Northwest Fishing Reports

What do you prefer to use and when?

For most it depends on the type of Bassin you are doing,..allot use a Spinning-Rig for Drop-Shotting deep and some for Pitching under Docks,..as for me I'm not a D-Shot kinda guy but I do have a set-up on board at all times,..besides that ALL my rigs are Baitcasting! But that's just me!

BB

Finese presentation with light light you need to use spinning reels; others such as cranking and flipping I use bait casters. I fish for smallies at Lake Washington and Sammamish. I have a 50/50 for my arsenal, If I was fishing for largies all the time, I'd probably just have baitcasters. Largies are usually in shallow thick vegetation, you need the heavier line to get them out of there.

Use whatever your comfortable with. I've bass fished for 30 years and always use spinning reels and 8lb test, alot of people think i'm crazy but it works for me, i've caught alot of bass in my days and have only had 2 fish break my line and only one in the last 15 years. just get out on the water and have fun and use what you want or try both. you dont have to be like everyone else, find what works and stick with it. I would have to say a baitcaster works better if your gonna be using jigs.

Spinning reels mostly but this season I decided to pick up the bait caster and learn how to use it. The light lures are still giving me fits but Im doing ok with the heavier ones.

Your bait is going to dictate the rod and reel. I saw a guy say that he only uses a spinning rod and 8 lb. test. That can definitely be done but that means there is a lot of stuff you are not going to fish. You can't flip with 8 lb. line and expect to land fish. You can't fish a frog over mats, fish a big swim bait, or big cranks. I guess if you just want to catch some fish doing one thing then you could definitely get away with one type of rod and reel but not if you are going to effectively versatile.

I fish baitcasters on cranks, spinner baits, most jigs, all top water, and any time I'm flippin.
I fish a spinning reel with tubes, carolina rigs, skipping Senkos, and shakey heads.

Desertcreek wrote:Your bait is going to dictate the rod and reel. I saw a guy say that he only uses a spinning rod and 8 lb. test. That can definitely be done but that means there is a lot of stuff you are not going to fish. You can't flip with 8 lb. line and expect to land fish. You can't fish a frog over mats, fish a big swim bait, or big cranks. I guess if you just want to catch some fish doing one thing then you could definitely get away with one type of rod and reel but not if you are going to effectively versatile.

I fish baitcasters on cranks, spinner baits, most jigs, all top water, and any time I'm flippin.
I fish a spinning reel with tubes, carolina rigs, skipping Senkos, and shakey heads.

well I just caught an 8.2 on 8lb using a swimbait! so there goes that therory. I agree though that baitcasters are better for jigs and heavy plugs.

Now for me to say this is difficult as I am not a fan of the coffee grinders. If you had to use just one reel then I'd say get a spinning reel. When casting light weight baits/lures a bait caster isn't going to cut it. Just make sure you put fishing line designed for spinning reels on it or you'll soon have a mess. That being said, I switch to a bait caster whenever possible. I prefer the line control it gives me and I know that the line won't be twisting if someone accidentally cranks against the drag. And speaking of the drag, I really don't care for the sound a spinning reel makes when line is peeling off of it. I also like the extra forearm support that a proper bait casting rod provides especially when casting all day and tackling bigger fish. Just my 2 cents worth.

G!!!

Desertcreek wrote:Your bait is going to dictate the rod and reel. I saw a guy say that he only uses a spinning rod and 8 lb. test. That can definitely be done but that means there is a lot of stuff you are not going to fish. You can't flip with 8 lb. line and expect to land fish. You can't fish a frog over mats, fish a big swim bait, or big cranks. I guess if you just want to catch some fish doing one thing then you could definitely get away with one type of rod and reel but not if you are going to effectively versatile.

I fish baitcasters on cranks, spinner baits, most jigs, all top water, and any time I'm flippin.
I fish a spinning reel with tubes, carolina rigs, skipping Senkos, and shakey heads.

Ditto - but there is a lot of overlap.

I have a high priced Baitcaster that I use 15 pound Power Pro on, with a fluorocarbon leader, on a 7' ML rod, and I cast for trout a lot (saves my shoulder and fore arm to change up often). I have a 9', ML spinning rod, designed for Steelhead, that I use for Bass on occasion. Rods and Reels are tools, nothing more, nothing less. You would not want to use a table saw to cut studs to length for house framing, and you probably would not want to cast a 8 or 10 inch swim bait, weighing in the ounces, on a spinning rod. Can it be done, sure. Is it the best tool for the job, NO.

I perfer using bait casters over spinning reels, but there is a time and place for for both so I do use them both depending on what the situation calls for.

lemagoat wrote:well I just caught an 8.2 on 8lb using a swimbait! so there goes that therory.

what is this 8lbs lined "swimbait" you speak of? i tell you its NOT a swimbait

swimbaits aren't just enormous. some a 4inch and plastic, so it can be done.

