I once had a guide on Falcon refuse to let me take my spinning reel on his boat. Said, "I don't like those coffee grinders".

I'll use a spinning reel in the winter when I'm fishing lighter line with smaller slabs. I don't even keep the two that I have in the boat all the time.

Spinning reels are the only way to go for sandbas and hybrids. I couldnt imagine using anything else for linesiders. I use the Cabelas Prestige 3000, its an awesome reels. There is no way one can cast farther with a bait caster than a spinning reel. Line coming off the spool freely offers less friction than a spool that is on a shaft with bearings, even the smoothest bearings build friction. If they didtnt cast farther, spinning reels wouldnt be the only reels in casting distance competitions.

I keep one spinning reel in my boat for my wife. So I asked her can I throw my baitcaster farther than her: Her answer was "heck yes" well not really those words LOL. I personally have no probs with spinners, but there is no way you could fish the way I do for sandies, with a spinner.

I push my button possibly 4 to 10 times as I'm working a slab in to keep it close to the bottom. You would hate that with a spinner, flipping that bail and all.

They are great for just chunking and winding at nothing, but beyond that, I have no use for them!

Check my boat

They both have their place, but I find myself using spinning more & more.

I wanted to drop my 2 cents since there is one BIG problem with using spinning gear especially when live bait fishing for bigger fish.

I use both baitcasting (with Left hand retrieve) and spinning interchangeably while using live bait and artificials for Hybrids and Stripers. I believe the bait casting reels have a much more dependable and smooth drag, but they are more difficult for amateurs and beginners to use. The big problem with spinning reels is that they develop "line twist" when kids and amateurs catch a 5 lb or bigger Hybrid/Striper. The line twist is caused when the reel handle is being turned at the same time the drag is being pulled by the fish. The problem occurs on all subsequent drops of the down line (might even wrap on the tip if not careful) until you cut off the terminal tackle and get the twist out of the line and possibly replace the leader.

I just thought of one other disadvantage which I experienced in salt water fishing in California. When you are fly lining (free-lining) a live bait for tuna or bonito and a fish grabs your bait you sometimes cannot get the bail to close because the line is going out so fast and you may miss a hookset. Open party boats in California look at spinning gear with much disdain.

Brian

I luv to fish spin reels. Use them to throw light weight topwaters or bunjee bubbles in the wind. I have two shimano spirex reels with TFO 7" medium heavy. Going to try a 7'6" heavy TFO spin rod and a much nicer spin reel soon.

If you have not fished the TFO rods u mite want to! They are GREAT

FYI I get zero for pimp'n TFO

www.tforods.com

everyone is kidding, you are the only one.

Hey Mike you typed my screen name, Thanks!!! Kidding aside those rods sound awesome I took a look at them, and not too bad a price!!!

And everyone is kidding, you're truly the only one LOL!!!

"I once had a guide on Falcon refuse to let me take my spinning reel on his boat. Said, "I don't like those coffee grinders"."

What do you want to bet he is either a HUNGRY GUIDE OR AN EX-GUIDE???

I would refuse to pay him. Hit the jerk where it hurts. Bet he doesn't have that rule in todays economy. What was his name so I can avoid using him??

WOW I have been using TFO fly rods for years. I'm glad they are expanding, now the rest of the fishing world can see what the flyfishermen have been raving about for years. I guest I will have to start converting over.

I use spinning reels for everything from crappie to Amberjacks and big offshore game. Anyone that says spinnes can't cast further and aren't as smooth and doesn't have a smoother drag, is using the wrong spinning reels. There are drawbacks to using spinners however. Line twist, accidental bail flips, and having no manually flip your bail over everytime you drop. HOWEVER, the biggest reason why spinners are better to me anyways, Is because of ZERO backlash. I always laugh at my buddies when we pull up to a school of fish going apechit on top of the water, and they backlash on the second cast. By the time they get it figured out....fish are gone! LOL