Spinning setup

[mrklean]

Do any of you guy use spinning rods for skies? My guess if you do its probably bucktails only but was wondering. Was thinking about getting into skies more and i like the feel of spinning rods.

[llee873]

My wife uses a 7' guide series spinning rod and she caught 10 muskies with it last year. She had no problems and she loved it.

[NCLaker]

I have a friend that has a spinning rod setup (as well as baitcasters) and likes it fine. But if you are throwing big stuff or hard pulling baits - I would go with baitcasters.

[wildsmallie]

I've used a heavy spinning rod for jigging muskies in the fall, and they work good for that. I like them for jigging because the lures aren't heavy, I'm not reeling lures in under tension, and the larger guides don't ice up as quickly as a casting out fit does.

There's a reason why 99.99% of muskie anglers use casting reels though--in almost all situations THEY WORK WAY BETTER!!!

Anyone can learn how to be proficient with a muskie casting outfit in less than hour--just get one and you'll be glad you did.

[steffanf]

I mentioned this many times before, but I use spinning gear EXCLUSIVELY for muskies. I have had sucess using all types of lures as well, including bucktails (double 10's included), spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, topwater, cranks and some plastics. You are limited a little in terms of how much weight you can cast (try holding a 10 oz. lure on the end of your rod with just your index figer holding the line off the spool and you will know what I mean) and there is very little in the way of "factory-stock" rods out there that are acceptable. A good quality spinning reel is a must... think higher-end Shimano and the like. If you wanted to use only smaller baits, you can do fine by a quality XH spinning outfit. However, to use the larger stuff, I needed to get a custom rod made. Basically, the rod I have is a heavy action musky rod, but assembled with handles, reel-seats and guides for spinning gear. You wont see me casting any pounders, Mag-Dawgs or double-13's on this set-up. However, I think I would like to be casting for muskies for at least the next 25-30 years before blowing out my shoulder anyway.

[guideman]

JMHO,

Spinning gear does put limits on your ability to work a lot of baits. I think most people that use both, will also tell you that baitcasting tackle is more accurate when casting as well.

If you want to take up Muskie fishing, learn how to use a baitcaster. You will be much better off for it. Anyone can learn how in a short time if you take the time to do so. My 10 year old grandson has been using casting tackle since he was 5 years old, it isn't that tough to learn. Heck, my wife learned how to do it in about an hour.

You wouldn't go use a heavy baitcaster jigging Walleyes so why use a spinning rod when you fish for Muskies? using the right equipment is better for you and for the fish.

"Ace"

[steffanf]

Well, I can say there are some benefits to using spinning gear, but I don't think I want to start an argument and/or show any disrespect my fellow muskie-hunters. Maybe I'm just a non-conformist, but I can say I have an honest preferrence toward spinning gear for muskies. I have used casting gear several times before, even a stint for a couple years when I was younger. My wife actually prefers casting gear and has a 400 TE set-up to boot. That said, I also know that casting gear has limitations as well. It's just a preferrence, nothing more. Weighing the benefits and the limitations of each, for me, spinning gear IS the right equipment... and is better for both me and the fish.

[b1gf1sh1]

after reading some things here from steff, scoot, and at least one other i'll be using a spinning set up for jigging and other vertical presentations. IMO, for everything else from tops to cranks to jerk-baits it's the baitcaster. accuracy, distance and transition from end of retrieve to the next cast is easier and faster. in my experience years ago i was more tired trying to cast a spinning set-up than casting set-up. properly adjusted (complete free spool) theres almost no effort needed whatsoever getting the bait out a real nice distance. it's all in the angle at the last second snap/stop. then the lure does the rest. but i'm a great believer in ''to each their own.''

personaly i use two kinds of casting reels. 400TE and 250TE/DC. i use the 400 for the big/medium stuff and the 250 for small/medium and anything into the wind (a good use for spinning equipment?)... after finding and using these two reels i'll never use another casting reel as my ''mains'' as long as they can be bought, or something better get's made... 700TE is next...

[10,000 Casts]

Go with a baitcaster, I couldn't imagine fishing a whole day and throwning / working different baits with spinning gear. My arms would fall off! Muskie fishing hard beats you up enough, I have to try to make it as easy as possible.

[propster]

And you owe it to the fish to not play them out as much as you will with spinning gear, at the least the big ones, and especially in warmer water.

[Nick Kuhn]

And you owe it to the fish to not play them out as much as you will with spinning gear, at the least the big ones, and especially in warmer water.

I would imagine there are spinning reels (particularly saltwater reels) that have some heavy duty drag systems allowing to land fish in a timely manner. Also saw some heavy spinning rods at gander the other day rated for 1-5 ounce baits, and it seemed to have as much backbone as my MH muskie cast rods. I'm sure there's a few cat guys around that can suggest a spinning reel for the job.

