There a lot of pros and cons of compare Baitcaster to spinning reels bit for it just comes down to fun. Of I'm drilling a fish it honestly doesn't matter what reel I have but the time without fish is much more fun with a baitcaster. Also that you switch it up between the two is nice so it doesn't get monotone, I always have at least one spinning and one Baitcaster if I go out fishing.

From my personal experience, by setting the drop rate of the drag you can throw various weight baits similar distances. For instance, if my brake for my heavy lure is set to 2 feet per second drop rate and my brake for my light lure is set to 2 feet per second it will take about the same cast to go the same distance.

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Also, because your thumb is directly over the horizontal spool you can easily slow down or stop your lure when it is at the right spot.

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In the end, I find that I am more accurate with more baits with a baitcaster than I am with anything else. If I am 30 feet away from a stump and I want to drop it right at the base I can do that. They are more adjustable and with practice a slightly more accurate choice IMO.

I prefer baitcasters for throwing heavier baits like topwaters and big suspending plugs. Feels smoother than with a spinning reel.

They look cooler

for me the advantage is that i get way less line tangled using my baitcasters than spinning. i would have so much trouble with line twist on spinning reels that i just had to switch over for most of my fishing. for really light lures i still go with spinning but that is about it.

Baitcasters are better at managing thick, stiff lines than spinning reels. You can quickly let line off the spool with one hand which is useful if you have a net or tiller in the other. Low profile baitcasters are slimmer than spinners, and the reel is above the rod which can be more comfortable especially while seated like in a kayak.

None of this is a dealbreaker for me, and I still prefer spinning reels. I think spinning reels still have smoother drags, are easier to maintain, and can manage a wider range of lures without needing adjustment.

Just another tool in my toolbox.

I tend to choose reel types depending on the action I want to impart to the lure. I'll use a spinning reel for still fishing with bait, working small spoons and spinners in rivers, steady retrieves with a Rapala, or surf fishing. I use my baitcasters for larger plugs and topwater lures where I want to cast close to structure and twitch my lures erratically or with a specific pattern.

I can do all these things with either type of reel. It's just easier and feels more intuitive to use them as I mentioned.

I wanted to like baitcasters a lot more than I do because they seem cool. But at the end of the day I just prefer spinners in most situations.

Fishing offshore on a boat though I like the line to be on top of the rod so I can better rest it on the rail. So that's where I really like baitcasters more.

I think it depends what you target. For bass fishing the biggest appeal is being able to make lots of fast, super accurate casts with lures. Being able to stop the cast or adjust it mid flight with your thumb makes it really easy to make a lot of casts to exact spots while the trolling motor is on high. I prefer the ergonomics for some baits also but that is personal preference.

The drag isn’t as good as a spinning reel, and you can use your offhand and let the line run through your fingers and do the same thing, it’s just a bit more effort.

If I had 10 Stellas I probably wouldn’t see the appeal either.

Kayak fishing is where I wish I was more proficient with a baitcaster. The cup holder on my kayak is right between my legs which puts my water bottle right where a spinning reel would naturally be held, leading to my reel and bottle getting beat up or I end up moving my water behind me where I inevitably just leave it and end up dehydrated.

I’m a die hard baitcaster fan, but this explains my opinion perfectly. At 67 I probably wouldn’t bother trying to switch.

If that happens it's one of three things: your tension is wrong, your brakes are wrong, or you are casting with bad technique/too hard. With that being said, some baitcasters make it harder to do the first two options and I would suggest starting with a daiwa that uses magnetic brakes, they are just easier to use.

Faster casting, I suppose better line retrieve. Personally I'm a bit more accurate. Other than that, there isn't any real advantage over a spinning reel.

It sounds like you just need experience with setting up your BC. You SHOULD get longer casts, assuming you are using the correct line and correct settings for what you are trying to throw. They can be more accurate (with practice) as well, as you can cast and then smack your thumb down with the correct timing and drop your lure or bait into fairly specific spots. I only picked them up a few years ago, and the learning curve is REAL but now I prefer them, although I use a BFS version mostly (Just a Baitcaster with a VERY light spool so you can use it with small lures as well as large) because I only fish small ponds and streams and the fish are fairly small.

meh spinning reels are better in most castes but they say bait casters can handle slightly heavier stuff and cast longer but tend to get stuck more.

there is a learning curve and has its uses but a spinning reel will do everything decently but its preference and what you are used to

What’s right for you is what’s right for you. I have friends that outfish me with their spin reels, but I’m better with my bait caster than I am with spinning gear.

Picked up my first bait caster last season, and like others have said the learning curve is A THING. Best advice: turn your brake all the way up and spend a season just focusing on tuning lures and playing your drag as needed. Once you’re comfortable with tuning, then start playing with the brake depending on conditions and lures.

I was in the same place you were when I first picked my bait caster up, short casts and birds nests and all. After only one season, my casts are significantly longer with my bait caster as well as more accurate, the action is smoother, I love my equipment.

