2012—Year of the Spinning Reel?
Originally Published on Dec 30, 2011 “From the Dock” NBC Sports
Based on a survey of one (me) based on trips to more than 25 states over the years, it appears clear that reel choice is heavily dependent on the state in which one resides.
For example, if you live in Texas, you no doubt own more baitcasting reels than spinning models. On the flip side, if you are from South Dakota, you likely own more spinning reels than baitcasters.
Inshore saltwater? Spinning, of course.
Why? I suspect tradition plays some role in the decision process, maybe even more than the unique requirements of certain fisheries like largemouth bass. But the truth is, both reels do certain things better than the other.
Examples: Casting cranks/flippin’.
If you want to drive yourself nuts after an hour or two, toss a few deep-diving bass-size cranks or flip with a spinning rod. Not only are both methods enormously tedious with spinning gear, your speed and accuracy will suffer.
Example 2: Casting Long Distances/Fishing Finesse Baits
Fact is, nothing beats a spinning reel for casting distance (in fishing situations), especially when the reel is loaded with a quality super braid or product like Nanofil. That means you can easily reach that tailing redfish on the other side or the school of bass busting bait, when the need arises.
It wasn’t too long ago that I would never make a statement like this, but the fact is superlines fish so well on spinning rods (and have the strength to land giant fish) that even die-hard baitcasters should consider adding a combo or two to their arsenals. If this sounds like asking an Ole Miss fan to start cheering for LSU, consider the number of opportunities you’ve had in recent months where accurately casting a light finesse bait, might have put a few fish in the box when other methods weren’t producing.
Reels like the Pflueger Supreme MG have been updated to increase their strength and comes with rubber inserts in the spool so superlines can be spooled without a mono base and still stay tight on the spool. And the good news is, quality spinning reels cost less than top baitcasting models (the one shown has a suggested retail of only $99.95). Visit www.pfluegerfishing.com for more info.
I suppose if I called the tackle buyer for Cabela’s I could include data to on reels sales by state, but the information is not important here. What is important is this: if you don’t currently fish spinning gear, you might want to reconsider this superb option.—Steve