[steffanf]

Originally Posted By: propster

And you owe it to the fish to not play them out as much as you will with spinning gear, at the least the big ones, and especially in warmer water.

I would imagine there are spinning reels (particularly saltwater reels) that have some heavy duty drag systems allowing to land fish in a timely manner. Also saw some heavy spinning rods at gander the other day rated for 1-5 ounce baits, and it seemed to have as much backbone as my MH muskie cast rods. I'm sure there's a few cat guys around that can suggest a spinning reel for the job.

Thank you, Nick. Spinning gear does have some limitations, but landing time vs. playing the fish is not one of them. Neither is ruggedness. Have you ever looked at some surf-casting gear? Some of that stuff easily dwarfs any muskie gear out there, both in size and ruggedness. Personally, I don't see a need to use saltwater reels. The largest reel I use is a 5000 series Shimano. As far as rods and reels go, they should be lightweight, yet strong when targeting muskies. Most surf gear is just too heavy. The common misconception out there is that spinning gear is "light and dainty" and geared towards finesse.

All I'm saying is that one should not be swayed to use just casting gear just because everyone else does. I truly believe it is not for everyone. However, spinning gear works great for me and should not be ruled out for anyone else. I like Don's idea of "to each, their own". Also considering casting distance, I'm sure I can cast a 3 oz. bait farther than any casting set-up can. Casting gear can "free-spool", creating minimal drag. Spinning gear allows for essentially NO drag while casting. There is no chance for a "birds nest" either.

[sbro73]

I have used the Shimano Compre Muskie Spinning Rod,sold at Thorne Bros, and a Shimano Sustain 5000 reel for Jigs and Plastics and it works real well, and yup, no birdnests!

[Bigguyone]

I had thorne bros make me a custom 7'8" spin rod for muskies...the main limitation I found was heavy baits as mentioned above. There are certain lures I definitely preferred my spin gear with...mainly jerkbaits. It is just simply a matter of preference.

If you are a person that usually throws spin gear for most of your fishing...staying spinning for muskie is something to really consider....especially if you do not like birdsnests.

Also I know a few people have mentioned it takes an hour or so to learn to fish casting gear but in fishing with people that have used it for many years they still manage a birdsnest every now and again....overall casting has more advantages but to each their own and if spinning is your choice...go for it...just get out and fish!

[10,000 Casts]

a 7'8" spinning rod with a monster reel on it is big pool cue to have to hold up for more than an hour. Add a normal sized muskie bait to the mix and it will tire you even faster. For ME a backlash once a week is a small price to pay...

Other things I wonder about...

On the bigger reels what kind of gear ratios are they, primarily 5.1-1? Might be a Good idea to find a 4-1 if you decide to go that route.

Another thing is that those handles must be huge! My left arm is already tired! But like I said, maybe you guys like a workout in the boat?

Also, a drag on a Muskie reel is around 16-20 pounds I believe, what is the drag pressure on a Shimano 5000? I don't think that it is that strong but I could be wrong... Thats what Propster was saying and I completely agree on fighting the fish and getting it in without a long fight in the warm water.

Another thing is how do you free spool the reel when the fish hits on your figure 8? You have no choice but to have the drag cranked down all the way and that could get interesting... I suppose you could back reel it but that might be tough as well when a 50" fish dives under your trolling motor after hitting 10 feet away from the boat.

I know you guys like your spinning gear. To each their own is a perfect statement and it's just not for me. Or any other Muskie fisherman that I know. But whatever gets you on the water!

[mainbutter]

Originally Posted By: propster

And you owe it to the fish to not play them out as much as you will with spinning gear, at the least the big ones, and especially in warmer water.

I would imagine there are spinning reels (particularly saltwater reels) that have some heavy duty drag systems allowing to land fish in a timely manner. Also saw some heavy spinning rods at gander the other day rated for 1-5 ounce baits, and it seemed to have as much backbone as my MH muskie cast rods. I'm sure there's a few cat guys around that can suggest a spinning reel for the job.

Absolutely there are heavy duty spinning reels out there that get the job done fantastically. I've got a shark fishing setup that uses a large spinning reel(quantum cabo), hold more than enough 50lb braid to fish big saltwater fish, even when you've got your bait sitting out 75+ yards out in the water before a strike. Saltwater spinning reels have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years, it used to be no one used anything except baitcasters/conventional reels. That popularity increase is in part due to recent innovations in drag systems and just sheer size increases. Want to put 700 yards of braid on your reel? Just two weeks ago I saw a reel that surely held that and possibly more.

