Should I invest? 2025
Eric Czerwinski reply :
So I have been using spinning reels my whole life and have caught some really nice big bass with them. Are baitcasting rods/reels really worth it or should i just stick with what I know?
Fish4bigfish reply :
Yes they are worth it. Can you rebuild a 350 Chevy with a 15 mm socket? No. Different tools for different jobs. Baitcasters handle heavy lures and line better.
BiteFiend reply :
Besides being able to hold heavier lines and being able to cast more accurately, there is another aspect that often gets overlooked in the baitcast vs spinning reel debate. One can make more casts per hour with a baitcaster than a spinning reel. An increased number of casts per hour = more fish. The increased efficiency alone IMHO would be worth learning how to use a baitcast reel. At the end of the day though, use what works for you.
Fishin' Fool reply :
I was in the same boat as you in my comfort zone with spinning gear but yes casting gear has its place. Get yourself a Daiwa Tatula either 6 or 7 to 1 gear ratio reel on Ebay. They list for $150 but can be found for around $94. The Tatula rods can also be found at a discount price online. In fact I think someone posted a link in the best $100 casting rod post. You could put together a great set up for under $200.
Montanaro reply :
You dont need baitcasting rods. The reels can have a harsh learning curve.
A couple of really talented fisherman in my club only use spinning.
I just really enjoy using them and feel like I can rip off multiple casts easier and faster than spinning reels
PourMyOwn reply :
If you're decently coordinated you can pick it up quickly. Having someone show you how to cast makes a big difference.
NoLuck reply :
I like the accuracy. You should definitely try it!
- Team NoLuck Fishing
new2BC4bass reply :
It all depends on how much you have to invest. If you are like many of us, you will find you love using a baitcast reel, and want many more. Of course some of that I suppose could be caused by the Bait Monkey. 
Choporoz reply :
I love my baitcasters, but I know a LOT of people who will argue with all of the arguments above....except maybe the one about the bait monkey.
Absolutely no question that spinning rods in the hands of experienced anglers will: handle biggest bass lure; be as accurate; and cast as 'fast'.....especially when you factor in the time taken picking out backlashes 
new2BC4bass reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 12:11 AM, Choporoz said:I love my baitcasters, but I know a LOT of people who will argue with all of the arguments above....except maybe the one about the bait monkey.
Absolutely no question that spinning rods in the hands of experienced anglers will: handle biggest bass lure; be as accurate; and cast as 'fast'.....especially when you factor in the time taken picking out backlashes
Backlashes? What are they? 
WIGuide reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 12:16 AM, new2BC4bass said:Backlashes? What are they?
A mythical nightmare created by those who don't use baitcasters to scare people away from using them. I NEVER get them....
haha
OP the investment comes down to if you feel you need one. I know some very good anglers that fish all spinning or rarely a baitcaster. If you're comfortable in what you do and don't feel like your missing out on anything, and don't want to take on the challenge of learning how to use one, there's really no reason to. If you don't feel that way, or want to learn something new then go for it!
blckshirt98 reply :
I used spinning gear only for the first few years once I started to fish again, and started to use baitcasters only recently. Baitcasters have their place especially for heavier setups/lures, or if you need to cast accurately (into holes in cover, under tree branches, etc). You can still use a spinning rod for what I just mentioned but once you pick up on using a baitcaster you'll use that instead of a spinning setup because you'll just instinctively know it's the better tool for the job.
fishwizzard reply :
I started with spinning rigs and lately picked up a pair of baitcasters to try out. I am slowly getting the hang of them but still prefer spinning rigs. The one huge benefit I see in casting rods is that I can cast heavier lures on a much lighter casting set up then a spinning one. So for example, I can work a 3/4oz (lure + trailer) chatterbait on a reasonably light low-pro casting reel, where I have found even a 3000 series spinning reel isn't really up to it.
However, without the fear of a backlash I feel more confident in making "risky" casts and generally prefer finesse fishing, so unless the monkey makes me buy a finesse casting rig, I suspect the two I currently have will be my last.
Caliyak reply :
Stick to what you know and feel comfortable with. It's a want and not a need to have a baitcaster.
Master Bait'r reply :
Yes but be aware, you are opening a door that can never be closed again. 
MIbassyaker reply :
I just started using baitcasters and I like them, especially for presentations where you do a lot of casting and retrieving, like crankbaits, and spinnerbaits (no cumulative line twist from a rotating bail), for heavy cover presentations like flipping jigs and plastics, and frogs (stouter rods, heavier drags), and for working heavier lures (over about 5/8oz feels much less awkward on casting, even if the spinning setup can technically handle it). I have used and could still use spinning gear for all these things, but I definitely see now how casting gear is better suited for it.
But I have never understood the claim that baitcasting is inherently more accurate than spinning, and I just flatly don't believe it. What I think is that anglers are more accurate with the kinds of setups they use more often, like better, and have had more practice with, than the kind they use less often, like less, and have had less practice with, full stop.
MassYak85 reply :
I'll just say this, I'm not spooling my Pfluger President with 65lb braid and going frogging with any kind of confidence. I'd say one of the biggets advantages is gear ratio. Today's baitcasters can be had readily in 8 speeds whereas spinning you are going to be doing some searching just to get into 6 speeds. Now certainly you can go with a larger spinning reel to get the IPT the same with the lower gear ratio, but now you are talking a much heavier and bulkier reel to accomplish the same task.