But again, what’s right for you is whatever you feel is right for you. The only bad equipment is equipment that doesn’t get you catches.

Why I mostly use a BC: I can cast farther, faster, more accurately, better depth/drop control, better fish fighting control, more compact. If you count round reels as bait caster, more torque, higher drag, more line, bait clicker.

For me only time spinner is better is ultra light lures.

Baitcasters are just another tool. There are pros and cons to each type of reel.

The pros of baitcasters are that they can be more accurate, allow better line control with the ability to thumb the spool, and they offer more power due to the line goes onto the spool. Casting can also be done one-handled making it slightly quicker (vs. a spinning reel that requires a second hand to lift the nail).

The cons are that they can be harder to setup, easier to backlash, do not handle wind well, cannot use as light of line, and cannot cast as light of lures.

BFS baitcasters are baitcasters designed to cast lighter lures and use lighter line. They minimize some of the disadvantages of regular baitcasters but do not eliminate them.

It's all a personal choice and preference. The pros and cons of baitcasters often get way overblown and are really very minimal in real world scenarios.

The only thing I use bait casters for are anything heavier than 1/2 ounce. Anything smaller is spinning rod.

Other than that is just snobbish bull-ish.

Fish what you got. Get gud. Then think about trying out one.

20+ years of fishing experience, saltwater, freshwater, flyfishing (single/double hand)

I recently got one and I noticed you can cast way further and you can rig heavier lures.

I also noticed that you have a lot more control of where your lure goes, I recently fished a creek with a lot of vegetation and having so much control allowed me to not get tangled or cast into rocks, etc

Different tools for different jobs. Spinning gear is better for lightweight baits (until you discover BFS)

Baitcasters are more efficient (time wise) , can cast more accurately

Use what you prefer. I'm a baitcaster guy. I don't care for spinning gear. Do i have spinning rods? You betcha. Caught a decent smallmouth this morning on a Ned rig using a Light/Fast spinning setup

I also ordered a Light and Medium Light baitcasting rod when I got home. I like to have fun when I fish. A spinning rod isn't fun to me

Cast control, speed of repetitive casts/pitches, no line twist, and the ability to use much heavier line.

Biggest benefit is being able to quickly cast and recast to cover a lot of water. I use my new baitcaster for reactionary baits (spinnerbaits, crankbaits, whopper ploppers, chatterbaits, ect). Basically baits you cast out and reel in and recast out again and again.

My spinning reel, on the other hand, is for slower more finesse techniques like texas rigs, wacky rigs, drop shots, ect. You're not casting these as often and it's a lot slower retrieves.

That is the biggest benefit imo after using my first baitcaster for about 2 months now. I love it.

Baitcaster can have a few niche advantages over spinning.

1. Baitcasters / conventional reels tend to have more power than spinning reels. Won't apply to most fisheries (imo).
2. Baitcasters can allow you to cast more quickly, since you don't need to set up your index finger.
3. Baitcasters don't get wind knots (but you'll get birdnests which are far worse)
4. Baitcasters / conventional reels are safer for launching heavy jigs. Braided line can slice your finger.
5. Baitcaster distance isn't affected by line thickness to the degree that it is for spinning reels.
6. Baitcasters make a better fidget toy than spinning reels.
7. Subjective, but baitcasters can feel more fun to cast and retrieve.

There are quite a few downsides though.

Casting far should not be more difficult. You’re not setup correctly or have a crappy reel.

Do you need a baitcaster? Not really. Can you catch all species on a spinning setup? Yes, absolutely.

I tried a bait caster. Not worth it. Birdnests are just a huge pain in the ass to deal with. My last fishing trip I limited out with my spinning reel while my friend got skunked with his bait caster.

If you are a hobby fisherman, there really isn't any benefit besides bragging rights and feeling like you're finally a "real" fisherman. Or maybe if you do a lot of 'chuck and wind' fishing. Technically speaking, the way they unspool means you can cast them further and more accurately than you can a spinning rig, but the difference is pretty marginal until you put in an absolute ton of hours and practice. And for the first dozen hours or more they'll be straight up worse and more stressful than a spinning set up. That said, they do feel a bit quicker and more natural if you're doing a lot of fast paced fishing, and the reels generally have faster ratios that can retrieve line faster, but I maintain that in 99% of fishing scenarios, the difference is functionally negligible. And I say this as someone who insists on using my baitcaster because I paid a lot of money to get a decent one and spent a lot of time learning to use it.

You have a little more control with a baitcaster. Particularly for casting. Being able to put your thumb on the spool to slow or stop a cast is the main reason that I prefer them. If you're casting to a very particular spot it's a bit easier to hit it with a baitcaster. At least I think it is.

I find that they are more rugged at the same price point as well.

Sure bud, you say pro fisherman don't exist but we should totally trust you because you know what you're talking about. Believe what you want, I've made my point.

