Baitcaster Versus Spinning Reel: the Pros and Cons
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Baitcast Reels – the Low Down
There are many experienced anglers who prefer to use baitcast reels — also known as baitcasters — over spinning reels due to the fact that they offer unparalleled precision and control and therefore demand a high skill level to generate just enough power of inertia to move the rotating spool.
- Ease of use: moderate to difficult
- Spool Type: Inline
- Skill Level Required: Advanced
- Accuracy: High
- Casting Distance: High
- Great for: Heavy lines or heavy lures
Pros
One of the most important things when it comes to fishing is accuracy and that’s exactly what the baitcast reels will offer you. Even the slightest of errors can end with you going home empty-handed or with an amount of fish that’s hardly worth it for all your time and effort. To really refine your fishing skills, you need a reel that will be unforgiving, a reel that will teach you to place your bait at the perfect spot and avoid hitting a snag with your lure at all costs. Baitcasters are also generally more durable than their spinning reel counterparts making it easier for you to use them over a long period of time without compromising on performance due to wear and tear.Cons
The accuracy and durability that baitcasting reels offer you don’t come cheap. Most quality reels don’t go a cent below $100. When trying to increase your accuracy with baitcasters, you’ll need to be extremely focused and have a lot of patience. Many anglers become frustrated when using this type of reel. More experienced anglers may not be as susceptible as they have already learned all the tricks such as the fact that you need to halt the spool as soon as you drop the bait. Without this knowledge, you could end up spending a whole day trying to make the right cast since the line will continue to roll out and tangle itself up. Another thing worth noting is that you won’t be able to use anything but heavier lures when trying to fish with baitcasters. It’s this limitation that makes spinning reels more preferable in the eyes of others. It may not be a good idea for beginners to use baitcasters as it takes time to learn how to use your thumb to control the line speed. Failing to do this will run the risk of backlash occurring. Backlash causes the line to tangle if it moves too fast or is cast in an awkward manner.Spinning Reel
Virtually every angler you’ll talk to will say that they’ve used a spinning fishing reel at one point or another and most will even say that they use spinning reels on their main rods. It’s a great choice for trying to catch redfish, bass, crappie, and other species of small or medium-sized fish. It has a fixed spool under the rood. You’ll need to use the weight of the bait, tackle, or lure to pull out the line.
- Ease of use: Easy to moderate
- Spool Type: Open / Fixed Upright
- Skill Level Required: Beginner to intermediate
- Accuracy: Moderate
- Casting Distance: Moderate
- Great for: lighter lines, lures, and rigs
Pros
Unlike baitcasters, the spinning reel is highly compatible which makes it a popular choice amongst inexperienced anglers. You can use spinning reels to cast a wide range of tackles. Most anglers use live bait and artificial lures with spinning reels. It’s rather simple to use a spinning reel and has a decent casting distance. Spinning reels can hold more line than their baitcasting counterparts and you can change the spool with very little effort to replace the line.Cons
It doesn’t take quite as much effort reeling in with a spinner than when you’re using a baitcaster. This may make it hard to pace reeling in lures due to overly sensitive and light action. You can use spinning reels to cast virtually anything that you have with you. That said, you’ll quickly find that spinning reels are only suitable for light tackling and bait due to the fact that it has a rather light construction. If you use spinning reels to catch fish that are on the heavier side of the scale — say 10 pounds or more — it could result in a snapped rod. Rod’s designed for spinners tend to be less rigid and more prone to damage from tension. They are also far less precise when compared to the baitcast reels that you’d find at the same price point. No Real (not reel) Clear Winner….Yet With all these factors, it’s easy to see that there is no clear winner between the two types of reels. Both the baitcaster and spinning reels are dependent on the skill and experience of the angler wielding them along with the type of fish you’re trying to catch and even personal preferences. Spinning reels are more appropriate for beginners if you enjoy finesse fishing and have enough patience. That said, even anglers with minimal experience can find the baitcast reels suitable for use after a little practice time with one. Ultimately, the choice is yours. All you have to do is choose a reel that suits your fishing style and is most appropriate for the situation that you’re in. Whether that’s a spinning reel or a baitcaster remains to be seen.Differences in Action
Baitcasting reels can provide great advantages over spinning reels after you’ve learned the technique needed to wield them. The drag system functions far better due to the fact that the line never turns and instead comes straight off of the spool. Spinning reels without premium drag can tighten on their own or even slip and catch at the bail making it much more likely that your line will break. Spinning reels have a learning curve that’s less steep than that of the baitcasters and they’re easier to cast which makes them more suited to beginners who want to pick up fishing as a hobby. That’s not to say that spinning reels don’t have their own sets of drawbacks and challenges.Challenges Faced With Each Reel Type:
Backlash
Baitcasting reels are notorious for forming bird’s nest knots whenever the spool travels faster than the release of the line. Whenever such an event occurs, there are two things that can happen. The entire wrap of the line could come loose from the spool or the line might wrap over itself until it catches, tightens, and forms knots in your spool. Obviously, neither case is very desirable.