Serious Bass fishing using only spinning tackle

[jimbass]

I just want to put this out there. Could you be a serious freshwater bass angler using only spinning gear? I only fish from shore, never from a boat. I contacted a fishing guide in Florida and he told me I should learn how to use a baitcaster because I would only be able to do finesse techniques.I have 3 st croix rods. A Triumph medium light,2 st croix premiers medium and medium heavy. My local bait and tackle says I have plenty. I use Shimano and Ardent reels. I just want to ask opinions about this.

[KidDkivahh]

If I was doing all my bassing in the day light hours bait casting would be my first choice. Like your self I'm shore bound and 99.999% of my fishing is done at night. I gave up on bait casting years ago and use nothing but spinning gear. I get stuck in a lot of tight and mean spots a bait caster and no light dont really fit . That being said I use only med heavy and heavy actions with 30# braid and no leaders. 

One can do any cast like skipping little underhand pitches bow and arrow casts with no fears of back lashing, One can use just about any size baits you want ( with in reason ) . Night fishing I've learned to keep things simple . Believe me it's no picnic picking out back lashes in the middle of the night, 

My gear choices are equally simple . 4000 and 5000 sized Shimano Sedonas and Shakespeare ugly sticks and Spiderwire braids , You bust things up a bit you ain't breaking the bank in the process, 

For what it's worth serious bass fishing can be done with spinning no need to think finesse tactics . Like I stated already I'd prefer to use bait casting gear in the light sole reasoning I can see what I'm doing better .

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spoonplugger1]

You can talk to the gentleman about bass fishing in general, but when it comes to tackle the person has their head up their posterior. Is it the best way all the time? Probably not, but there was a gentleman who had a TV show, is in the Hall of Fame, probably the most successful lure designer and lure producer in the world, developed Hummingbird fishfinders, and other things to numerous to mention. Bet you can't guess what he used? Gentleman's name, Tom Mann Sr.

[Skunkoff]

I use spinning 99.99% of the time.  I have a conventional for SW (live lining from kayak) and a bait caster rig for FW for frogs (which I suck at casting).  "Serious angling" is all in the head of said angler.

[buddha162]

9 hours ago, jimbass said:

I just want to put this out there. Could you be a serious freshwater bass angler using only spinning gear? I only fish from shore, never from a boat. I contacted a fishing guide in Florida and he told me I should learn how to use a baitcaster because I would only be able to do finesse techniques.I have 3 st croix rods. A Triumph medium light,2 st croix premiers medium and medium heavy. My local bait and tackle says I have plenty. I use Shimano and Ardent reels. I just want to ask opinions about this.

 

No reason to not learn how to use a baitcaster - the only way you'll find out if it's more suitable for certain techniques is to try it. For 99% of people who bass fish "seriously," the answer is Yes, some techniques just work better with a winch in your hand. 

 

Shimano SLX DC, Daiwa Tatula SV are very user friendly baitcaster reels that won't break the bank. A 7' - 7'2 MH rod will do all sorts of things well if that's your only BC setup. 

[Ebbtide231]

Both. You don't have to pick either or..... Each has its own time and application.

And.... whatever makes you happy.

 

Having said that, I haven't used a spinning rig for LMB since the late 80s.

Once you make good friends with it, you won't look back.

At night I pitch and flip in the tight spots and if I get a backlash, well hey, stuff happens.

But the longer you fish it, the less stuff happens.

Unless you clip a branch and then it's like "Why am I in this handbag and where are we going?"

[Captain Ahab]

How serious??

 

I mean going pro?   Or just hard-core crazy?

[Mack26]

I would be lost without baitcasting equipment. Spinning has it’s place in my arsenal, especially with smallmouth, and clear water finesse techniques. But, there are  presentations that just can’t be done effectively with spinning gear., IMO.

[Philly]

  I grew up fishing spinning tackle.  I did try using a bait caster many years ago,  It was not as sophisticated as today's reels and I got tired of the bird's nests I was creating.  Another reason is I'm right handed and I prefer fighting a fish with my dominant hand/arm.  Plus I'm use to reeling in with my left hand.  Even today, it's hard to find a bait caster with left hand retrieve.  Even when I started fly fishing, the reels were often right hand retrieve, and I had to get the shop I brought them in to convert them to left hand retrieve.  

  As far as finesse fishing, why can't you use a spinning rod?  What arguments did the Florida guide give you that you couldn't finesse fish with a spinning reel/rod?   Anyone want to tell me why a bait caster is better for finesse fishing than a spinning reel? 

 

[buddha162]

2 mins ago, Philly said:

Even today, it's hard to find a bait caster with left hand retrieve. 

 

It's not, and often companies will make more LH baitcasters than they can get rid of...and they go on sale more often than RH reels. 

 

22 mins ago, Mack26 said:

I would be lost without baitcasting equipment. Spinning has it’s place in my arsenal, especially with smallmouth, and clear water finesse techniques. But, there are  presentations that just can’t be done effectively with spinning gear., IMO.

 

With the advent of BFS reels, it can be argued that a bass angler can get away with all baitcasting but not really the other way around.

[nateD]

Won't the guide just let you use their baitcasters? And teach you a little sumthin about them to fish his techniques?

[Captain Ahab]

I prefer spinners and catch just fine,

 

I have not found any technique I cannot do with a spinner yet except trolling for pelagics

 

The only other thing I use a winch is for deepwater offshore type stuff where I need the torque.

 

In the fresh I am never using anything a spinner cannot handle.  

Edited January 17 by Captain Ahab

[buddha162]

Since OP is going to Florida, for reference here's a pro's setups for fishing Florida that he just uploaded - 8 casting, 1 spinning. Flipping/punching through and swimming a bait around heavy veg cover = baitcasters.

 

Can you do it with spinning? Sure. Is it ideal? Not even close. 

 

[Captain Ahab]

58 mins ago, buddha162 said:

Since OP is going to Florida, for reference here's a pro's setups for fishing Florida that he just uploaded - 8 casting, 1 spinning. Flipping/punching through and swimming a bait around heavy veg cover = baitcasters.

 

Can you do it with spinning? Sure. Is it ideal? Not even close. 

 

Ok I will play

 

Why not?  Why is any of that not ideal with a spinner?

[buddha162]

9 mins ago, Captain Ahab said:

Ok I will play

Why not?  Why is any of that not ideal with a spinner?

 

A few reasons - you don't need 2 hands to open a bail for flipping/pitching a baitcaster, and if you're pitching a BC with your dominant hand you can place 2 accurate pitches in the time it takes to make one with a spinning setup. 

 

Similarly, you don't need to manually close a bail and seat the line on the roller with a baitcaster, so when you get bit on the initial drop all you have to do is set the hook and start reeling. 

 

You're winching fish out of grass/pads (usually it's a 3lb fish + 5lbs of grass that comes along for the ride), and a spinning reel isn't a winch - you need to rod pump if you don't want to destroy your spinning reel gears on a locked down drag. That takes more time and allows a fish to dig even deeper into the slop. 

 

Also you're using 50lb+ braid to saw through vegetation, or 17lb+ fluoro for any of the reaction baits...try throwing that on a freshwater sized spinner - it's unmanageable. 

 

This guy's deck when he goes up north for smallies is somewhat reversed - 6-7 spinning rods (5 of them with dropshots tied on lol) and a couple of baitcasters but usually lighter in action and those you can replace with heavier spinning setups but again, not ideal. 

He's not unique in any way among pros or "serious" and even not-so-serious bass anglers - it just makes sense to use the right tool for the job.