# Spinning vs bait caster (Texas vs Florida basically)



## commtrd

I cant throw a bait caster to save my life. Grew up using spinning gear so if it is super windy it's spinning gear, otherwise fly.


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## GullsGoneWild

Derek Radtke said:


> What’s up everyone. Why do most anglers in Texas prefer using bait casters? And in Florida most anglers use spinning gear? I live on the lower coast in Texas and it seems like I’m the only one on the Laguna that uses spinning gear (also one of the few throwing flies and pushing a beavertail) My buddies tell me bait casters are more accurate and cast futher into the wind, I do not agree but to each their own. I guess what I’m asking is why is there such a difference between the two areas??


yeah, your buddy is lying to you.


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## Smackdaddy53

Here we go...everyone’s going to start bickering and name calling pretty soon!
I use both but mostly my Lew’s baitcaster and I’ll catch as many or more than most people I fish with most of the time. It’s all about holding your mouth right...


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## Brett

Spinning tackle is easy to learn, easy to use.
Thumb burners require a bit more skill but don't twist y'er line.
Flyrods are for finesse and are intended to
be the most complicated handline ever invented.
I figure the guy who came up with fly-fishing
felt that fish needed every advantage they could get.


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## Charro123

Brett said:


> Spinning tackle is easy to learn, easy to use.
> Thumb burners require a bit more skill but don't twist y'er line.
> Flyrods are for finesse and are intended to
> be the most complicated handline ever invented.
> I figure the guy who came up with fly-fishing
> felt that fish needed every advantage they could get.


My wife loves spinning over bait.


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## Snoball

Casting top water in creeks precision casting or heavy baits I prefer a baitcaster. However casting into the wind a bait caster has no advantage. Bait caster in my hand 90% of the time tho


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## lemaymiami

Each type of gear has its own advantages (nothing beats a plug caster for tossing good sized plugs or spoons at heavy cover where you have to be within inches of structure to get noticed - and then need to go max pressure instantly to have the slightest chance of winning... while spin gear allows you to toss much lighter lures a lot farther... -something just not possible with plug casting gear).

Me, I was influenced by an early start freshwater bassing so when I landed in south florida I'd already been using both spin and plug casting gear for about ten years (and nowhere near Texas...) but I was still just a beginner back then, making it up as I went along. Way back then a combination of factors kept many using both kinds of gear. I'd joined a fishing club where we competed using every kind of gear - but you had to use plug casting tackle to compete in that category, or spinning to compete in the spin classes (4lb ultra-light, lure only, 6lb ultra-light bait or lure, 10lb spincasting, lure only - you get the idea...) while there was only one plug-casting division, and we used every kind of plug rod from an ultra-light all the way up to heavy gear for deep-jigging (long before butterfly spoons....). Club anglers routinely set records with plug gear back then. You haven't been pulled on until you hook an amberjack in 200 feet of water on a plug rod - and the fish were always 40 to 80lbs back in the seventies... All of that was reinforced by the old Miami Herald's hotly contested fishing tournament each winter.... No, you'd never think of casting one of those old deep-jigging plug rods - but you could beat a hundred pound tarpon with one...

I will say that most of my charter bookings rarely use plug casting gear (and I still have a half dozen plug rods, ready to go...) instead it's spin or fly mostly... Anglers that do a lot of bass fishing will usually be right at home with plug casting gear - but I just don't see many of them...

On days when I'm doing a bit of exploring on my own I'll usually have spin, fly, and plug casting gear aboard - each has it's place.... and something it excels in. Yes, if you only use one kind of gear, learning to use something different is like starting to fish again as a beginner. I highly recommend it...


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## AMiller

I use both on any given day as well.
Typically onboard I have a Lew's Inshore speed spool that I use when casting to targets (i.e. under docks, at the edge of the thick cover, up against a sea wall). Being able to slow the bait in the air and stop it quietly for a soft landing with just the use of my thumb is a huge plus.
I use spinning tackle when I'm not as concerned about the accuracy. Not to say you could do the same thing while throwing spinning gear that you could with your thumb on a bait caster, it's just easier to do on a bait caster, IMHO. And I use them when throwing very light tackle.

