Why us a baitcaster instead of a spinning reel??

[Phil the Sparky]

This may be a silly question but why do some ppl use bait casters and some use spinnig reels??

I have seen a fair few fresh water fishos using baitcasters when fishing for bass etc and I was wonder why pretty much. I am going to start doing a few trips out to dams and was wonder if its a worth while investment to get a half decient baitcaster combo??

Any info will be much appriciated

Phil.

[Scott nthQld]

Its just a comfort thing for me. Much easier casting and twitching a bc all day than using a spin combo.

[Jabiru658]

I can't speak for anyone else... but I get more tangles with a baitcaster than with an egg beater so I use a spinning reel.

This doesn't mean bait casters are inherently more prone to tangles, just that I suck at 'bait caster' :)

[FNQCairns]

Because if casting lots you can do it one handed without even thinking and that's important for freshwater bass/barra fishos LOL!.

Baitcasters also allow the user to feather the spool for precise placement of lures, for example to get under that overhang a low and fast cast with twice the force to usually cast the distance is needed, feathering the reel will make it happen without fuss...especially so for lighter lures.

[URAGANGI]

Yep baitcasters all the way, But I must admit they do take time to master...Try to think of using your rod like a good golf swing.....First gently power up with the swing and gently release the swing using your thumb as a brake to gently dampen down extra spool rotation so your bait or lure will land spot on target. Also think of your thumb as an A.B.S breaking system would be in a vehicle , gentle pulse like taps on the spinning spool is all that is needed.
Try watching your lure or bait in flight after casting, This may help you with judgement of spool speed as the bait is traveling towards it's targeted zone.

A more gracefull well timed action of a swing will out perform a grunt of swing most times. A well seviced overhead or baitcaster reel can be used with less effort and is truelly a pleasure to use. Hope this helped?

[tunaticer]

Well I have been an avid baitcaster user for nearly 40 years and these days I find my baitcasters get less and less use and my spin numbers have increased dramatically. If i was throwing hard bodies around all day for jacks and barras I would opt for a baitcaster, for plastics i use spin almost exclusively. For livebaits I use spin but for livebait spinning I use a baitcaster.

For me it is the comfort factor for the job at hand, lots of casting lures that are 15 grams or more it is a baitcaster. Anything lighter and spin comes back to the job.

[NormC]

I've progressively moved all my reels over to baitcasters. For flicking lures, they are simply better - more control, one hand operation, better balance.
For live baiting, my bigger baitcaster gives me much more confidence in terms of power and control than my best spinning reel. For trolling, by lever action baitcaster is better than any spinning reel I have used.

My wife (also a keen fisher) uses baitcasters for everything except live baiting, where she uses a baitrunner (probably because I bought it for her for Christmas). She previously used a spinner for flicking lures due to fear of baitcasters, but now that she can handle the baitcaster, she would never touch a spinner for this purpose.

The key to baitcasters is a well balanced set up, practice and confidence. And spending a few $ more for a better quality reel is well worth it for lure flicking. The difference between a $100 reel and a $200 one is amazing. For under $300 you can get excellent reels, thanks to the strength of our dollar.

Norm C

[PNG1M]

Baitcasters are more compact too and I like the way they can fit neatly into a stubbie cooler inside your tackle bag (for obvious reasons).

With smaller dimensions than spinning reels, with no bail arm or handle poking out to clutter things up I find them nice & manageable. As stated in the posts above the mechanics of casting are simple and there is less fatigue over a long casting session or if going from spot to spot & casting maybe a hundred times at each location.

You just wind in so the lure is hanging the desired distance from the rod tip, then release the spool with a light push of your thumb, and cast away. No messing around with flipping the bail arm over and holding the line against something.

I've learned to cast forehand, backhand & straight over the top to access different approaches when targeting precise spots or if one side of the boat is against a bush or something and only one angle is available for the cast.

Backhand is good to know if another angler is standing near you in the same boat, so you don't need to worry about your lure flicking past his head all the time.

When winding in using a baitcaster, especially under pressure (eg with a png black bass on the other end) you can easily adjust the drag - mine have star drag - as it is positioned adjacent to the handle.

Plus with a baitcaster you feel more direct contact through the reel, to the fish.

IMHO

[snodger 08]

Hi Phil,
I have both. I mainly used the baitcasters where I need to be accurate castig around snags etc. But I used the spinning reels for bait fishing and when I need to get that extra distance like when casting lures, blades, slugs and stuff out in the open where it is better to get as much distance as you can.
I do like using the baitcaster more though. Nice and comfy to use.
Steve