spinning vs baitcasting.

[planxdownfall]

right now i have a tsunamil classic rod and a st croix reel. i spent around 170 for the set up and it is working great for me, but i was thinking about a baitcasting setup. what are the pros and cons for a baitcasting??

[keithdog]

A bait casting outfit will provide you with better control of your casts. By using your thumb, you can place a well placed cast so that the lures enters the water with barely a splash. You are able to control the cast throughout the entire cast from the time you start to the time the lure touches down. That also enables you to stop the cast on a dime should the need arrise, such as an off target cast that is sailing into an over hanging tree branch. Also, you don't have the line twist problem which is present with spinning outfits. And IMHO, you get a better drag system in a bait caster. I find I can make faster casts with my bait casters than my spinning outfits. The only drawbacks as I see it are that bait casters require a serious desire to learn. They take practice to learn how to cast without the backlash problems associated with them.However, once you have that down it's not usually a problem. Especially with the anti backlash design in modern bait casters. One other drawback is that very light lures are harder to cast with bait casters, especially into the wind. With that said, I am able to use my bait casters with lures as light as 1/8 oz. But that depends on whether I am casting into the wind or not.

[Vabass22]

Since I am a finnesse guy, I use mostly spinning, as you cam toss lighter lures. Another thing youshould consider is, how will your hookset be with the rod in your left hand, and the same with your lure movement. For this reason, the next baitcaster I buy will be a lefty retrieve.

[Christopherkeene9]

Man just got my first baitcaster this past saturday night. Practiced with it yesterday and fished with it this morning and LOVE it.

Faster line retrieval, no twisted mono, faster casts, and accuracy.


Just gotta get used to backlashes. Only had a few this morning!!!

PRACTICE

[islandbass]

Get a bc set up as soon as you can if only because it is an invalueable tool. I use both reels depending on the application.

Try to buy the best you can afford. $100 and up is where low profiles are decent to lessen your learning curve.

Keep these two things in mind when you are learning:

1) the release time with a baitcast reel is somewhat earlier than with a spinning reel. I am willing to bet your first few overhand casts with a bc reel are going to go straight into the ground.

2) It's all in thumb and it is the key. It is the only thing that will stop a backlash from happening. At the start of the cast, your thumb is on the spool, then it lets go of the spool. Here is the catch... No matter what happens, your thumb must either feather the spool to a stop or stop the spool cold BEFORE the lure hits anything*, be it the water, the ground or a shrub. Failure to do so will result at least in a minor overrun. If you feel or sense something wrong with your cast, stop it dead cold and start over. Don't let the backlash occur.

That is all I told my daughter who is six and she can handle a bc reel quite well. Also, a couple of weeks ago I took my buddy fishing and he never used a bc reel in his life. I told him the two things above and he did NOT encounter a single bird's nest through 4 hours of fishing.

Also, check out this site:

http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/page7.html

It will give you some solid fundamentals to get you started. If you can afford a reel in the Citica class (or higher for a low profile reel) or a Cardiff class (for a round reel) I guarantee you will learn the basic in 3 practice sessions tops. I'd be willing to be a rapala floating minnow.

* does not apply to casting into a strong wind. we don't have time to fine tune for this scenario.

Good luck! Baitcasters rock, but so do spinning reels. They're both tools to me to help me get the job done.

-ib

[91W]

I just started bass fishing with a Baitcaster this year, before it was only catfish. I love it!!! As stated above don't go under a hundred dollars ,they are cheap and you will regret it.

These are the reals:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...331&hasJS=true

I also have a Citica right hand retrieve. They are great reels also but the antibacklash is not as user friendly. Practice, Practice, Practice. If you fish alot of cover they are almost neccesary, the diawa's have a pinion gear retrieve just like a truck rear end and vey powerful. I still use spinning reals with spinner baits and lighter baits against the wind though. Good luck!

[Rebbasser]

Awesome reel, 91W. I got turned on to them a few months back and now have several.

[Christopherkeene9]

I have to disagreee at this point on the $100 deal. I got my combo for $50 and haven't had any problems YET.

[91W]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

Awesome reel, 91W. I got turned on to them a few months back and now have several.

I love them, I have three and will be replacing the Citica sometime this winter. The only bad backlash I had was from a half ounce spinnerbait that I had caught a pike on, must have nicked the line when I casted the next time I had one of those oh **** moments. The line went twang and I had a huge mess that the guy at Gander mountain was cussing when he was cutting it off to restring. I think the Spinner Bait went about a hundred yards.

[mack]

Originally Posted by Christopherkeene9

I have to disagreee at this point on the $100 deal. I got my combo for $50 and haven't had any problems YET.

i agree..i bought a combo from cabelas for $60...coulda bought it for fifty but i bought a ten year warranty for $10 more...it promises to work for ten years..doesnt sound like one of those cheap combos that break easily

[lizardsrule]

ROTFL,

I aint touching this one. But I am curious as to WHERE I can buy a St Croix reel?

Lizards

[Vabass22]

Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing. I think he got kinda mixed up.

[91W]

http://www.stcroixrods.com/scripts/p...6&section=shop

Why you can buy it here

[keithdog]

I really like my Garcia Baitcasters. Especially my 4600c3 reels. They work great, and for around $70.00 or so are not a bad deal. I have a Garcia baitcaster in left hand retrieve for using with my spinnerbaits, and buzz baits, ect. Lures you want to get working the monent they touch water. I believe it is a model 4601C4. It's a dandy reel!

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by 91W

http://www.stcroixrods.com/scripts/p...6&section=shop

Why you can buy it here

That's why I love this site, I learn something new everyday I must say I didn't know they sold reels, do you know if they make them, or do they just put their name on say a Flueger, Diawa, Pinnacle etc... Thanks for correcting my ignorance

Lizards

[zooker]

bet it is a shimano..

zooker

[planxdownfall]

i got it from my local tackle shop. it is nice




this is it

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by zooker

bet it is a shimano..

zooker

There you go promoting Shimano again I specifically left them out, because I didn't want everyone to say here we go again rotfl. The design reminds me of a couple I have seen, I'm gonna have to do more research, to see if they actually make these, I am doubting it but the monkey is whispering in my ear LOL

Lizards

[zooker]

why is he whispering? the battery dead in his blow horn??


zooker

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by zooker

why is he whispering? the battery dead in his blow horn??


zooker

Boy you nailed that one LOL.

Lizards