As far as distance into the wind goes though, there's something to be said about a bait caster. Look at surf fisherman, there has been a huge return to conventional tackle from spinning tackle in recent years. The reason being is when you cast a conventional/bait caster style reel the line comes off in a straight flat line. So there is little to no wind resistance on the line. When you throw a spinning reel the line comes off in spirals and then the guides on the rod straighten out the line so its straight and flat coming out the tip of the rod. Those big loops coming off the reel have a lot of resistance to overcome with the air and the stripper guide.

I would be willing to wager that a competent person could throw a bait caster further than a spinning reel... assuming of course all other components are equal (same line, same rod blank, same guides, same lure.)


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## crboggs

Only guy I know around here who prefers bait casters is a neighbor who grew up in Texas. Go figure. *lol* But then he's a bass guy who also throws plugs at redfish.

After a couple of years throwing spin gear, I got hooked on fly and never went back. I'm now way more efficient and accurate with my 6wt or 8wt than my spin gear since I don't blind cast.


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## Smackdaddy53

Here’s a great saying that applies here very well.
“It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian”.


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## EdK13

I have done both for longer than I care to admit. When I got to Florida mid 80's I used an old Fenwick 7' BC with a 3 bearing round reel from Sweden for anything over 5/8 of a oz. Stuff like the old wood devils horse top-waters, spooks, bombers and spinner baits. A free-lining incident involving white bait and an inattentive fisherman ended that rods service life and it was rightly sacrificed to the fishing gods somewhere over by the east wall. Used old shimano Aeros and whiskers for everything else back then. Most of the plastic I threw in those days and nights was essentially re-purposed bass bait such as slugos, swim baits and tubes. Went to to stradics and calcuttas, speedmasters, penn stuff thereafter. Most was stolen when I was getting Ice. 

After losing many thousands in gear I downsized. Now. I am down to one kistler tops and tails and a Tatulla R BC and a few others that seldom see the sun. A few spinning outfits with loomis, st croix and smacks custom work. I just purchase stuff as I need (or want) it these days.

There is some truth to line twist being a part of the spinning game. This can be mitigated by manually closing the bail. And there is some truth to BC's being more accurate. Spinning rods are longer. In the wind and otherwise. They are definitely more prone to wind knots. Its all contingent on preference and with spinning tackles recent innovations its tougher than ever to justify being proficient on both platforms. For folks that only do a few trips a year, its really a no brainier.


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## Matt Baldwin

Your summary is exactly correct. The Texas market prefers coastal fishing with Baitcasting tackle, Florida's preference fishing the same type of area is spinning tackle. Baitcasters have a some drawbacks, they are more difficult to learn initially....and the learning curve involves some pretty frustrating birdsnests and tangles. Overall this gear is more accurate to cast(when the angler becomes skilled), you can place a bait in a specific location, skip and pitch in a more technical manner, and make more casts while working an area or shoreline because you can reel up and re-load faster. The above is exactly why every Bass professional uses baitcasting gear as their primary tool. Conversely spinning gear is easier to learn, has less initial drawbacks as you learn, and much easier line management. 

Distance will come from proper matching of lures/baits to your rod, reel, and line. One isn't longer than the other. The quality of your gear can increase your distance. 

The difference in preference in the majority choice between Texas and Florida anglers is curious....but it is most likely influenced by years ago more freshwater anglers moving into Texas and adopting the same gear they were familiar with. This preference has been handed down for a few generations.


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## DeepSouthFly

Matt Baldwin said:


> Your summary is exactly correct. The Texas market prefers coastal fishing with Baitcasting tackle, Florida's preference fishing the same type of area is spinning tackle. Baitcasters have a some drawbacks, they are more difficult to learn initially....and the learning curve involves some pretty frustrating birdsnests and tangles. Overall this gear is more accurate to cast(when the angler becomes skilled), you can place a bait in a specific location, skip and pitch in a more technical manner, and make more casts while working an area or shoreline because you can reel up and re-load faster. The above is exactly why every Bass professional uses baitcasting gear as their primary tool. Conversely spinning gear is easier to learn, has less initial drawbacks as you learn, and much easier line management.
> 
> Distance will come from proper matching of lures/baits to your rod, reel, and line. One isn't longer than the other. The quality of your gear can increase your distance.
> 
> The difference in preference in the majority choice between Texas and Florida anglers is curious....but it is most likely influenced by years ago more freshwater anglers moving into Texas and adopting the same gear they were familiar with. This preference has been handed down for a few generations.


