Spinning vs. baitcasting....dont kill me 2025

kllrbee reply :

Hey all,

Sure this "debate" has been done to death. >

So Im not going to ask which is better, I just have some basic newbie questions for you.

I just started fishing about 5 months ago, so Ive been doing alot of reading and experimenting on my own.

I decided to go with spinning outfits cuz I figured it would be easier to learn with them than with baitcasting.

I have yet to use a baitcasting setup, so I have no comparison about which is "easier".

If I have this right, I understand BC is more suited to heavier conditions and bigger fish, while SP is more for finesse fishing. Im sure there are more variables, but is that the basic jist of it?

I have been sorting thru the articles and videos on the site (very informative, btw) and it seems like many say that SP is not good for spinnerbaits and jigging in heavier cover. Why is that? Cuz heavier line is needed for the heavy cover?

I have 3 rod/reels.

6 1/2 M-8lb mono

6 1/2 ML-6lb mono

5 1/2 L-4lb mono (use this just for panfish)

All BPS rods and pflueger president reels. Not top of the line by any means, but not crap either, and I seem to be doing okay with them.

As I read more on this site and learn, Ive been progressivley catching bigger fish tho and I do fish in heavy cover. When they run, they are going right for those weed beds and lilly pads. And lately Im having a hard time getting them out of the junk.

So is my gear too light or should I go with heavier line? Maybe the 8lb to 12 and the 6lb to 10? (obviously leave the light gear alone)

Thanks for halping out a newbie.

BTW, I fish only small to midsized lakes if that helps.

coryjames reply :

i think its time you add a bc to your setups.

6.5 or 7 foot mh casting rod would help you alot

I.rar reply :

from what i understand , BCs have bigger gears so they have more muscle to em. i used to only fish with spinning till i picked up bait casters. now i only have one spinning setup for baits under 3/16-1/4oz and smaller shallow cranks.

plenty of people strictly fish with spinning and have no problems fishing any technique. the same can be said for people who only fish with casting gear.

if youre having a hard time getting the fish to stay away from cover when youre fighting them , id say you need heavier gear. a more stout rod and heavier line should do you great in those situations. maybe even use braid and tighten the drag down some. its a small investment so if you dont like it , youre only out a few bucks.

btw , those president reels are no slouch. they are alot of peoples first pick , myself included , for reels in its price range.

K_Mac reply :

Whether you go with BC or spinning is really up to you. Most of us use both. The rigs you have are fine for many applications, but it is time to add a MH-Fast action combo IMO. I have two 6'6" MF Extreme spinning rods with Pflueger reels that I use regularly. They are decent combos, but for heavier weighted plastics and jigs, spinner/chatterbaits, swimbaits, etc. you need more power. I prefer, and recommend baitcast. A spinning combo will work for these techniques as long as rod, reel, and line are matched. To avoid the larger, heavier spinning reels needed for heavier mono/flouro line most use braid. Good luck.

BigGame0892 reply :

Sounds like you're definitely getting in to the realm where a baitcaster will work better. Besides more winching power and stronger lock down power on the drags, you can also be more accurate with a BC once you get the hang of it.

The design of a BC allows you to have complete control over the distance of your casts - this is by far what I found to be the greatest advantage = accuracy.

I didn't fish any BCs until three years ago. I was strictly a spinning gear guy too (President was one of my first better spinning reels too!). The last 3 years I find myself fishing mostly BCs now, and spinning strictly for light line finesse stuff.

Also, I fish a lot of small lakes and ponds too when I'm not tournament fishing. Generally not many weeds in my area, but plenty of wood. A 6'6" MH rod is a good place to start for your first BC, but make sure its a rod that has a pretty good tip action to make your casting easier.

A word of advice on buying your first BC - stick with quality, well-known brands...i.e. - Shimano, Daiwa or Abu Garcia. These companies make quality products that will make your first BC experience more enjoyable. Personally, I learned on a Shimano and probably will never own another brand - but, I have fished both Daiwas and Abus and they are quality products as well.

