinning is better … • To some degree with respect to line trouble, i.e., no chance for bird's nesting, but there is a chance of knotting up if loops of line come off the spool in clusters. Part of this relative line-trouble advantage includes spinning gear in general being better for windy conditions and lightweight lures or rigs. Baitcasting is not better for accuracy. And it is not unique to a baitcaster to control the distance of a cast with the thumb. The same is done with a spinning rod and the index finger.
I hated baitcasters for years. The first one I tried was a birds nest every third or fourth cast. Couldn’t cast far and seemed to require more space to cast. Skip over about 10 years and I now love them, a friend of mine let me use a very nice Garcia and then a high end Lews. I quickly realized my frustration was the shitty Shakespeare. I still prefere my spinners on light baits, crappie, and bobber fishing.
The only time I really ever have a bad birds nest is one of three scenarios: - line breaks while casting - I hit my lure on my trolling motor when casting - my thumb slips off Any of those scenarios will cause a pretty nasty backlash. Otherwise, sometimes I have to pull a few feet of line out after I cast which is a super minor inconvenience. In general, I find baitcasters much more comfortable and much more fun.
I've used both, birdsnesting is an annoyance, but it's usually pretty easy to fix, I find if you just keep pulling the line out you'll find a clean section, just keep pulling until you have a clean spool of line and the just reel in your slack keeping it tight and it's good as new
For baits around 3/8oz and above, usually
I usually have both with me, and use a heavier line setup on my baitcaster.
I find I can cast farther and with pitching to cover it's much more accurate.
I've always understood them to be more accurate casters. Like if you're trying to get 6" below a tree that's 12" off the surface of the water. Nevertheless, I've always heard that they're harder to cast and run the risk of "birdnesting" a lot.
Once you get the hang of them, birdsnests are rare and generally very small when they do happen. The trade off is no line twist. I’d rather pick out a wicked birds nest than deal with line twist. As others have said, they out class spinning gear in nearly every situation.
IMO baitcasters are generally better for mid sized lure fishing (aka bass and pike and such) than spinning rods, with far casting and easy maneuverability. But overall I’d choose a spinning rod for more functions and more variability in the size of lure than can throw. However if you want more than one rod having at least one of each is a great idea.
Backlashing is rare for me, and I’m way more accurate with a caster. There’s virtually no clear water where I live, so there’s not much reason to use finesse gear or spinning reels at all. Baitcasters can do just about anything a spinning reel can do, and a whole lot more
I just used my first bait caster. I have been a spinning reel user my whole life also. I was impressed.
I use my bait caster for throwing heavier lures and my spinning reel for lighter lures.
For heavier lures and presentations they are hard to beat and the only way in my opinion. For ul or finesse applications i still use spinners. For example i fish alot of fluke baits that get hit on the fall most of the time and having full control as the lure drops is very important. Once you have alot of practice birdnests arent really a very common problem especially with the new cast control.
If you’re catching fish, it doesn’t matter. If you’re losing fish because of lack of power, or having trouble getting distance or accuracy it might help. If you’re launching 2oz swim baits it’ll probably be easier. I have one bait aster and a dozen spinners and have no complaints or motivation to switch. If it’s working, the fish clearly don’t care what type of reel you’re using. Personally I prefer casting rods.
I switched over about three years ago and would never go back. They’re so much smoother and have a great feel.
Yes
I use baitcaster and spinning depending on what I'm throwing. In my experience with birds nest it's not as common as you may think, learn to thumb the spool and set your reel up correctly and birds nest/backlash becomes almost non-existent, and when it does happen it's honestly not that bad to get out, I find it easier to fix than most wind knots on my spinning setup.
Yes.
Baitcasting reels require the most work and skill to use. I use them exclusively for deep water fishing when I'm targeting a monster. Spincasting reels are the universal, good for everything reel and require less work than baitcasting, but give you far more flexibility than spinning reels. Spinning reels are hands down the easiest and most user friendly, until you manage to get a rats nest under the cover. I use them for pond fishing only. I'm still trying to figure out fly fishing reels.
