Do You Use Spinning Reels?

[MK49]

MK49,
try dropping down to 20/6 or 15/4 braid.

Yeah, if I decide to keep using it, I'd order thinner braid. I took the spinning tackle twice, and the last time, I left it at home, and I didn't feel like I was missing it, except for this. I was using the same 1/16oz shaky head with the same Keitech 4" shad with the baitcaster with an 8lbs mono. I missed more fish, when I set the hooks. On the first day with the spinning, I missed only one of the bites that I could detect. With the baitcaster, I caught the first bass, but missed the next few. Maybe, because the braid doesn't stretch. Or, maybe, the fish weren't as active.

[RMCatchNrelease]

In open water, I no longer use or want to even touch a spinning rod. Even for say a Ned rig. The baitcaster is simply easier to manage the line and over the course of a day, it adds up.

For trout fishing in rivers and creeks. I have to stick with spinning. The main reason here is casting. The spinning rod allows me to cast in and around the brush better.

My favorite stream cast came from years of Zebco33 fishing. Holding the rod in my left hand, line held in my right just in front of the reel handle...and you pendulum cast, kinda like a pitch skip. Good for accurate little cast and getting under over hangs.

The times I tried BFS, I caught bushes on my back cast and overall felt limited without wading in the water to clear the brush.

After years of chasing BFS, I am back to Majorcraft Solid tip 64UL and 2000C Stradic. Tough to beat on a stream with #4 straight floro.

[MK49]

An update: After not used a spinning reel for 15+ years, I used a spinning tackle in two trips. It actually made me realize the finesse baits (like 1/16oz shaky head) worked fine with my BFS tackle. So, for the last ten trips, I didn't bring my spinning tackle, and I didn't miss it. I'm a power fisherman, mostly a topwater guy, but the tough fishing in this year made me use a spinning tackle to see if I could catch more. It did work. To me, "finesse" usually means 1/4oz poppers like a Megabass Pop X or a small Pop R. But, this time, I tried a real finesse. That was actually good, because I haven't done any soft plastic finesse for 15 years. I used a 1/16oz shaky head with a Keitech 4" Shad and a 1/8oz wacky jig head with a Jackall Flick Shake or a 5" Yamamoto Kut Tail. I started catching more fish, after the topwater bite died, and I don't get many top water bites now in the late Oct.

All those finesse baits don't require a spinning tackle, and it's been working fine with my BFS tackle. Now, I'm actually thinking about trying a drop shot for the first time in 25 years. I read about it in a Japanese magazine around 1996, and I tried it once. Caught a few fish in 15min, but it was boring. The same thing with the Neko rig. I used it once about 15 years ago, and caught some bass. Then, stopped using it. This year, I've been fishing about four days a week, and I'll probably keep doing it in the winter. So, it's probably good time to try those technique + a free rig, which I haven't tried.

It's been a strange year with the super low water level. A lake I used to fish everyday for a few years have gotten very low. The bottoms of trees that used to be under the water are now like 120 yards from away the bank. I remember they drained the water to repair the dam about 20 years ago. It's even lower than that time. A few ponds I used to fish don't even have any water now. It's just sad. I'm hoping we'll get some rain this winter. At least, I'm still catching some bass, so I should be happy.

[jrk]

I really wonder if newer spinning reels are better than my 20yrs old Daiwa spinning reel.

They are - Certate, Exist, TP, Stella - pick your poison. Get yourself some YGK x8 Upgrade in 22lb and don't look back.

This 100%. Do yourself a favor and ditch the 40lb braid...awful heavy and will loose distance.
Grab some 1.5 YGK X8 Upgrade, run your leader of choice, and with the right rod, you'll throw a weightless senko across your preferred body of water...effortlessly. And I agree with previous comments regarding Crazy Alberto joins being best...easy, fast and over the last 10 years or so, never let me down.

[reason162]

So, for the last ten trips, I didn't bring my spinning tackle, and I didn't miss it.