Choporoz reply :
Another way to look at it....When a big shiny boat comes around the point, who ever set down their baitcasting rod and picked up a spinning combo?
Fishin' Fool reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 4:02 AM, MIbassyaker said:I just started using baitcasters and I like them, especially for presentations where you do a lot of casting and retrieving, like crankbaits, and spinnerbaits (no cumulative line twist from a rotating bail), for heavy cover presentations like flipping jigs and plastics, and frogs (stouter rods, heavier drags), and for working heavier lures (over about 5/8oz feels much less awkward on casting, even if the spinning setup can technically handle it). I have used and could still use spinning gear for all these things, but I definitely see now how casting gear is better suited for it.
But I have never understood the claim that baitcasting is inherently more accurate than spinning, and I just flatly don't believe it. What I think is that anglers are more accurate with the kinds of setups they use more often, like better, and have had more practice with, than the kind they use less often, like less, and have had less practice with, full stop.
Amen brother. I could drop a tube or a senko right on the edge of the lilly pads when I fishing spinning reels frequently. With a casting rod I'd be lucky if I wasn't stuck in a tree on shore.
Cgrinder reply :
Yes.
MIbassyaker reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 4:05 AM, MassYak85 said:I'll just say this, I'm not spooling my Pfluger President with 65lb braid and going frogging with any kind of confidence. I'd say one of the biggets advantages is gear ratio. Today's baitcasters can be had readily in 8 speeds whereas spinning you are going to be doing some searching just to get into 6 speeds. Now certainly you can go with a larger spinning reel to get the IPT the same with the lower gear ratio, but now you are talking a much heavier and bulkier reel to accomplish the same task.
It is interesting you should say that: Until this year I frogged with a size 35 Pflueger Supreme MGX and 40lb braid on a 7'0" MH spinning rod. That particular model is a little under 9oz, and has an IPT of 33", which is actually more than the 32" ipt of the 8.1:1 casting reel I'm using now (a ConceptA). It had never dawned on me to not have confidence in it....it's just what I started using when I decided to get serious about bass fishing.
On 7/15/2016 at 4:12 AM, Choporoz said:Another way to look at it....When a big shiny boat comes around the point, who ever set down their baitcasting rod and picked up a spinning combo?
Well, I didn't, but that's only because I was already right in the middle of hauling in a 5lber on my spinning combo...
fishnkamp reply :
It takes a quality matched rod and reel along with practice practice and more practice to gain accuracy and distance with a baitcasting setup. Fortunately the practice is allowed to be done on the water with fish interrupting the practice occasionally! Buying a cheap combo and using it only a little, then getting frustrated is not the way to build confidence and accuracy. I have fished with a few guys who would flat make your jaw drop! I hired an FLW angler named Craig Powers to guide my wife and I for two whole days on Center Hill Lake in Tennessee. He made his Million dollars worth of winnings casting home made PopR type baits so far up under docks you almost could not see them. Out there they have lots of boat houses, kinda like a dock with a garage over it. I had no problem believing he made his winnings when I saw how far he could skip a bait with his custom made short pistol gripped rod. i watched as he showed me what to do. He pulled several monsters out that way. He said he had spend hundreds of hours in front of boathouses like it, just casting to them without actually trying to catch a fish, just practicing the cast.
MassYak85 reply :
@MIbassyaker
Huh, interesting. It's just for me personally, I wouldn't trust the kind of strain put on the spinning reel for frogging after years and years. I lock down the brakes when I am frogging and use 50lb braid and a 7' 6" heavy rod. It just seems like a lot of strain to be putting on the braking system for the spinning reel and the 90 degree turn around the bail the line has to make, rather than the direct pull on a baitcaster. It's easier to get higher drag into a low profile than the same drag rating in an equivalent size/weight spinning reel. You mention the ***, which has at least double the drag of the supreme, plus is considerably lighter. I just feel that you get more bang for your buck with a baitcaster. As far as weight and drag go at least.
MIbassyaker reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 6:09 AM, MassYak85 said:@MIbassyaker
Huh, interesting. It's just for me personally, I wouldn't trust the kind of strain put on the spinning reel for frogging after years and years. I lock down the brakes when I am frogging and use 50lb braid and a 7' 6" heavy rod. It just seems like a lot of strain to be putting on the braking system for the spinning reel and the 90 degree turn around the bail the line has to make, rather than the direct pull on a baitcaster. It's easier to get higher drag into a low profile than the same drag rating in an equivalent size/weight spinning reel. You mention the ***, which has at least double the drag of the supreme, plus is considerably lighter. I just feel that you get more bang for your buck with a baitcaster. As far as weight and drag go at least.
Well, to be clear, I wouldn't call it ideal, and yes the casting setup i use now with the ConceptA is indeed much preferable.... but at least up to a point a spinning setup can be made to work.
Bass Turd reply :
Ahhhh grasshopper... you stand before the temple of fishing with two doors in front of you.....which one do you take...?
That is the age old question every fisherman or woman gets around to asking himself sooner or later. The answer is.... you can only decide for yourself...
MassYak85 reply :
On 7/15/2016 at 7:54 AM, MIbassyaker said:Well, to be clear, I wouldn't call it ideal, and yes the casting setup i use now with the ConceptA is indeed much preferable.... but at least up to a point a spinning setup can be made to work.
Yea I agree, spinning CAN be used for any techqnique, but for some a baitcaster is just more ideal. Same can be said vice versa. I just think if you choose to only use one you are limiting yourself.
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