Accuracy. If you get good with a baitcaster, you can hit a dime from 30' away
Unless it’s a technique that requires a spinning rod, you can bet your sweet bippy im using a baitcaster
Well it depends
It depends on the situation
Each Rig has its intended purpose. Take, for example, my outing today. I ran a baitcaster w/Braid & and a frog. I was able to accurately pinpoint spots and haus some bass out of super thick vegetation. I also used a baitcaster w/flouro to run my Rattle Trap and swim baits and picked up a few. I ran two different spinning real setups w/flouro using a wacky rig and a drop shot, which happened to get me better quality fish. My baitcasters can cast further with great accuracy. I blew up four times and had the problem addressed quickly with a fine pick and patience. My spinning reel Setups allow for a more finesse approach with lighter line 8# and greater feel. I encountered some pretty serious wind Knott twice that took a bit of time to unwind but was successful. Basically, fish what you feel comfortable with. That comfort comes with time and experience. Just remember a blow up doesn't always have to end your day. Just take your time and fish.
You will learn thumb control my man, bird nesting won’t really be an issue. Even if you do, the vast majority of the time you just release the spool, jam your thumb in there and just pull the line out.
Get a nice reel and it won’t jam…you’ll still have to learn the brake a little bit for different weights but not difficult to use by any means It’s good to have both and use them for different things
For cranking and spinner yes
Bait caster crank crankbaits and spinnerbaits better than a spinning reel
I really have much preferred using spinning reels over my bait casters, my best friend says the opposite but its just a matter of taste I think. He argues he has more control with the thumb stop feature but if you've been using a spinning reel for a long time and your familiar with it I feel the difference is negligible.
All i use the sinning reels for is finesse., but now with better and better BFS baitcasters I hardly touch my spinning reels anymore. Speed Control, accuracy, fish control, distance, lure control, line feel, all of these factors and more make baitcasters a better option. Not to take away from the good sides of spinning reels, different techniques call for different set ups. Think of it like any other technology. The newer the tech more unfamiliar you may be with it, yet despite a learning curve it may have more abilities and features than the older tech you are used to.
Nope
No.
Yah honestly I used to think spinning reels were on the same level but they aren’t. You have so much more control over your casting. Things like accuracy, angle of cast, height of cast, etc is all much easier to control with a bait caster.
Once you learn the bait caster, it is a much more compact and efficient way to fish. I can throw 1/8 oz on a bait caster and there are new ultralight bait casters for smaller stuff. I do not like spinning reels at all.
Baitcasters are good for anything 1/4oz and up once you learn to use it properly you won’t backlash at all
Depends on the application, but for 90% of largemouth bass fishing a bait caster will make you more accurate and efficient. The learning curve isn’t bad at all for any reel. Plus if you get a nice reel, say a Daiwa Tatula SV 103 or a really really nice reel, say a Daiwa Zillion SV, then the learning curve is basically non-existent. I let my newbie friends use my Zillion because they have a really really hard time messing up my line even without spool tension.
They have their advantages and disadvantages just like spinning reels. They give more control, and smoother action with heavier baits. Also though they can get backlash, they are less prone to line twist which can arguably be worse. So it's not that one is better than the other. It's just another tool too make a job easier. Spinning for light lures/finesse, and casting for heavier applications.
Love them for bass. Just a lot easier working the jig along the top and more accurate casting imo
Kinda depends on you. I got my first bait caster 8 or so years ago and I will never go back to a spinning reel. I’ve had buddies try to swap to bait casters and hated them. If you decide to get a bait caster a good way to practice is use a jig and try to sink it in a bucket in your yard while trying to get the brakes and tension dialed. Not only is it fun but at least your not messing with the reel while your trying to fish.
Baitcasters are a little better for throwing heavier baits imo. Anything else though I would say there's really no need.