T Dot wrote:

lemagoat wrote:well I just caught an 8.2 on 8lb using a swimbait! so there goes that therory.

what is this 8lbs lined "swimbait" you speak of? i tell you its NOT a swimbait

oh ,really! I forgot you were there! it is 7.5 inches long and weighs 2oz, I think that is considered a swimbait! but.... nevermind I aint gonna waste my time.

the way i understand it, is this baitcaster for line larger than 10lbs and lures that 3/8 oz and bigger,
Spinning reels are used for 8lbs and lighter and 1/4oz lures and smaller

if you ever tried to cast a baitcaster with lighter line you will find you will end up having alot more birds nest and add a lighter lure such as a 1/4oz and you are gonna have a hell of a time. hence the reason you genreally see spinning reels that are not rated for more than 8lb test. IMO

quickfish12 wrote:swimbaits are just enormous. none are 4inch / plastic

ill quote a friend of mine, hopefully i quoted him correctly

mmm hmmmmm

lemagoat wrote:oh ,really! I forgot you were there! it is 7.5 inches long and weighs 2oz, I think that is considered a swimbait! but.... nevermind I aint gonna waste my time.

call it a swimbait - if you will, or if you must. ill call it a senko with a tail. better yet, i shall call it a slugo, or a fluke.

T Dot wrote:

lemagoat wrote:oh ,really! I forgot you were there! it is 7.5 inches long and weighs 2oz, I think that is considered a swimbait! but.... nevermind I aint gonna waste my time.

call it a swimbait - if you will, or if you must. ill call it a senko with a tail. better yet, i shall call it a slugo, or a fluke.

yep, you are the man for sure!

lemagoat wrote:

Desertcreek wrote:Your bait is going to dictate the rod and reel. I saw a guy say that he only uses a spinning rod and 8 lb. test. That can definitely be done but that means there is a lot of stuff you are not going to fish. You can't flip with 8 lb. line and expect to land fish. You can't fish a frog over mats, fish a big swim bait, or big cranks. I guess if you just want to catch some fish doing one thing then you could definitely get away with one type of rod and reel but not if you are going to effectively versatile.

I fish baitcasters on cranks, spinner baits, most jigs, all top water, and any time I'm flippin.
I fish a spinning reel with tubes, carolina rigs, skipping Senkos, and shakey heads.

well I just caught an 8.2 on 8lb using a swimbait! so there goes that therory. I agree though that baitcasters are better for jigs and heavy plugs.

Easy cowboy! You could also cut down a tree with a hammer but why the hell would you. I said in my post it could be done but how efficiently. Let's also clarify what you call a swimbait. A big swimbait would snap 8 pound line on the cast. I caught a striped marlin on a fly rod but it's not the most efficient tool to use for that application. Obviously you can do anything you want but some of this stuff just works better done certain ways. I think that's why they make more than one type of rod, reel,and line.

Desertcreek wrote:

lemagoat wrote:

Desertcreek wrote:Your bait is going to dictate the rod and reel. I saw a guy say that he only uses a spinning rod and 8 lb. test. That can definitely be done but that means there is a lot of stuff you are not going to fish. You can't flip with 8 lb. line and expect to land fish. You can't fish a frog over mats, fish a big swim bait, or big cranks. I guess if you just want to catch some fish doing one thing then you could definitely get away with one type of rod and reel but not if you are going to effectively versatile.

I fish baitcasters on cranks, spinner baits, most jigs, all top water, and any time I'm flippin.
I fish a spinning reel with tubes, carolina rigs, skipping Senkos, and shakey heads.

well I just caught an 8.2 on 8lb using a swimbait! so there goes that therory. I agree though that baitcasters are better for jigs and heavy plugs.

Easy cowboy! You could also cut down a tree with a hammer but why the hell would you. I said in my post it could be done but how efficiently. Let's also clarify what you call a swimbait. A big swimbait would snap 8 pound line on the cast. I caught a striped marlin on a fly rod but it's not the most efficient tool to use for that application. Obviously you can do anything you want but some of this stuff just works better done certain ways. I think that's why they make more than one type of rod, reel,and line.

Agreed, everyone I know calls my plug a swimbait, it's not one of those 9 inch fish you see for 30.00, it's 2oz and 7.5 inches 2 in grub tail on the end and jointed plug. I agree that alot of lures or jigs should be used with baitcasters, I prefer it with jigs but as for me I fish a small boat and dont have room for 10 rods, as I prefer small boat, small lake or slough. I also use some very light surface lures that I cannot cast well with baitcasters. so I choose the spinning reel bec. I can use everything I want, I just bought a new pfleuger reel that came with 2 spools and one has 12lb that I will use my large plugs with. all I was saying to the orig. poster was do what you feel comfortable with. there is so many people on here that watch way to much TV and fishing shows and look down on people for using spinning reels or light line, they think you have to be like the guys on TV to be considered serious. I laugh at those people bec. i'm the total oppisite and I catch alot of fish everytime out.