Sorry this was so long, but just wanted to give you my .02 cents as I've been in your shoes before. Matter of fact, I'm taking a guy out this weekend to show him how to use his first BC. Funny thing - he fishes all Pflueger President spinning reels right now too. ;D

bilgerat reply :

You can spin in heavy cover, provided the rod is stout enough. Braid, either by itself or with a suitable leader would raise your success rate in cover a bunch. Braid also performs very well on spinning gear as it doesn't twist and coil like FC or mono.

I fished spinning only for over 30 years before getting a bc rig last winter. Don't let anyone tell you you can't spin in cover, it's done every day.

Your Pfluegers are fine reels with very good drag systems. Now go fishing and have a blast.

K_Mac reply :

After reading BigGame0892's post I will add my $.02 on buying a baitcast reel. Buying a quality reel will make learning a lot easier. Abu, Shimano, or Daiwa have a long proven record of quality products. I would add the BPS Pro Qualifier to the list. You can often find it on sale for $80, but even at $100 (MSRP) it is a very good deal in my opinion. It has both magnetic and centrifugal braking, which makes it very user friendly. Good luck.

BASSclary reply :

Quote
After reading BigGame0892's post I will add my $.02 on buying a baitcast reel. Buying a quality reel will make learning a lot easier. Abu, Shimano, or Daiwa have a long proven record of quality products. I would add the BPS Pro Qualifier to the list. You can often find it on sale for $80, but even at $100 (MSRP) it is a very good deal in my opinion. It has both magnetic and centrifugal braking, which makes it very user friendly. Good luck.

Or the BPS Carbonlite, Its the exact same thing as a Pro Qualifier except its like 3? ounces lighter and its a different color for only 20$ more. Plus it has Nice EVA Foam grips!!

But as stated above, make sure to take your time when buying your first baitcaster. For your first reel, do like everybody else is saying and get a quality reel, its much more easier to learn with! I wouldn't really spend less than $80 MSRP on a baitcast reel, especially for your first one. It will make baitcasting enjoyable. When I was 12 i started out with a Wally World special for my first BC. Bad idea. I was backlashing every cast because the spool stunk, and all the knobs barely functioned. Also try for a bc with centrifugal AND magnetic brakes so you can figure out which one you prefer. (I find most guys are centrifugal fans though 8-))

And remember, make sure when picking out rods, to bring your reel for balancing. Its a must for me. For the $100 price range, i'll recommend a Falcon Bucoo, And ~$150, get a Powell Max or a Dobyns Saavy. For your first rod i'd recommend a MH/F or MH/XF

Red reply :

I will recommend another rod in the $100 range and that is a Lamiglas Excel. There is many different technique specific rods, great warranty, and 100% made in the USA!

TBendBassin reply :

i would recommend getting some bc setups...ALOT! i only own one spinning setup and that is my dropshot rig.. it depends alot on where you are fishing also, i fish toledo bend and sam rayburn, and on these two top east texas lakes baitcasting is preferred over spinning

BobP reply :

Gotta have? No. BC has advantages, like ability to use larger lines and no twisties (semi important with expensive line!). Many experienced fishermen find lure placement easier with BC equipment. Also long casts with C-rigs. Casting under stuff like docks and trees is easier with a spinning rod, and fishing very light baits is certainly easier with a spinning rod. Where you live, I wouldn't be too worried about handling 10 lb bass so spinning rods are capable of doing everything if you want - but you'll be missing some of the fun if you don't learn to use both. They have their respective strengths and weaknesses and complement one another when you need to use both finesse and power presentations.

kllrbee reply :

Thanks guys,

I appreciate all the input and advice.

I realize that I probly wont be catching 10lb bass in my area and I probly could get all my fishing done with spinning gear, but as Bob wrote, I might be missing some of the fun. And thats why I got into fishing. To learn, try new things, and of course, have fun while catching some fish. ;D

So I figured I would add a BC to the arsenal.