So your experiment consisted of a 15+yo flooger filled with 40lb braid - I wouldn't miss it either, and ofc you went back to your baitcasters

[SteveSchmelzle]

good luck man...I tried to point that out.

[MK49]

So, for the last ten trips, I didn't bring my spinning tackle, and I didn't miss it.

So your experiment consisted of a 15+yo flooger filled with 40lb braid - I wouldn't miss it either, and ofc you went back to your baitcasters

Yeah, that's pretty much it. I just feel more comfortable with the baitcasters. But, like I said, the spinning experiment was worth it. I started using a new (to me) technique like the wacky jig head and something I hadn't used for 15+ years, the shaky head with a 10+ years old Daiwa PX68 baitcaster.

Wow, I just realized that I haven't bought any reel for at least 10 years. I have 6 Steez and about a dozen more baitcasters, and they're all 10+ yrs old. The oldest one is 42yrs old. I think the PX68 is the newest. I'm outdated. In fact, I caught a few fish with a 40yrs old Heddon Meadow Mouse this morning.

[MK49]

I really wonder if newer spinning reels are better than my 20yrs old Daiwa spinning reel.

They are - Certate, Exist, TP, Stella - pick your poison. Get yourself some YGK x8 Upgrade in 22lb and don't look back.

This 100%. Do yourself a favor and ditch the 40lb braid...awful heavy and will loose distance.
Grab some 1.5 YGK X8 Upgrade, run your leader of choice, and with the right rod, you'll throw a weightless senko across your preferred body of water...effortlessly. And I agree with previous comments regarding Crazy Alberto joins being best...easy, fast and over the last 10 years or so, never let me down.

Thanks for the input. I'll come back to this thread for all the info I've been given, when I decide to try a spinning again.

[passion4perch]

I find that for finesse applications i prefer spinning gear over baitcasters, both with soft and hard bait. I use 6-8 pound braid and 6-10 foot flourocarbon leader on my setups but looking to swap one of the reels out to straight fc line because of the extra sensitivity fc offers with light jig heads on slack line over braid.

[SteveSchmelzle]

I have a friend who is a bfs nut.

has spend $$$$$'s on stuff.

he can't outcast me (distance or accuracy) with my 6' light action spinning rod and 1500 sized reel.

[Just_Bass]

I use spinning gear only for Neko Rig and glide some Ned Rig. I don’t think nowadays with shallow spool bait caster reel, weight is a main issue to use either ones. Holding the rod with my finger on my dominant hand make me move/twist the lure easier and more precise.

[John2204]

I think it all comes down to line, if I am using straight mono or floro, then baitcasting is far better, but braid to leader works great on a spinning rod. I do more inshore fishing for redfish than bass fishing, but a 2500 or 3000 reel with 10 lb braid to a 20 lb leader on a med or med lt spinning rod works great for reds trout and flounder here in Florida.

[DirtyD64]

I think it all comes down to line, if I am using straight mono or floro, then baitcasting is far better, but braid to leader works great on a spinning rod. I do more inshore fishing for redfish than bass fishing, but a 2500 or 3000 reel with 10 lb braid to a 20 lb leader on a med or med lt spinning rod works great for reds trout and flounder here in Florida.

I get this. I'd be fine only using fluoro on casting reels and fine only using braid for spinning. Only time I need something else is for topwater (mono) and frogs (heavier braid).

[new2BC4bass]

1. Do you like spinning reels?
Grew up on them. Prefer casting reels.

2. Do you use braided lines with them?
On some, but prefer mono.

3. How often do you use them?
Almost never anymore.

4. Are the newer spinning reels much better than 15 ~ 20 years old reels?
See 3 above. I do enjoy my old Penn 430SS. Not so much my Daiwas from the same era.

[bassfanatick]

As much as I love using my baitcaster, when the condition is windy and gusty you can't beat a spinning reel, fact.