07-15-2013, 12:39 PM
I think what it boils down to, is it's time for you to make a decision. You're about to hit information over load, and that is going to frustrate you. I can tell you that the information I've provided you is from 20 years of Saltwater and freshwater experience. If there is any doubt, just have a gander at my photo album. I specifically light tackle fish for species well outside the typical load range of my gear with heavy braid and light rods and reels.
Fishing gear is like any other piece of equipment, you get what you pay for. If you buy a 40 dollar reel, you're going to get 40 dollars worth of service out of it. There are some exceptions to that rule, but VERY few. Here are the FACTS:
1. There is no perfect reel that does it all. You need the right reel for the right conditions.
2. Spinning reels of equal proportions will outcast bait casting reels 110% of the time, period.
3. Before you select your reel, consider what your primary target species will be with it, and how you'll be fishing with the gear. You don't buy the rod and reel and then try to make it work for something it wasn't designed to do.
4. Trial and error is your best teacher. We can give you all the information in the world, but there is no replacement for experience. It's a shame you don't have someone close by that will allow you to play with their bait casting equipment before you make a purchase.
5. A biggie for me, spinning reels produce more drag pressure.
I actually started out with bait casting equipment years ago. I remember as a teenager casting an anchor line out off a pier with a 11 foot surf rod and a Penn #9 spooled with 20 lb test. King fishing from a pier, the anchor line was critical, as it set you up for how far out you could send your fighting line. I could sing a 5 oz anchor over 150 yards off the end of a pier with that set up. That was all before I ever handled a spinning rod. When I first started using spinning equipment, I hated it. Of all laim excuses, I didn't like them because I couldn't throw one strait. But now, it's almost all I use. It's even aggravating when i'm fishing offshore. Over the last 4 years, I've successfully removed all my conventional equipment with all steel frame spinning reels. My main gripe? The conventional (over sized bait casting) equipment let the lures/ bait rigs down too slow. With spinning gear, it was like free falling, no resistance. When you're fishing in 120' of water, and you have to wait for your bait to hit bottom, you really notice the subtle differences.
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Fishing gear is like any other piece of equipment, you get what you pay for. If you buy a 40 dollar reel, you're going to get 40 dollars worth of service out of it. There are some exceptions to that rule, but VERY few. Here are the FACTS:
1. There is no perfect reel that does it all. You need the right reel for the right conditions.
2. Spinning reels of equal proportions will outcast bait casting reels 110% of the time, period.
3. Before you select your reel, consider what your primary target species will be with it, and how you'll be fishing with the gear. You don't buy the rod and reel and then try to make it work for something it wasn't designed to do.
4. Trial and error is your best teacher. We can give you all the information in the world, but there is no replacement for experience. It's a shame you don't have someone close by that will allow you to play with their bait casting equipment before you make a purchase.
5. A biggie for me, spinning reels produce more drag pressure.
I actually started out with bait casting equipment years ago. I remember as a teenager casting an anchor line out off a pier with a 11 foot surf rod and a Penn #9 spooled with 20 lb test. King fishing from a pier, the anchor line was critical, as it set you up for how far out you could send your fighting line. I could sing a 5 oz anchor over 150 yards off the end of a pier with that set up. That was all before I ever handled a spinning rod. When I first started using spinning equipment, I hated it. Of all laim excuses, I didn't like them because I couldn't throw one strait. But now, it's almost all I use. It's even aggravating when i'm fishing offshore. Over the last 4 years, I've successfully removed all my conventional equipment with all steel frame spinning reels. My main gripe? The conventional (over sized bait casting) equipment let the lures/ bait rigs down too slow. With spinning gear, it was like free falling, no resistance. When you're fishing in 120' of water, and you have to wait for your bait to hit bottom, you really notice the subtle differences.
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