I ended up going to Bass Pro (again) cuz its only about 3 miles from my house. I checked out the Pro Qualifier, Carbonlite, Extreme, and Bionic rods. My spin rods are extreme and bionic so I already know what they are like. No complaints with them, but I really felt like I wanted to spoil myself and get something top end (if anything at BPS can even be considered top end). I wanted to get a rod/reel combo, cuz they are discounted if bought together. I liked the Carbonlite rod, but not the reel and I liked the Pro Qualifier reel, but not the rod as much as the Carbonlite. So as I was debating on what I wanted to do, I strolled into the Johnny Morris aisle. I picked up one of the rods and I instantly knew that was the rod I wanted to get. It just felt right.

A little more expensive, but I actually ended up getting a good deal. Funny story. The JM signature rod is 170 and reel is 120, so thats 290, but if bought together, its 240. I actually liked the Elite rod better than the Signature, so I had the guy swap in the Elite and give me the same deal.

When he was writing all the stuff up for the cashier, he wrote on their to take $25 off the rod and $25 off the reel. the cashier must have read it to mean 25% off each. HEEHEE. I ended up getting the JM Elite rod and Signature reel spooled with 14 lb mono for 210, when it really should have cost 320. Nice.

Sorry for that long story, I just love when stuff like that happens. It makes my day to get a good deal.

Anyways, back to the point. Anyone have experience with the JM stuff? Is it a good choice for me to learn on? Any good or bad input is appreciated.

Also, Its a 6'8" MH-F and the 6.4-1 reel. I didnt put too much thought into the line, but I wanted to get something at least a little heavy so I could practice casting. I might go thru a spool just trying to get the hang of it. But is 14lb mono a good choice to rip out of the weeds or should I go 17-20? Id like to use something thats a good compromise b/w spinnerbaits and jigs in the cover and cranks along the edge.

Any tips anyone can give me about how to setup the reel would also help. I will go thru the instructions and do a little research on the web, but I figure you guys could tell me better than anyone else would.

Thanks alot for all the good info and sorry for the long rant. Im just like an excited kid who got a new toy tho. ;D

BASSclary reply :

First off, i think everybody feels really good when they get a new expensive toy ;D And even better when they get a stupendous deal!

You got a nice all around rod and a pretty descent gear ratio!

It should be a nice starter rod and reel combo for you, WAYYY better than what i learnt with.

As far as line when you said ripping through the grass, nothing beats braid. I'd say use the mono for practicing, but when you feel you need to step up your line, I would get some Power Pro 40# line (same line diameter as 8# mono i believe.). Also braid is easier to pickout backlashes.

You should have a small, yet at first difficult, learning curve to expect, so when your first cast goes bad, dont get discouraged and throw your rod at the ground. Patience is key.

Now I figure i'll help explain your baitcasting gear.

ROD: Grip it however it feels comfortable for you

REEL:

Spool tension knob: The spool tension knob is on your cranking side of your reel, and is about the size of a dime. To adjust it, turn the clockwise(towards the rod tip) to tighten the spool tension, and opposite to loosen it. So you may be thinking, what's the right setting? It changes for every lure weight. To set it properly, first, turn your brakes off. Then reel your lure up and let it hang about 6 inches. Hold your rod at about a 40-45 degree angle. Now press down the thumb bar and dont touch the spool. Your lure should fall SLOWLY to ground and when it hits the ground your spool should stop immediately, (at the most, one turn of the spool). If it doesn't fall at all, loosen the spool tension. If it falls really fast, tighten the spool tension.

Brakes: Your new baitcaster has two braking systems, Centrifugal, and magnetic. First of all its important to know they brake in different parts of the cast. I'll start with centrifugal. You'll find the centrifugal breaks under the side cover, attached to the spool. To set/adjust your brakes you have to mave the little plastic tabs. Moving them out will turn them on, moving them in will turn them off. Start with 4 on 2 off. ALWAYS make sure that when you adjust them, when you have one brake on, the one directly across from it has to be on. When do centrifugal breaks work? At the beginning of the cast.

Magnetic Brakes: These are possibly the simplest brakes to use. Just turn the dial on the side of your baitcaster to turn them on high or low, Obviously 10 being more brakes, 0 being less. Magnetic brakes work on the end of the cast to slow the spool down when your lure slows down. Magnetic breaks are also very helpful in the wind so when its windy turn them up!

