Selecting between a spinning and baitcasting rod can be daunting, especially for novice anglers. Typically, your proficiency level and preferred fish species dictate the type of fishing rod that best suits your needs.
There are two primary types of rods: casting and spinning. Casting rods pair with baitcast and spincast reels, while spinning rods complement spinning reels. Understanding the disparities between these two types is crucial in determining the ideal choice for your fishing style.
Casting Rods
Lake Fork Guy demonstrates the effectiveness of using a crankbait on the Googan Squad Casting Rod.
A casting rod is distinctively designed with a reel seat that places a spincast or baitcast reel above the rod, with all the rod guides facing upward. When grappling with a fish on a casting rod, the rod bends over with the guides facing up, ensuring that the force exerted by the fish pushes the line down on the eyelets and the rod blank. This design prevents the risk of a sizable fish pulling the eyelets off the rod. Long casting rods with straight handles are tailored for power fishing tactics aimed at bass and are also suitable for trolling or surfcasting for larger fish like blue or flathead catfish, salmon, striped bass, and other robust saltwater species. These rods typically feature larger rod guides to accommodate the heavier line commonly used with baitcast reels. On the other hand, shorter casting rods with pistol grip handles and smaller rod guides can be paired with spincast reels filled with lighter line, making this combination ideal for beginners due to its ease of casting. The spincast outfit is particularly effective for targeting panfish, trout, and other smaller fish species using artificial lures or live bait.
Baitcast reels allow line to fly straight off the reel, so casting rods typically have smaller guides near the butt of the rod, with the size of the guides gradually decreasing. This configuration minimizes resistance on the line as it passes through the guides, enabling baitcast combos to achieve superior casting distance and accuracy compared to spinning combos in most scenarios.
For bass anglers, the precision of a casting rod is paramount, particularly when making precise pitches or flips to specific targets where large bass may be hiding. Casting rods also afford bass anglers the ability to execute accurate short roll casts beneath overhanging branches or under dock platforms along the bank.
The inherent power of a long casting rod allows anglers to effortlessly handle larger lures such as magnum swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, and Alabama rigs, as well as vertical jig with heavy slab spoons. Heavy-duty casting rods are also essential for extracting heavyweight bass from dense vegetation or brush.
Spinning Rods
Jon B demonstrates the effectiveness of the Googan Squad Spinning Rod.
In contrast to the casting rod, a spinning rod positions the spinning reel beneath the rod, with the rod guides facing downward. When engaged in a battle with a fish, the force exerted by the line against the eyelet pushes away from the rod blank, potentially leading to a scenario where a big fish could pull an eyelet off the rod. Spinning rods come in various lengths and actions, catering to a diverse range of fishing scenarios. Shorter ultralight or light action spinning rods with thin line are suitable for targeting panfish or trout. Medium and medium-heavy action rods ranging from 6 to 7 feet are optimal for finesse bass fishing techniques. Meanwhile, long heavy action rods featuring elongated grip handles for two-handed casting are favored for surfcasting in pursuit of saltwater fish or for steelhead and salmon fishing.
The guides on a spinning rod are characterized by their large size and significant taper towards the end of the rod. This design is intended to accommodate the large loops or coils that the line comes off the spinning reel in. The tapered guides serve to reduce the size of these coils, ensuring that the line is sent out straight. However, the process of straightening out the line does introduce some friction, which slightly hampers casting speed and diminishes distance.
The light backbone power of a spinning rod allows it to load up properly during the casting process, enabling anglers to cast lightweight lures over longer distances, regardless of whether conditions are calm or windy. This capability is difficult to achieve with a casting rod equipped with heavier power. Additionally, a spinning rod's medium or moderate action facilitates greater casting distance when employing bobber-and-jig setups for crappie or sunfish, as well as float-and-fly tactics for bass.
Light or ultralight spinning rods are favored by crappie anglers who excel at shooting jigs under docks, while short ultralight spinning rods are well-suited for ice fishing.
Some bass anglers opt for spinning rods when skipping tube baits and finesse jigs under dock catwalks or overhanging tree limbs to avoid the potential backlashes that can occur when using baitcast gear for skipping lures. Spinning rods are also popular for trolling or fishing with live bait for catfish, panfish, and walleye.
