Goose customers are always asking us "What is the best choice for fishing on Cape Cod -a revolving spool baitcasting reel or a fixed spool spinning reel?" The answer is they each excel at different aspects of casting and fishing, but there are definitely specific fishing scenarios when one is actually better than the other in a general sense. The best choice for you? That depends entirely on how you fish, what you plan to fish with most often , where you plan to fish and what size lures you generally tend towards. In this article, we’ll explain in more detail why those issues matter in deciding whether a baitcaster or a spinning reel is a better choice for your fishing style.
We can begin the discussion by running through the pros and cons of both style of reels and then then compare metrics such as casting distance, drag, line size, lure weight and other issues.
Baitcasters Pros and Cons
Baitcasters , undeservedly, have a reputation of being difficult to learn how to cast. This was more true 30-40 years ago when the Penn Squidder was the pinnacle of bait casting technology. They could backlash easily, even in the most capable of hands.
Todays mid priced to high end bait casters are so precision manufactured and have so many fine casting settings, that it can actually be difficult to backlash them when dialed in on the proper settings. A little instruction from someone that uses them regularly never hurts either and can take months or years off the learning curve. The Pro Staff at the Goose all use them and are happy to get you set up properly.
So, let's begin with the Pros- casting conventionally weighted or heavy lures with a heavier lb test line than you can with a spinning reel. This is comes in real handy when you will be targeting and battling with large fish, particularly large fish that you need to move away from and out of heavy cover or obstructions without breaking your line.
Baitcasters allow for more direct control of the lure on your cast, especially in the case of short range finesse casting presentations. On a spinning reel, a heavier lure/ line combo can make for a clunky, loud cast. The ability to feather the spool with your thumb on a baitcaster and get your bait in and out of likely casting targets with relatively little noise or ruckus.
The biggest pro for bait casters? You can achieve greater casting distance with mid weight to heavy lures on heavier line with a baitcaster because the spool unwinds the line for you as opposed to the friction of the line ripping against the spool of a spinning reel takes away from its overall distance with similar sized line.
The big Con?- it’s easy to backlash a baitcaster if you use too light a lure and fail to adjust the settings on your reel. A bait caster generally is not proficient at casting ultra light lures...that's what spinning reels were invented for.
Conventional Baitcasters will almost always be a hassle for casting very light lures because the breakaway inertia to get the spool starting to spin is too great and light lures really struggle to get the spool spinning at the correct speeds . As a general notion, a run of the mill baitcasting reel will struggle with lures under 1/4 ounce in freshwater and under an ounce in saltwater.
Spinning Reels
As stated above, Spinning reels are the best choice for casting light lures on lighter lines. If you load up 10-pound braid on a spinning reel with a medium to medium light rod , you can cast a 1/8 ounce jig half way across the pond. It would cast about 20 feet on a similarly rigged baitcaster and likely backlash as well.
Spinning reels are also easier to cast without worrying about spool spin speeds, startup inertia, lure weight, wind, etc. The only skill you need to acquire is the timing and feel to know when when to let go with your finger.
Conversely, spinning reels struggle to perform as well with heavier lines/ lure combos. The heavier the line gets, the heavier your lures have to be to throw them. So if you want 20 pound mono , you’re going to have to have to upsize your lures significantly.
Spinning reels have their own unique set of line fouling properties- particularly with lighter mono and braids. A line coming off a stationary spool in contrary moving loops creates twisting and unless a top quality snap swivel is used, maddening line fouling can result.
Distance Casting
As mentioned above and all else being equal, fisherman will generally be able to cast lighter lures farther on a spinning set up than a baitcasting gear. But, fisherman, all else being equal, will generally throw heavier lures farther with more accuarcy and better presentation on a baitcaster. When you get proficient at setting the baitcasters myriad end brakes , tension settings, and you develop better feel with your thumb control, you can realize much greater casting distances with baitcasters because the revolving spool and many ball bearings continually feed out line during the cast at consistent speed.
A small-diameter braid can somewhat level the playing field for spinning gear. A 10-pound braid on a spinning reel can give you maximum casting distances with a variety of lures. Even a 20-pound braid casts well on a spinning reel. But when you get to 40-pound braid or 15-pound mono or fluoro, the scale tips back to the baitcaster for casting distance. Again it’s friction on the spool and guides on a spinning reel spool that is stationary as opposed to a spinning spool that is feeding line on a baitcaster.
Baitcaster vs Spinning Reel for Beginners
While casting a new model baitcaster is nowhere near as difficult as it's made out to be, learning how to cast a spinning reel requires far less practice and settings to be concerned about on the reel.You only really need know when to let go of the line on your forward cast.
No doubt about it, casting a baitcasting reel requires a little more practice and instruction to become proficient, but once you acquire the skill sets of controlling spool speed with your end brake, mag settings and thumb, you can have a more flexible fishing tool that will let you do more things while you are fishing.
Most fisherman don't do an either or- they own both styles and use one or the other depending on how they are fishing.
Start or join the discussion on the Goose Hummock Fishing Forum here
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