Woo Daves and Ken Cook used spin cast reels for some techniques but that was 20+ years ago. If any in the current era are utilizing spin cast gear it's not documented.

Yeah but what about the cane pole?? Surely G-Lomis has a 749$ one out there with Shaw Grigsby's name on it....

My Dad is 91, and never used a baitcaster/bait caster/bait-caster, whatever.

I got him a good one several years ago, but he never got the hang of it, so I bought him a Zebco 33 Platinum.

It's pretty good for a spincast, and I hope to get him out by some water in late November to December.

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As for your reel question: they use bait-caster predominantly for the simple reason they are making cast after cast after cast rapidly. The more casts you make, the more presentations you make, the more fish get to see a lure, and the percentage of strikes goes up accordingly. It's a simple numbers game they are playing. A bait-caster is the only one that makes sense in that scenario since it lays line back on the spool in the same manner it went off - it doesn't twist it.

In the real world, few of us fish in that herky-jerky rapid fire casting style we see the pros doing so much.

Keep in mind also: the pros are selling you something (or trying to): they're sponsored by whatever they're using. That's what all those patches are about. Few of us wear that kind of getup when we're out there on the lake (I have seen some though). They can't make money off trying to convince you to buy an old USA made whatever at the flea market and rebuild that quality reel back to new (or simply clean, lube, & fish).

I have the pros around my dock all the time, year after year (with the big boy cameraman and the whole bit) on Thomas Mill Creek (Lake Eufaula) since it's near the boat ramp and they can plop in and get their film footage with multiple backdrops. Usually they're just filming the casting plop plop stuff for tv - two bridges, old docks, new docks, wooded backdrops - they can get it all done in one whack. One thing is common: whenever I say: "Hey, show me your oldest Zebco" out one comes (usually with a plastic attached). Why? Maybe they're using that when scouting - I really don't know.

In the real world we use whatever suits our style of fishing best and that's that. Cane poles still reign supreme and probably always will for the amount of fish caught with a device so there is that too. Doubt we'll see the pros dibbling though.

I always wondered this next comment/question/observation as well.

A 3-hour bass tournament was on yesterday, Saturday Oct. 29, and it was from April at Eagle Mountain Lake, Ft. Worth.

In watching these fishermen catch, weigh and release so quickly, then recast quickly, has their ever been any question of pro anglers purposely letting a bass go, then trying to catch the same one. Then, very quickly, the man catches his next bass, and it weighs exactly the same as the one he just released?

I know the likelihood is slim, but I've wondered.

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You know that guy that told you there are no dumb questions? He was wrong.

I did say it was highly unlikely.

Thanks and appreciation for the love and support.

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I’ve caught the same fish twice in one day a time or two during the spawn.
Don’t think there are rules against it in catch/weigh/release tournaments. You should probably get bonus points.