Line Size...

Baitcast reels can handle heavier line and actually allow for longer casts than spinning gear in the same size range.

Line size probably plays the most important roll in tackle selection. Whether fishermen realize it or not, pros are using baitcast tackle for a very specific reason. Baitcast reels can handle heavier line and actually allow for longer casts than spinning gear in the same size range. Anglers regularly use line in the 14- to 17-pound-test range. A small spinning reel has a smaller, narrower spool, which has a hard time with large diameter lines. Small baitcast reels can handle these lines and provide greater casting distance.


Baitcast rods usually have more backbone than spinning rods too. The backbone of a rod is the portion of the blank closest to the handle that gives the least when bent. When properly constructed, a casting rod's backbone will lie directly on top of the blank as the angler holds the rod. This backbone allows lures to be "ripped" through vegetation more easily, while also ensuring a more powerful hook-set than a spinning rod of the same class.

The arrival of braided line, with its thin diameter and much heavier breaking strength, brought some issues to light in fishing circles. This super-thin line causes problems on baitcast reels simply because it is so small in diameter. Setting the hook on a fish with braided line on a baitcasting reel tends to bury the line deep into the spool, a situation that will cause a major backlash on the very next cast. (Small line diameter is also why monofilament lines less than about 10-pound test are seldom found on baitcast reels.)

The availability of larger spinning reels with better drags accounts for the increased use of spinning tackle in saltwater applications.

Spinning tackle, on the other hand, usually handles braids much better. In fact, several manufacturers make reels that pick line up onto the spool in such a way that it can't bury itself into the spool on a hook set. That, coupled with the virtual no-stretch quality of braided line, has made spinning tackle more and more attractive to anglers.


From a saltwater perspective, anglers using baitcasting outfits can be seen more often these days fishing the inshore arena. The heavy use of artificial lures in backwaters coupled with reels that can now stand up to saltwater conditions have made baitcasters very popular today.

The spinning tackle used in saltwater today tends to be larger than that used in freshwater and consists of larger reels on heavier rods and line up to 30-pound test.

Anglers looking to make a choice between spinning tackle and baitcasting tackle need to look at their specific fishing techniques before making that choice. In reality the choice is not between which one an angler uses. It has become more of a choice of which of the two an angler will use in a given situation. In general, the lighter the line required in a given fishing situation, the more attractive spinning tackle becomes.