The tough challenge that I always emphasized in my previous posts was setting up a fishing suit( rod, reel, line, guide,…) that works for you. Using the suitable is not only will it help increase the total amount of fish you catch, but it will also help you feel comfortable when performing the fishing techniques. There’s nothing better than working with the things you love, right?
So if you own items of different types, I mean a baitcast reel and a spinning rod, many people will question whether they can combine them?
Why is this such a case? Many will have multiple spinning rods in their fishing cabinet and some baitcasting reel. They don’t want to spend money on another casting rod. A casting rod is usually much more expensive than a spinning rod.
In short, Can you put a baitcasting reel on a spinning rod? Theoretically, the answer is yes. In practical terms, however, The answer is an absolute and unconditional ‘No’. Terrible calamities are waiting to happen to this rods and reels setup. I’ve only seen it bring harm instead of positive effects.
I always encourage those around me to find the right ideas to adjust their fishing gear in the best way. But that doesn’t include setting up rod and reel combinations of two different types, which is a terrible idea.
Below I will outline the characteristics that prove a combination of the two is a terrible idea.
Why can’t you put casting reels on spinning rods?
To make it simple, they are not suitable for each other. Spinning rod has many functions specifically for a spinning reel, and so baitcasting rod too. if you tamper with them, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.
Below I will list the characteristics of each and explain why you could not use this setting.
The Guides of baitcaster would operate haphazardly.
Have you noticed that when you use spinning rod, it’s often much larger than the casting rod? This is because the line comes off spinning reel in large loops, making the rods often look much larger than casting rod. On the other hand, the line comes with the casting rod in smaller loops making the casting rod shorter. Therefore, if you try to place baitcasters on the spinner, your guides will behave in a mess.
The difference in the weight of line and lures
The spinning reel doesn’t usually do the heavy lifting, so they are designed for small but long-sized rods to cast lighter lines and lures.
As for baitcasting reels, they do everything. No one denies how powerful it is. That is why it should be accompanied by casting rods that must meet its operating performance.
Break your casting rod
Have you ever observed two different people fishing, one using a spinning setup and a baitcasting setup? Do you notice any difference between them?
The answer here is reel direction. The spinning setup will have reels on the bottom of the rod and baitcasting on the contrary, they are on top.
What happens when you cast a bait caster with a spinning rod? The rod will bend in the opposite direction and put a lot of pressure on your rod. While there shouldn’t be too much of an impact on your rod when you’re fishing for smaller fish, I’m not sure about the guides.
And especially, it is worth mentioning here that when you are fighting with large fish, so you can put too much pressure on your rod and lead to break.
Crush your guides and loss casting distance when fishing
Guides, aka eyes, are small circles attached to rods for the lure to feed through. The eyes on the spinning rod will have fewer, larger, and downcast eyes, while the casting rod, on the contrary, will have smaller, upward, and closed eyes.
When the rod spins upside down, pressure is first applied to the eyes, causing it to warp. If you use a baitcaster reel on a casting rod, the closed eyes and higher density help disperse the load, but that won’t happen with a spinning rod.
Besides, having fewer eyes on the rod and stretching would cause loose lines to fly everywhere while getting the line out of the spool and casting. The line slap willy nilly on the rod increases the amount of friction, causing a significant reduction in spool line speed and loss of distance.
Overview of baitcasters and casting rods
Every setup has its pros and cons, and baitcast rod and reel are no exception. They are powerful, precise, and can fight larger fish. You have complete control over the line and where the bait stops. Besides, because heavier lines can combine it, it can fight with ocean monsters which is not an unfamiliar definition for a baitcast rod and reel setup. They are generally suitable when fishing with jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits for bait.
Usually, this set is not for beginners; you will need some time to master with baitcast reels, unlike spinning including rod and reel, it’s quite easy. However, if you have fully controlled it, I am sure you would fall in love with its excellent functions. Although it is usually more expensive than a spinning setup, I can confidently tell you that it is well worth your money.
However, the backlash is a vexing issue of this reel. There are many ways to limit it; the most common way is to adjust the traction with your thumb.
Overview of spinning rod and spinning reel
The first thing that impresses most people when it comes to spinning setup is how easy it is to use; the only job you need to know is spinning the handle the right way when retrieving. They usually tend to fish with small and light fish, but if you use it to fight big fish with stronger models, nothing is impossible. anglers commonly use lighter baits like lightweight plastics and live baits with a spinning setup
You won’t experience the backlash with a spinning reel, and its price would also be much lower. You can use a spinning setup in almost any situation. However, when talking about a dedicated case, it would not be the optimal choice.
Conclusion
After all the harm I’ve mentioned, do you still want to combine a bait caster with a spinning rod? I hope not, buy a casting rod for the bait caster; it will do better than the spinning rod.
I have shared my experiences and advice on fishing gear, which I summarized in the decades I have been with the sport. I hope it is helpful to you.
Further reading:
- Other info about fishing gear in Fishingworldpt
- Can a baitcaster be paired with a spinning rod?