Baitcast vs Spinning Reels
While angling is a popular sport of choice among many, it is an art that requires a great deal of patience and skill. Like many arts, fishing too requires the right tools for the right occasion and there is indeed a large variety of such tools to choose from of which an important part is fishing reels. Bait cast and spinning reels are two such popular fishing reels regularly used in angling which also tend to be confusing to the newcomer to the world of angling.
What is Baitcast Reel?
Baitcast is a fishing reel consisting of multiple reels which store the line on a bearing-supported revolving spool. It is also referred to as the overhead reel in countries like Australia and New Zealand because it is mounted above the rod. The history of this rod dates back to the mid 17th century with their reels made from iron gears or brass with spools and casings made from hard rubber, German silver or brass.
In order to make it easier on the wrist to hold, most fishing reels are suspended from the bottom of the rod which makes it possible for the angler to cast as well as retrieve without changing hands. However, today, most baitcasting reels are made from stainless steel, aluminium or other synthetic composite materials. Most reels are also equipped with a level-wind mechanism as well as anti-reverse handles and drags which are designed to slow down large game fish. Modern baitcast allows the spool tension to be adjusted with adjustable spool tension. In Europe, baitcasting reels are known as multiplier reels, and two variations of the baitcast are the big game reel and the surf fishing reel intended for heavy salt water species such as sharks, tuna and marlin.
What is Spinning Reel?
The history of the spinning reel goes back as far as 1870s to North America when they were intended for the lures for salmon or trout that were too light for the baitcasting reels. Mounted below the rod, spinning reels or fixed spool requires no wrist strength to maintain the position of the reel since it conforms to gravity. Since the spinning reel had no rotating spool, it solved the issue of backlash since it had no capacity to overrun and foul the line.
It was a textile magnate, Holden Illingworth’s name that was first associated with the modern spinning reel. However, in 1948, the Mitchell Reel Company of Clauses introduced Mitchell 300, a tool that oriented the face of the fixed spool below the fishing rod in a permanently fixed position. In spinning reels, line is released in loops or coils from the leading edge of the non-rotating spool. A finger or a thumb placed in contact with the leading edge of the spool and the line must be employed to stop the flight of the lure.
What is the difference between Baitcast and Spinning Reels?
Baitcast and spinning reel are two kinds of fishing reels used by anglers in their sport. Each reel has specific purposes and thereby, specific identities. It is useful to know these differences in order to identify baitcast and spinning reel as separate entities.
• A spinning reel is typically used by amateur anglers. A baitcast reel is mostly used by more experienced anglers since they require more skill to use.
• Bait-casting rods are longer than spinning rods with typically heavier gauge line. This makes them ideal for casting long distances.
• The spooling system of spinning reels prevents the line from getting tangled in the reel whereas this is not the case with baitcast.
• The larger spool of a spinning reel is ideal for amateurs.