I think the drag star is pretty self explanatory.

I also recommend picking up a neoprene reel cover, and a rod sock. It prevents dirt and grime from getting into your gear, and well, it keeps your combo looking nice and pretty! ;D ;D

I hope I haven't confused you with my help.

By the way if you have any questions about fishing you can always send me a PM 8-)

RandySBreth reply :

I think you could do two things: First, like most have said, a casting rig should be in your arsenal. There are certain lures that just work more efficiently with casting tackle, like spinnerbaits. Don't get me wrong, I like spinning tackle (more on that in a second) but for "cast and crank" lures I like the ease of casting gear.

As for getting fish out of cover using spinning gear, you just need a little stouter line, at least to start with. I use a couple of different spinning rigs for skipping docks or fishing around heavier cover, and believe me, a MH spinning rig spooled with 6/20 braid and a 15- to 20-pound test fluoro leader can winch fish out of some wicked cover.

kllrbee reply :

Thanks alot Bassclary.

I didnt have time to go out last night and practice casting, but I will today.

One thing I didnt even notice (brainfart) is the whole "switchover" from right to left. I think Im used to right cast, left retrieve from spinning gear. Ill try out the right cast, cup reel with left, retrieve right method with BC before I go exchange for lefty model.

I havent even tried it yet, but it seems that the lefty model would seem "unnatural" somehow.

Ill give it a shot later and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the help guys.

BASSclary reply :

I used to do exactly what you did, cast, switch, retrieve, and well, I didnt like it. And Lefty reels to me felt un-natural also. So what you can do go in your yard and try to cast this way (What I do now)

Put the reel in your left hand (Just like your right when you were casting) and put your right hand at the bottom of the rod. Now if your not a lefty, you will understandably have a not so smooth casting motion. That's where your right hand at the butt of the rod comes into play. Use your right hand to almost make a sort of catapulting effect. and of course use your left hand to thumb the spool.

kllrbee, if my blabber is confusing you I will gladly make a youtube video for you 8-)

Senkoman12 reply :

Quote
Thanks alot Bassclary.
I didnt have time to go out last night and practice casting, but I will today.

One thing I didnt even notice (brainfart) is the whole "switchover" from right to left. I think Im used to right cast, left retrieve from spinning gear. Ill try out the right cast, cup reel with left, retrieve right method with BC before I go exchange for lefty model.

I havent even tried it yet, but it seems that the lefty model would seem "unnatural" somehow.

Ill give it a shot later and see how it goes.

Thanks for all the help guys.

all my bc are lefty, i fished spinning reels for years before i even touch a bc, a righty bc feels weird to me while a lefty feels good in my hands

BASSclary reply :

Its all personal preference

BigGame0892 reply :

BASSclary: great description on how to get started with a BC, there's some great info there! I just took a guy out today to teach him how to use one, and I used a lot of the same instruction.

kllrbee: a couple other tips. Start with your magnetic brakes between 6 and 7. I just adjusted a JM reel today for this guy and it seemed like that was a pretty good setting. Also, on your casting motion beginning with overhead casts - realize that you should use your wrist and forearm more so than your entire arm (a problem a lot of spinning reel and fly rod guys have). Keep your elbow close to your side and just use your wrist and forearm starting out.

One last thing, it helps to feel like you're casting more towards the sky than towards the water at first. A lot of guys try a BC, and end up with the lure/casting plug smashing down in the water/grass right in front of them. After a awhile you'll get the feel for the correct timing and adjust accordingly to how the rod loads up. AND, I believe it helps to start with a lure/casting plug weighing at least 1/2 oz. to minimize backlashes at first and help get the feel.

Anyway, good luck and sounds like you got a great deal!! You'll be pitching and roll casting before you know it!

kllrbee reply :

Thanks alot guys for all your tips.

I finally got to go out to the water today and practice casting.