Agree. I find I can land my swim bait a little softer with my BC set up since I can control the line with just my thumb. When I'm sightfishing I can keep the bait lower to the water when casting also. They each have pros and cons. I think it's personal preference, but I have noticed how the Texas coast and a lot of local LA folks use a lot of baitcasters vs. spin gear. 

The drag on BC's I find aren't as smooth as a spinning reel, and I do enjoy when that fish sings the drag on a spinning reel. They also hold more line.


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## POCtied

Born in TX, grew up in FL, predominantly use a baitcaster now but with a LH reel. So some of that spinning gear carried over, and I never could understand the point in switching hands.


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## EdK13

POCtied said:


> Born in TX, grew up in FL, predominantly use a baitcaster now but with a LH reel. So some of that spinning gear carried over, and I never could understand the point in switching hands.


Same here. The hand changing thing baffled me.


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## Smackdaddy53

POCtied said:


> Born in TX, grew up in FL, predominantly use a baitcaster now but with a LH reel. So some of that spinning gear carried over, and I never could understand the point in switching hands.


Whatever feels right, I still don’t know why (for me) a spinning reel feels correct reeling with my left hand and with a baitcaster I feel most comfortable reeling with my right. Never had a problem switching hands after a cast, it’s just second nature.


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## lemaymiami

Forgot to mention... The basic requirement for a deep jigging plug rod was a blank (most of these were fiberglass) that could lift a concrete block off the ground- not exactly a standard plug rod blank...


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## POCtied

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Whatever feels right, I still don’t know why (for me) a spinning reel feels correct reeling with my left hand and with a baitcaster I feel most comfortable reeling with my right. Never had a problem switching hands after a cast, it’s just second nature.


I also have a metal plate holding my LH ulna together, hurts like hell after a full day holding a rod, only makes sense for me to go back to spinning rod roots


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## Backcountry 16

I prefer a push button zebco myself.


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## Matt Baldwin

EdK13 said:


> Same here. The hand changing thing baffled me.


The changing hands thing is an American thing. Europe, Canada, and the majority of foreign countries buy MORE left Handed baitcasters than right. In the USA the ratio is 6:1 right hand. This remains a mystery, like why we can't adopt the metric system.


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## bjtripp83

When I fished in texas, I was throwing spoons and soft plastics medium and long distances w steady retrieve over and over on huge flats. Baitcaster made sense bc number of motions and range of motion are much smaller than doing the same w spin. If more throwing popping corks, jigging, topwater, bait, etc in creeks, smaller flats on east coast, those advantages dont apply.


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## Indoman

I was waiting for someone to jump in with the spincast.

Years ago Gary Ellis laughed at my wife’s Zebco spincast as we were getting on the boat. Later, she landed a 4’ (25#?) shark with it. Lol. 

I’ve since taught her how to throw spinning gear.


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## Anderson Guide Service

Customers get the spinners 99% of the time. For me though I much prefer bait casters. I am much more accurate and faster with a bait caster and I throw them both A LOT


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## lemaymiami

Spinning is the way to go with beginners... (and my first spinning reel was a Mitchell 304.... in 1962 or 63 - my first plug reel wasn't until a year or two later - thank heavens for birthdays). I've actually had more than one angler over the years that had never fished before (not ever...). With a light weight spinner I can have them casting and hooking their own fish in just a short time. Using the right plug I can also introduce them to working an arti (when they're not already working a lead head with a Gulp tail..). My all-time favorite bait rig for beginners is an Equalizer cork above a 1/0 or 2/0 mutu light circle hook loaded with a live shrimp or a pilchard...

No, I wouldn't even think of that with plug casting gear....