To any new fisherman reading this, I've spent a lot more than "an hour" learning how they work and and a lot more than "a few" casting with one. And I stand by what I said. Your spinning reel is good enough, you don't need to spend the money, time, and effort to get and learn a bait caster for marginal gains and bragging rights. Don't be like this guy

I use a baitcaster for wacky and love it. I need accuracy and it’s just easier for tight accuracy for me on a baitcaster as that’s my predominant reel. Only setup I use spinning for is drop shot and that’s because if I’m fishing cross supports of a bridge pylon it’s imperative the bait drops exactly vertical to land on the cross support. Other than that I keep a couple of spinners for friends. I’ve got a dozen bait casters I use regularly.

I think its just a preference, baitcaster are sorta a flex now in my opinion. Its like manual/auto transmission.

i grew up thinking everyone only used Baitcasters because thats what my grandfather taught me to use. As i got older i started using more high-end spinning reels and never looked back.

I think it made me a more accurate caster, it taught me how to use the momentum of the lure to maximize distance and it taught me how to roll-cast and do flicks even on a spinning rod and i still have the tendency to stop the cast on the spool of a spinning reel.

i dont have to worry about a random backlash that takes me out of commission or having to reset my brakes to match the lure and wind conditions I just tie on and throw.

For me though when i see someone using a baitcaster it tells me that angler is probably a skilled one because of the learning curve it takes to get proficient at a baitcaster and i think thats the draw for some people.

it comes down to the individual, but generally speaking, some find heavier lures tend to do better with baitcasters. also, the line comes straight out the front of the spool whereas it twirls off the spinning rod spool. some find that to be more accurate and smoother and thus cast farther. you don't have to hold the line with your finger and release it at the right time.

personally, i mentioned this another comment, i've found BCs to be way more accurate and efficient for me. I've been using a spinning rod my entire life until a few years ago and i couldn't hit a swimming pool from 10 feet away. but i can land a jig all around and occasionally inside a bike helmet with a BC. so.

I do ultralight fishing with both. The thing I like about my baitcaster is true one-handed casting. I push the button and cast with 0 fiddling. Compared to the spinning reel which is a bit more fiddly. It takes a second hand to flip the bail, and sometimes it’s not in the right orientation so I have to turn it etc.

But I still prefer the spinning reel. All this talk about accuracy and distance…yeah, maybe? Maybe a tiny bit? I just like never having to worry about my cast causing a birds nest. That sucks.

The baitcaster does look much nicer too. The low profile means it’s easier to transport in my trunk without getting caught on things.

Using a BC allows you to “pull back” if you over throw into cover- they also allow you to use heavier line- & for most folks, they are also more accurate with them.

If your proficient with a spincast or spinning setup the biggest advantage with a baitcaster is distance. If distance isn’t an issue then adding a baitcaster would be more of a preference.

Best thing I can think of is that it functions like a winch. You have more torque and therefore more power and control in case you catch a biggun.

Based on all of these answers And my own expletives I’m going to summarize that’s is all personal preference.

Accuracy while casting, higher gear ratios, faster to re cast on, better control when fighting fish, more power when reeling, heavier line, compact design, way less line twist are all great things about baitcasters, downsides are more expensive, more complex, learning curve, backlashes, cant throw ultra light

Spinning Reels generally hold smaller lines, cast smaller presentations better, and have a better drag to fight and wear out the fish.

Baitcasters can hold lots of heavier lines and cast very accurately and act more as a winch to pull fish from the water.

Closed-face reels are generally a beginner reel. I usually keep one to target baitfish or lend out to people.

BFS, or Bait Finesse System, allows for Baitcasters to throw micro-sized lures on super light lines and is the exception to the general uses above.

So for me personally I use baitcasters for my heavier applications that need some more strength to get these big fish(frog fishing swim bait fishing) they have more gear ratios as well. I only touch spinning reels for my finesse applications.

I've caught plenty of fish on frogs with a spinning reel. Why are baitcasters 'better' for fishing frogs?

can confirm, i learned lures on bait casters. yes they are kind of hard to learn but ive casted them black out drunk with no problem.

its like driving manual, once you learn you can drive anything. once you learn a bait caster all the other stuff seems even simpler, not talking down on spinning reels but a bait caster gives you variety on set ups. you dial everything on a bait caster. dont be discouraged by bird nesting, just keep tweezers on hand.

a bait caster gave me some of the best memories i could ask for, it is hard sometimes but its worth it for the smooth flick of a lure flinging through the air

How so? I can pin point casts on my spinning rod every time. Everyone always says accuracy. It comes down to skill and tons of casts to get accurate no matter what reel you have. 

Also, you can pitch with a bait caster. You can cast underneath overhangs.

Ok, I’m gonna brag without shame for a moment. My buddy once had the plastic bag our worms came in get away and float out into the water. I go, “I got it,” and cast my lure right in the middle of that sonavabitch at 15-20 yards…give or take. I’m not saying I could ever repeat this, but in that moment, it was pretty much the coolest thing I felt like I ever did. It was a spinning reel. I’ve always felt pretty confident in my accuracy. Baitcasters, on the other hand, I dread the bird’s nest.