Todd responded

But generally speaking, baitcasting is much more accurate, and no way does a spinning reel have more control than does a baitcaster.

With a baitcaster you have pinpoint line control, you can control how much "belly" is purposely cast into the line much easier, and you can literally "cast around corners" with a baitcaster, and casting distance control is a brush of the thumb away.

I find that spinning rods are best for 1. rookies (no annoying backlashes), and 2. casting very light packages, like a small float and jig with no additional weight, or free drifting small egg clusters, or driftfishing a fly with a few split shot, no float jigging for coho/pinks, or 3. fishing in very confined areas where your backcast room is very limited, or non-existent.

And that's just the casting part...even with the great strides in design and engineering of spinning reels over the last decade, good casting reels have better drags, much better line capacity, and hands down are better in every way for float fishing (except for the above example of a very light jig, float, and no weight).

Float fishing, you can let out line at precisely the rate you want, have exactly NO slack in the belly, and clamp with your thumb and set the hook at a moment's notice. They also handle braided line much better (and anyone who has yet to discover the virtues of braided line when float fishing really, really needs to...it's the most revolutionary advance in float fishing since the long rod).

Spinning reels, of course, are much easier to master...but won't get you nearly as far as being proficient with a bait caster. I learned to cast as a young buck with a bait caster, and it's one of the best things I could have done for myself as a young steelheader...


This is exactly right and the very reason for my interest in an 1141c.
Thanks, Todd and good luck.

spinning is not more accurate than casting generally,but with light set ups ,spinning is much more accurate

You simply cannot cast a three or four bee-bee side-drifting slinky far enough---accuracy aside---with a bait casting reel. Baitcasters are the WRONG equipment application for side-drifting, bottom line. Put sacred preference for baitcasters aside and try a spinning reel for one season and you *will* understand.

One more thing...

There's side drifting, and there's side drifting.

If you are fishing 100 yard runs on the Sky, Cowlitz, or Lewis, or something like that, then all of the "concerted effort" issues come into play, along with the relative abilities of the multiple casters, the abilities of the guy running the kicker, etc.

If you are side drifting the Sauk (one of my favorite things to do), then you are pitching pink worms with heavy weights twenty feet into bucket size holes in log jams, hitting the bottom, and jigging it out in a way that would make Jimmy Houston proud...while the man on the oars is expertly holding, slipping, and sliding back and forth.

A couple spinning reels would have you decorating the trees like a pack of five year olds at Christmas!

There's also steelhead fishing, and there's steelhead fishing...

There's stalking the banks of pretty little rivers, stealing fish from little pockets and seams that would make the Artful Dodger of Dickens fame blush with humility.

There's floating a rough and tumble river in a drift boat, sneaking up on wildlife and landing fish on gravel bars that haven't seen the foot of a man that didn't get out of drift boat for decades.

Then there's ripping up and down long runs in a sled, like last minute shopping at a grocery store on Thanksgiving morning, in a boat that looks like a spy satellite with twelve antennae, taking fish off the conveyor belt at the end of the factory assembly line.

Connect the dots as to which rods work better for each situation, and you'll discover another clue as to why I prefer baitcasters!



Merry Christmas, everyone!

Fish on...

Todd

See Todd a 1307 or 1308 would work just fine!

Todd,
I like it. I can tell you put some thought into your side drifting post. Nice.

I have not typed any thing in this site in a while but this thread needs a answer

I learned to fish for trout in small streams with spinning rods as a kid with two grandfathers, also flyfishing. I can cast in to small pockets of water behind trees and logjams and around corners, ever under brush hanging over the bank. casting rods were for trolling from boats becouse no one can cast with the damm things. it was not until i moved to texas and bass fishing that i even concidered buying a casting reel. I tried to learn that thing for two months and then threw it in a box. I still have it and only use it for trolling for trout with down riggers.

It was not until i moved here three years ago that i started using a casting rod for salmon that i learned to use the damm things. its still hard but iam pretty good with them if i have it set right and thats the key to sucess with casting reels.

its a matter of what you grew up with and what are you doing with it. I would never fish spoons with any thing but a spinning rod,. I am just not good enough with a casting reel to do it. and any one that thinks a spinning rod is easy to master is dead wrong , its just easy to learn, not master.

nonsense! I use a baitcaster for every possible scenario, including the lightest of lead. I wouldn't be caught dead using a spinner, and I have absolutely no trouble with accuracy or distance. I feel like such a gomer using a spinning reel. I can see no reason, under any circumstance, to ever use one (spinning real).

Just my opinion and I hope I didn't offend anybody on Christmas.

ST,
I would never fish spoons with anything but a baitcaster. It is the only way I can get the spoon to "flutter" downriver. It's sort of like flying a kite upside down. If casting BC steel's or lil' Cleo's you may want to revisit the baitcaster. You will be able to extend your drift by thumbing the reel and maintain that lovely dancing thumping action. I can use either a spinning rod or a baitcaster in most situations but when spoon fishing I must have a baitcaster. I would agree that both are easy to learn but difficult to master.

I to let the spoon fluter and allow more line to come off the reel with my fingers. like i said you can do it with a bait caster becouse you learned with it. i can do the same with a spinning rod becouse thats what everyone i grew up with did. its easy to learn either reel but hard to master either reel. one is not better then the other.

Confidence is the #1 thing. I'm glad it works for you! I've never mastered the open bail finger thing.

the rod is still for sale.

btw-I've used that rod for a years now and have had no issue hooking and landing plenty of steelhead with it...all from the bank...on hook size 2 through 8 n.s. black gami's.

I hate to sell the rod and wont be disapointed if nobody picks it up but I've used it once in the past year and dont see myself using it anytime soon as I just dont fish terminal tackle all the much anymore (a few times a year).