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## mwolaver

Capt Lemay has the FL part right. We plug fished in the 70s because that way you could enter the plug division in the MET. And also because those of us who did some bass fishing knew how to throw them. Spinning reel drags got much better much faster than the plug reels, we couldn't throw a non-weighted shrimp for bonefish and the plug reels wouldn't hold 200 yards of line. Plug reels were the choice for heavy cover, big fish fishing. Now I guess the gap has narrowed, with the drags for sure. I will say that throwing into the wind surely goes to the spinning reel for me. No rotating spool, no need to use your thumb. Makes sense to me anyway. Good question.


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## Megalops

Have you seen this? Title says girl fishing with spinning reel...
https://www.microskiff.com/media/girl-fishing-with-spinning-reel.1926/


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## Smackdaddy53

I never heard of a plug rod. Must have been before soft plastics were introduced.


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## Matt Baldwin

RE: Drag Quality

Spinning Reel Drags are not better....they are designed differently. They feel smoother because inshore spinning reels need a drag range that is lower. They typically have a drag range of 2-12lbs. Now before you guys tell me your spinning reels have a higher max drag, you should understand that that is marketing and 90% of your use on inshore fish(Tarpon Excluded because you should be using a larger reel than the 2000-4000 gear I am talking about) is in the range I am talking about. 

Saltwater Baitcaster drags are designed very different....they originate from Bass Fishing Designs and typically bass anglers don't want fish pulling drag. Force and gearing is applied differently with a revolving spool baitcaster....if you want a "smoother" drag you need to seek out a baitcaster that was built for "finesse" fishing. Typically they max out around 11-12lbs, but they are much less durable and wear out faster. The other type is a POWER fishing baitcaster that has a more durable(but typically less smooth) drag washer material but has a much higher max drag. These can stop bigger fish and turn them quickly under docks and around structure. 

Depending on your application you should select the product that suits your fishing style and also your maintenance style.


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## mwolaver

Can someone explain how a baitcasting reel will skip a soft plastic under a dock better than a spinning reel? Not computing for me. We have learned to feather the line coming off the spinner for soft entry also. Like you all said "whatever you're good at"!


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## Backcountry 16

mwolaver said:


> Can someone explain how a baitcasting reel will skip a soft plastic under a dock better than a spinning reel? Not computing for me. We have learned to feather the line coming off the spinner for soft entry also. Like you all said "whatever you're good at"!


Thanks thay was my


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## Backcountry 16

Question mine always backlashes once it hits the water if you don't keep your thumb tight on it definitely easier for me to get a bait under the dock with a spinner.


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## Matt Baldwin

Skipping docks and tight cover is 80% technique and 20% choosing a bait for this application. Some baits skip really really well. Although you can skip with both a baitcaster and a spinning reel, once you get good you will choose the baitcaster due to your ability to consistently skip it at your target. Loading a spinning reel is more combersome, slower, and when the line comes off in loops it’s harder to consistently pepper your target spots.


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## TimPappy

Matt Baldwin said:


> RE: Drag Quality
> 
> Spinning Reel Drags are not better....they are designed differently. They feel smoother because inshore spinning reels need a drag range that is lower. They typically have a drag range of 2-12lbs. Now before you guys tell me your spinning reels have a higher max drag, you should understand that that is marketing and 90% of your use on inshore fish(Tarpon Excluded because you should be using a larger reel than the 2000-4000 gear I am talking about) is in the range I am talking about.
> 
> Saltwater Baitcaster drags are designed very different....they originate from Bass Fishing Designs and typically bass anglers don't want fish pulling drag. Force and gearing is applied differently with a revolving spool baitcaster....if you want a "smoother" drag you need to seek out a baitcaster that was built for "finesse" fishing. Typically they max out around 11-12lbs, but they are much less durable and wear out faster. The other type is a POWER fishing baitcaster that has a more durable(but typically less smooth) drag washer material but has a much higher max drag. These can stop bigger fish and turn them quickly under docks and around structure.
> 
> Depending on your application you should select the product that suits your fishing style and also your maintenance style.