Pretty simple. Didnt take me more than a few casts in order to get the feel for it. My first cast went about 10 feet in front of me. So I realized I needed my release point to be sooner. I started out with short casts and a heavy lure. Made about 10 overhand casts, then sidearms, trying to go a little longer each time. Then I went to a lighter lure, did the same thing, then lighter, more casts. Ended up with a F3 rapala. No backlash at all.

I had 2 brakes on and the setting set to 3.

So, not to be a smart ***, but am I missing something here? Whats so "hard" about it? Basically, I hold the spool, push button, cast, and catch spool just as lure hits water. My left hand is right there, so I cup reel with left and start to reel with right. Doesnt seem to be very complicated.

It feels like Im doing it right, so am I?

Once again, Im not trying to be a smart guy or a "know it all", but if thats really all there is to it, then I dont know why anyone would be intimidated by the learning curve, cuz its about 10 seconds.

Thoughts?

Thanks guys.

BASSclary reply :

Bravo good job!

And its because not every body takes to it that easy, and when most start they aren't apart of a forum where they can obtain valuable advice. My first reel (a wally world special) didn't even come with instructions as to what the knobs did, so I learnt the hard way. I feel a good percentage of people learnt that way.

And, your starting out with decent gear, most starters in fishing have just picked up a cheap combo at walmart which makes it 1345% harder.

kllrbee reply :

Yup...that makes sense.

Im sure it would have been somewhat tougher if I hadn't had someone to talk me thru it.

Still need to develop a "second nature" for the switch from right to left. But that will come with time. Feels pretty natural tho, so Im going to stick with the RH.

Thanks.

BASSclary reply :

Any time, if you have any other questions you can just shoot me a PM! 8-)

BigGame0892 reply :

Glad to hear its working out well for you! I think your experience will be similar to mine - I started with a Shimano Citica 200D and a lot of advice from guys on this forum and others. It came pretty natural then for me as well.

But, keep working at it. Challenge yourself to make difficult pitches and roll casts - being able to perform those will become invaluable when you have to make the "perfect" cast.

Have Fun!

BobP reply :

If you're going to be fishing mostly weed lines you can go with heavy line - 20 or even 25 lb is not too much. The bites are reaction bites and the fish can't detect line very well in vegetation. Many guys prefer braid for grass fishing because it will cut through grass stems when needed. 30 to 65 lb braid is popular but with braid, you don't want to use snap hook sets like you can with mono because the instantaneous strain at the knot can break even 50 lb braid. Personally, I find fluorocarbon or mono easier to handle so reserve braid and 1+ oz weights for punching through heavy matted vegetation. I had a heck of a time teaching my kids and friends who grew up spincasting how to use a baitcaster. They are used to accelerating the rod tip any ol' way, like using a buggy whip, and that meant endless backlashes until they learned that a smooth controlled cast is necessary for a baitcast reel to perform well. Sounds like you're on the right track. Enjoy!

kllrbee reply :

Thanks guys.

Ill definitley keep practicing and challenge myself. By no means do I think Ive got it mastered.

One thing I was also thinking that has probly helped is the fact i have only started fishing recently. So I havent had years to get "stuck" doing things a certain way. You know the whole "cant teach an old dog new tricks" thing. Everything is new to me so I dont have any old habits to lose. ;D

I will say this tho......Man, I love fishing!!!!

BASSclary reply :

Quote
Thanks guys.
Ill definitley keep practicing and challenge myself. By no means do I think Ive got it mastered.

One thing I was also thinking that has probly helped is the fact i have only started fishing recently. So I havent had years to get "stuck" doing things a certain way. You know the whole "cant teach an old dog new tricks" thing. Everything is new to me so I dont have any old habits to lose. ;D

I will say this tho......Man, I love fishing!!!!

Amen Brother! ;D If you want a challenge try throwing a weightless worm as far as you would a weighted one. If you can do that, you've mastered the cast 8-) for then, then you can do roll casts on both sides of your body. Flip and pitch. IMO Baitcasting is the most versatile casting gear out there.

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Spinning vs. baitcasting....dont kill me 2025

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