I prefer the spinning setup, because the other sharking rod I use has a giant penn reel on it that is just plain hard to hold without a belt/belt clips. I need hands that are 3x the size of mine.. lol

I don't hear anyone using baitcasters at all fishing for sailfish, it's all on spinning gear(or in rare cases fly gear).

The big issue for me when it comes to the choice between spinning or baitcasting reels for musky is casting of large baits. It isn't line capacity so much, or drag quality, or any of the other reasons people may give. I just have a harder time with 4 oz. + lures on spinning gear than I do baitcasting gear. Like it was stated above, just try holding the line of a spinning reel with your finger and a heavy bait on.

[b1gf1sh1]

it's been years since i used a large spinning set-up for anything but bobbers, cat's, and sturgeon in fresh water. there were a lot of reasons i passed on them in favor of casting outfits for muskie but none included power in the reels. plenty of it in spinning gear. just never had a good rod available then. distance was an issue. personally i can whip the tar out of spinning set-ups with the same length rods. i could really launch a bait with spinning gear but i had to really put a lot into it, with casting gear i hardly work at it and get better distance. that's with good stuff of course and i open everything up on the reel. not easy to do at first but after awhile it's easy enough. i haven't had a birdnest in 8 years ... and i got ocean front property in kansas if'n ya' need it ... as long as i concentrate i don't get them. my 250TE/DC is really almost cheating, ok.. it IS cheating, to get distance so i won't put that in this. i can launch a storm shallow thunder 250+ feet with it, with 30 lb. original spiderwire. that's counting cranks in at 2 feet per crank. but that took awhile to figure out the whole pre-set computer settings and that. anyway casting set-ups for me are just to fast to the next cast. i think that was the main reason i switched and never looked back.

[dobiel]

I wouldn't be worried one bit about the drag on a good spinning reel. The "nice" Shimanos from the Stradic on up have some drag capabilities that rival the baitcasters that we use. My Stradic 4000 I bought for saltwater is rated at 20 lbs. It's not something I'd want to use for slinging 4 oz. baits all day for reasons already stated but I wouldn't worry about it's ability to be able to man handle a big fish.

[Nick Kuhn]

The difference in weight between a spinning set-up and a baitcasting set-up is only an ounce. Balanced correctly the difference would be hardly noticeable.

Max drag pressure on the 5000 is 25lbs. Leave the anti-reverse off and back-reel if you want to free spool (done correctly there's no rats nest, and this is what I've done for northerns hitting boatside for years now, if they go where you don't want you stop back-reeling and turn them).

As said before it's not for everyone but the set-ups can be made equally as capable in capable hands.

[b1gf1sh1]

i forgot to mention this. how my grandpappy's and dad taught me, and i use it now on piggy walleyes and cat's mosly and the occational pike/muskie, is keep the drag loose close to me and use my fingers on the spool for tension. when they get out some i tighten the drag down to fight. BUT that was the old days before the bad !@# ''fightin' drag'' by shimano.

now it's just a flip of a lever and my fingers up close. just another option.

[steffanf]

Thought I would add just a couple other thoughts. You really don't need those massive spinning reels you see, unless you are surf-casting. Shimano does make 6000, 8000 and even 10000 series reels, but anything larger than 5000 is totally unnecessary when fishing for muskies. You really don't need a reel that holds 300+ yards of 80 lb test line. The 5000 series Sustain I use is actually just slightly bigger than a 4000 series. It has a slightly lower gear ratio than the 4000 series and just a little more line capacity. The handle is the exact same size as the one on the 4000 series model. Comparing it to a good casting reel, it weighs only about 1 ounce more than a 400TE (13.9 oz vs. 12.8 oz.) and has a much higher drag setting (25 lbs compared to the 16 lbs for the 400TE).

[10,000 Casts]

good point on the line. 50lb is plenty and 30lb or 40lb would do just fine since you don't have to worry about the back lashes.

"The difference in weight between a spinning set-up and a baitcasting set-up is only an ounce. Balanced correctly the difference would be hardly noticeable."

but you have to hold it differently

[b1gf1sh1]

another thing i forgot, with braids the line guides on spinning reels (on the bail) take a beating. make sure the material it's made out of can handle super lines or use mono. you'll be happy you did. that includes the reel housing. no plastic or graphite. one false start and the line will cut in. walleye reel taught me that one.

[BuckKiller]

id go with what ever your most comfortable with... anything will do if you like it.

[PostFrontal]

Paul Hartman had a great article (can't remember the magazine) a little over a year ago about using spinning gear for muskie fishing. It was about surf rods. But he was able to throw small bucktails and topwaters on mono 100 yards or more. Might be a little more crazy than you want to get but sounded like fun!