This^...catching a bass under a dock,brushpile,structure of any kind requires a tight drag and the ability to horse the fish out asap. I had the good fortune to fish with 4 different B.A.S.S. guys as a marshal at the classic. These guys are like any other pro athlete...they can skip a jig with a baitcaster at any angle with either hand if they need to. They will go to spinning gear when conditions require it though. Mostly in open water situations or around structure that's more vertical (ie drop shot). I do think the mostly open water and bigger species in saltwater calls for spinning tackle. I still prefer topwater with a baitcaster though. But I'm converting to a fly guy so I don't know jack!


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## Whiskey Angler

Tx guy here......I hate spinning reels. Why? Two words - worm gear. Douche a spinning rig one time, and its gunked up and doesn't operate smoothly any more. My favorite way to gear fish (not fly) is to fish the 2nd or 3rd bar in the summer surf for pissed off trout. That requires swimming, floating, and ducking under waves, and spinning rig is trash after a single outing.

Also, when throwing plastics I may make 500+ casts in a day, and a low profile caster attached to a split grip trout rod feel exponentially more balanced than a spinning rig, and makes different jig/twitch patterns easier.


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## Anderson Guide Service

Try wading and throwing top waters all day with a spinner with real fast action. Not nearly as balanced and way more movement.


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## Smackdaddy53

Anderson Guide Service said:


> Try wading and throwing top waters all day with a spinner with real fast action. Not nearly as balanced and way more movement.


Yessir, that’s why my go-to rod is a 6’4” medium power extra fast action Zephyr Cove Custom casting rod with a Lew’s Custom Inshore spooled with 20# J-Braid x8. 30mph wind or whatever. I fish everything from 1/32oz jigheads with 2” plastic to super spooks and some Yo-Zuri tops that dwarf a full size spook. Sub 9oz rig including 175 yards of braid. These long rods I see guys using are nice but if you fish all day and fish more than you run around they will wear you out.


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## SomaliPirate

I've always used both and never thought twice about it. Spinners for light presentations with soft baits, baitcasters for bigger plugs. I took a solo trip on Sunday and brought two spinning reels, a baitcaster and a 8wt. I've never done the switching hands thing though. I cast fly and spin with my right hand, baitcasters with my left. It just always made sense. As previously stated, if I'm trying to skip a bait under something, it's spin all the way for me.


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## krash

I always thought it was freshwater fishermen vs. saltwater fishermen... always seems like Bass fishermen were more likely comfortable using bait-caster and inshore fishermen were more likely to use spinners, and fly rod people are in a class of their own.


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## Tx_Whipray

Now that the boy has been bitten by the fly bug my days throwing gear are limited, but I keep a spinner on the boat for light plastics and baitcasters for throwing plugs or larger/heavier jigs. I usually keep the spinner up on the platform with me because I can hit a fish from any direction or angle if one pops up where the guy on the bow can't get a cast at it. Those are usually close in, quick shots and it's easier to land a bait "soft" in that circumstance with a spinner.


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## Smackdaddy53

I don’t understand the “baitcasters are for heavy plugs” deal. I can sling a 1/16oz jighead and 3” soft plastic 60-70 feet cross wind and maybe 50 or so into an average south Texas wind. I wade quite a bit but also sight cast from the platform and use nothing but baitcasters. It’s personal preference but saying spinning reels are only for light jigs and baitcasters are for heavy plugs is kind of closed minded. I was pulling 25 pound snapper out of 90 feet of water last Friday with a spinning reel and catching reds on 3” soft plastics and a baitcaster the evening before. It’s just a matter of what works well for each individual.


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## Chad Cohn

I use both depending on the conditions. Grew up using spinning, moved to TX and learned to use a BC. Stopped fishing for a while and started again with a spinner. Now I have a couple of each again for whatever the condition calls for. My wife uses a spinner and loves it. Started my son on a spinner and he wanted a BC, got him a combo setup and gave him the basics and told him to figure it out. While he's still learning he's doing pretty good on his own. My next fishing evolution is to learn how fly fish.


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## Tx_Whipray

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I don’t understand the “baitcasters are for heavy plugs” deal. I can sling a 1/16oz jighead and 3” soft plastic 60-70 feet cross wind and maybe 50 or so into an average south Texas wind. I wade quite a bit but also sight cast from the platform and use nothing but baitcasters. It’s personal preference but saying spinning reels are only for light jigs and baitcasters are for heavy plugs is kind of closed minded. I was pulling 25 pound snapper out of 90 feet of water last Friday with a spinning reel and catching reds on 3” soft plastics and a baitcaster the evening before. It’s just a matter of what works well for each individual.


It's also a matter of practice. I feel like you get to fish a lot more than I do.  When I was a teenager growing up in Port Arthur, I fished just about every day of the summer. I could just about throw an unweighted shrimp with a red ABU Garcia and a fiberglass eagle claw rod, but these days my fishing days are fairly limited and I'm not as proficient with a baitcaster as I once was. I also prefer to chunk the fly rod as much as possible now.


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## Smackdaddy53

Tx_Whipray said:


> It's also a matter of practice. I feel like you get to fish a lot more than I do.  When I was a teenager growing up in Port Arthur, I fished just about every day of the summer. I could just about throw an unweighted shrimp with a red ABU Garcia and a fiberglass eagle claw rod, but these days my fishing days are fairly limited and I'm not as proficient with a baitcaster as I once was. I also prefer to chunk the fly rod as much as possible now.


I have a few fly rods and can fish them well when I get a chance but here lately I’ve been too busy babysitting on my skiff to even get the long rod out of the case. I used to have a fishing buddy that could pole a skiff, he’s the one that got me started but he started acting like an idiot and I had enough. There’s nothing worse than standing on the casting platform and having someone trying to pole like a one legged pelican swims. Last thing I need is someone falling on top of my console and tearing it up and or hurting themselves.


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## MRichardson

Spinners are easy to get started with, and most folks stick with em.

I hate them. They are worse in almost every category, from drag to line twist to wind knots. 

But there's that backlash thing. That is the reason most folks don't use baitcasters. If they push thru the learning curve, they know. If not, they'll argue forever.


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## Finn Maccumhail

I haven't used a baitcaster in a long time.

Like most people my progression was cane pole-->spin-cast-->spinning-->baitcaster.

I didn't wet a line in saltwater until I was in college, it was 100% bass fishing. I wanted to grow up to be a professional bass fisherman. Complete with 368 rods (fully rigged out) on my glitter-painted Ranger bass rocket and 19 tons of lures. And because real bass fishermen used baitcasters I had to use one too. I still used spinning rigs when appropriate because Bill Dance & co. said they were good for certain applications.

When I started saltwater fishing in college I used both. And when I started kayak fishing I'd typically carry one baitcaster and one spinning rig. The baitcaster was typically rigged with a topwater or suspending plug while the spinning rig generally had something like a DOA shrimp or a light jig head and soft plastic.

Then I started fly fishing a bit in saltwater circa 2005'ish and now I've got baitcasters I haven't used since probably 2010.


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## kylet

The accuracy of a cast is not due to the reel. I get some people are more accurate or better casters with one or the other but that really has nothing to do with the real but rather your use of the reel.
In general terms, a baitcast reel is going to have the advantage over the spinning real in being lightweight and more comfortable in the hand. A spinning reel is going to have the advantage in drag responsiveness, drag weight, line capacity and cleaning/maintenance. One caveat for the baitcast though is you aren't required to use drag or brakes on a baitcast real once you are familiar enough as both can be controlled manually. If you are equally skilled on both, it's trivial.



> Here’s a great saying that applies here very well.
> “It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian”.


Bingo


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## Cam

I find spinning reels are just easier to work with in high wind when fishing lighter braid with a variety of baits. An advantage of a spinner is being able to cup the spool allowing for a lower drag to ease the fight and full on brakes in milliseconds when a snook or red starts running for mangroves. I also don't worry about getting lined as much when a big arse tarpon decides to have a run at a greenie.

We fish popping corks, greenies, plastics, top water, pins, etc often all in the same day on braid, fluoro and sometimes wire. A spinner works with all of them well whether casting into the wind or away from it regardless of the weight.

For me a wind knot can be cut out but a backlash can be an afternoon killer. I traded the accuracy of a baitcaster for the simplicity of a spinner. I grew up fishing with baitcasters in TN and switched to spinners for inshore fishing in FL.

Oh last note, I can pick up a Cabo 50 for under $150 which will likely outlast me and land just about any fish under 200lbs. To get that same quality in a baitcaster is often big dollars.


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## Tx_Whipray

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I have a few fly rods and can fish them well when I get a chance but here lately I’ve been too busy babysitting on my skiff to even get the long rod out of the case. I used to have a fishing buddy that could pole a skiff, he’s the one that got me started but he started acting like an idiot and I had enough. There’s nothing worse than standing on the casting platform and having someone trying to pole like a one legged pelican swims. Last thing I need is someone falling on top of my console and tearing it up and or hurting themselves.


it sounds like we need to go fishing


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## Smackdaddy53

Tx_Whipray said:


> it sounds like we need to go fishing


Bring it


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## jay.bush1434

I grew up using both spinning and baitcasting in fresh and salt, inshore and offshore. I prefer spinning rigs but gave them up years ago because of the line twist. I only throw lures and usually soft plastics so even being careful to let my line to untwist a few casts, it eventually balls up on me. If I was using live bait, for sure I'd use a spinner. They are much easier to cast lighter baits and offer more delicate presentation for me. I am more accurate with a baitcaster but generally pin point accuracy isn't an issue in our off color water. More and more lately, though it is just fly rod.


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## Bruce J

I use all 3 (fly, spin, and baitcaster) too for different reasons. But a few things that haven't been mentioned in favor of a baitcaster are that a good baitcaster is lighter, fits the hand better (to me) than having the stem of a spinner, and is more "direct and simple" in action (vs dealing with the bail and the thrashing of an egg beater). It just feels more "pure", which is the sum of those parts I guess. I'm right-handed but also use a left hand cranking baitcaster, partly because I grew up throwing spinners, but also because I prefer holding the rod with my dominant hand to work the lure better, with the added benefit of not having to switch the rod back and forth.


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## Chad Cohn

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Bring it


I wanna go too!!!!!!!


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## Cronced

One weird thing that hasn't been mentioned is a possible reason why spinners are generally "left handed" and bait casters "right handed". For me, just having my right hand aligned higher vertically than my left makes the opposite feel really awkward. Just try it out with your air rod and reel.

Also, it's spinner for me. The fish don't care whether you've learned to cast a bait caster or not. Neither do I.


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## Flatbroke426

Just my two cents. I’m a die hard spin caster. Yes in general a bait caster can throw farther by rule but to me the pick up rate can’t be beat when a fish turns and runs towards you or turning them faster from cover from a spinner can’t be matched. Plus the less likelyhood of a backlash at just the wrong time is so much less likely. I’ll stick with my spinners


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## Unplugged

Backcountry 16 said:


> I prefer a push button zebco myself.



Smart ass!


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## Smackdaddy53

Flatbroke426 said:


> Just my two cents. I’m a die hard spin caster. Yes in general a bait caster can throw farther by rule but to me the pick up rate can’t be beat when a fish turns and runs towards you or turning them faster from cover from a spinner can’t be matched. Plus the less likelyhood of a backlash at just the wrong time is so much less likely. I’ll stick with my spinners


I’ve cut more wind knots out of expensive braid on spinning reels than backlashes on a baitcaster. I think both have a time and place and everyone is different.


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## Cam

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve cut more wind knots out of expensive braid on spinning reels than backlashes on a baitcaster. I think both have a time and place and everyone is different.


I rarely get wind knots or see them. To me the difference is that a wind knot isn't a killer. A person can fish right through one or just cut it out and do a braid to braid knot if it is way up in the spool. A wind knot slows a person down about as long as it takes to tie a new leader on. One good backlash and I am parking that reel for the rest of the trip.


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## Smackdaddy53

Cam said:


> I rarely get wind knots or see them. To me the difference is that a wind knot isn't a killer. A person can fish right through one or just cut it out and do a braid to braid knot if it is way up in the spool. A wind knot slows a person down about as long as it takes to tie a new leader on. One good backlash and I am parking that reel for the rest of the trip.


I never get wind knots with my spinning rigs but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wasted time and braid cutting them out of less experienced people’s spinning reels. I’ve never had to cut a backlash out of a baitcaster with braid, they are just loops. Mono was a different story because it dug into itself.
Keeping the line under tension when reeling line up, making sure your bail roller is free, using 8 strand braid and using a swivel on spoons will pretty much eliminate wind knots. Also forgot to add closing the bail by hand instead of the spinning reel handle...


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## formerWAflyfisher

What baitcaster are you guys using for saltwater? I kinda want to get one now for topwater plugs. I use to have one and used it all the time. But a bunch of gear was ruined a few years ago and I never replaced it. I was thinking of a Shimano Calcutta but I haven’t had great luck with Shimano recently. Saw 13fishing concept Z seemed interesting because of a lack of ball bearings but not sure it would be good in the salt.


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## Smackdaddy53

formerWAflyfisher said:


> What baitcaster are you guys using for saltwater? I kinda want to get one now for topwater plugs. I use to have one and used it all the time. But a bunch of gear was ruined a few years ago and I never replaced it. I was thinking of a Shimano Calcutta but I haven’t had great luck with Shimano recently. Saw 13fishing concept Z seemed interesting because of a lack of ball bearings but not sure it would be good in the salt.


13Fishing are garbage and Shimano has gone to crap. I used to be a Shimano guy. The Lews Custom Inshore is the best all around baitcaster I have used and I’ve fished just about all of them. Spool it up with 20# Sufix832 or Diawa J-Braid X8 and you will have a solid combo.


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## Bruce J

Smackdaddy53 said:


> 13Fishing are garbage and Shimano has gone to crap. I used to be a Shimano guy. The Lews Custom Inshore is the best all around baitcaster I have used and I’ve fished just about all of them. Spool it up with 20# Sufix832 or Diawa J-Braid X8 and you will have a solid combo.


I’ve been a Shimano guy for years too, but haven’t tried a Lews yet. My last Shimanos purchased were Curado 201e7’s a few years ago and they have been great. But I think I will add a Lews to the arsenal next time.


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## Smackdaddy53

Bruce J said:


> I’ve been a Shimano guy for years too, but haven’t tried a Lews yet. My last Shimanos purchased were Curado 201e7’s a few years ago and they have been great. But I think I will add a Lews to the arsenal next time.


I fished exclusively Shimano since my first one in the late 80’s until a couple of years ago after they stopped making the E series. Lew’s are tried and true and have really stepped up their game with great reels and great prices. Their $80 reels are great, I have two and they cast as far and still have as good of a drag as the higher end models that just have more bells and whistles.


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## Thomas C. Matthews

Derek Radtke said:


> What’s up everyone. Why do most anglers in Texas prefer using bait casters? And in Florida most anglers use spinning gear? I live on the lower coast in Texas and it seems like I’m the only one on the Laguna that uses spinning gear (also one of the few throwing flies and pushing a beavertail) My buddies tell me bait casters are more accurate and cast futher into the wind, I do not agree but to each their own. I guess what I’m asking is why is there such a difference between the two areas??


Who knows I grew up in Texas primarily fishing Light SW with spinning gear. When I was a kid spinning rods would flat out cast bait casters. But modern bait casters with higher line this difference is gone. 

I think it is primarily up to what they are more comfortable with. As for accuracy it is primarily up to the angler and the gear. But in general the rod has a huge impact on accuracy. I have been using my bait caster more recently but that is mostly because I need to build an new spinning rod. If it is really windy the spinning rod comes out.

That said Texas has many strange habits. Take wade fishing for instance. I have seen on multiple occasions people pull-up to Greens in West Matagorda Bay and jump out in waist deep water. They will then fan out 10 yards from the boat with their Frabill bait bucket and cast Ten yards or so. Me and my dad could simply cast to the whole area and stay in the boat. I always wandered why they didn't just learn to properly cast.

But maybe I am the strange one there have been times I have targeted Redfish with 6lb. mono. There is something about the thrill of hooking a slot redfish in inches of water surrounded by oyster shells and knowing it could be over in an instant.


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