i have alway's used spincasting reel's , my dad gave me my first mitchell reel early 50's model when i was ten year's old. I still use it or one of my other ( 3 ) i also have a couple of shimano reels i like very well, but i noticed the majority of pro's i see use what i think are called baitcaster's. I noticed they have what look's to be a thumb brake for drag , i know absolutely nothing about them , but i would like to try one for myself. can anyone recomend a cheap but decent one for a beginner ? And is there much of a difference over a spincasting reel ? Which one is better ? I would appreciate any help i can get.

Every tool performs a certain function better.

Spinning reel for light weight lures and casting distance.  Excels in lure finesse presentations.

Baitcasting reel for heavy weight lures and casting distance.  Excels in fish fighting/landing of heavier fish.

Spincasting reel is an enclosed spinning reel that sits upright.  Cheap and easy to use.

thankyou slipperybob , i have alot to learn . most of my fishing i did was on the riverbank of westvirginia , i always used worms or nightcrawlers & mostly caught catfish or bluegill's . i did manage to catch 1 small bass. i would go behind my house just about everyday with my buddies and we would see who could catch the most fish , i caught 55 catfish that summer & a few blue gills & sunfish. we never learned about using different lures or the finer techniques of fishing, i will be 50 year old next week and i feel like i am just beginning to learn how to really fish. i appreciate your help .

mamofgod: Keep one thing in mind. Fishing only has to be complex if you want it to be. Some of my favorite days of fishing have been sitting on a bank with friends watching our bobbers! Tom

pegsguy , i am not trying to make fishing complex , i was only trying to learn about baitcasting reels , & if they are better than spincasting reel' !  I recently  learned that after watching alot of fishing show's that there is alot to learn about fishing other than tossing in a worm and watching a bobber . Since joining the nafc & recieving there book's & thanks to bass or bass ? he gave me a dvd about catching fish anytime anywhere , it gives alot of information i never knew before , that is one reason i joined this club, to learn from other fishermen , but if that makes me seem to be making thing's too complex than so be it.

Fishing can be very technical if one chooses to get down to the nitty gritty details of how they go about fishing.  That's all up to personal technique.  One can catch a few bass very easily as well as one can choose to be very technical to try to catch every bass in a little area that can be difficult to do so.  One can catch carp with very simple set up of hook,line, and sinker method or they can choose to be very technical about how they tie their Euro hair rig for carp fishing.  Even slip bobber fishing set ups can become a techical set up requirement, requiring specified bobber style and size to match exactly what type of lure and weight.  Then requiring a particular rod to be able to work and impart just the right twitch technique onto the bobber and lure.

Baitcasting reels with bobber setups seems somewhat awkward, but it can be manageable for larger bobber set ups for pike and catfish.  Spinning reel are definitely preferred as since it can be difficult to get casting distances for bobbers overall.  Furthermore Spinning reels work much more effectively for slip bobbering required deep set ups where the bobber stops has to be taken onto the reel spool.  Something that is very difficult to manage for a baitcasting or spincasting reel.

thankyou slipperybob , your information is exactly what i am looking for ! I never really gave it much thought about weights & lure sizes & what kind of set up for what kind of fish , that's probably why i mostly caught catfish. I didn't know about proper presentation . thankyou very much.........

neither one is better or worse in all situations . consider where your fishing and what is more impotent in your presentation. do you need to turn the fish and hull it out before it gets tangled or cast heavier weight lures, then consider a bait caster it acts like a winch . do you need distance or to cast lite weight lures, then consider a spinning reel . they are nothing more then tools .But for a bait caster , you get what you pay for .It's better to buy one good reel that will last then buy two or three cheaper ones ,get the best you can afford . One good reel will out last two or three cheaper ones so the price may be offset. over time .

It is my firm belief that a fisherman learning a baitcaster for the first time is poorly served by a cheap reel. I compare it to learning to play guitar on a cheap instrument, not only are you fighting the learning curve, you are fighting the instrument. If you look around, there are many quality baitcasters available on e-bay and the like, don't buy a cheap new reel, spend the same money on a better but used reel. Once you have the technique down, an inexpensive reel should not be a problem. Tom

The main thing about baitcasters is the casting control and accuracy. Becuase you have your thumb on the line when casting it is a lot easier to slow down the lure if you need to without stopping. And when pitching lures short distances you can actually kind of swing you bait one direction or another to get it exactly where you want it.

its all about the type of fishing your using it for.

I agree about it's far easier to feather the spool on a baitcasting reel, but one can also learn to feather the spool on a spinning reel. As far as accuracy goes, a lot of it depends on lure weight and aerodynamics of the lure. If a lure catches wind and deflects left or right, then that's just the nature of it. Nothing worse than trying to be accurate with a cast just to have the wind blow you off target.

One of the thing that baitcasting reels don't do very well is for lure skipping. I haven't figure out how to prevent line overrun on the spool, yet...Until then, I'll keep that type of casting to the spinning reel.

One can flip with a spinning real just as easy and perhaps even easier . just grab the line between the first and second line guide or higher up for more distance and pendulum cast it .

Each has a specific purpose. Bait casters usually made for heavier bass lures (unless it's one of those light weight baitcasters) and spinning reels are usually made for slightly lighter lures than the bait caster. Bait casters also tend to get birds nests and backlash (horific nightmares), so you beter start out with a spinning reel!
TIGHT LINES!

thankyou for the information , i think i will stick with a spinreel .

BAITCASTER's
THESE CAN MAKE A PERSON REALLY,  REALLY UPSET WITH TRYING TO FISH, UNTIL YOU FINALLY GET IT SET UP FOR YOUR STYLE OF CASTING, BELIEVE ME I REALLY DOUBTED I EVER WOULD FIGURE THEM OUT, BUT I FINALLY DID, BUT STILL GET THEM MUST UP, FORGET TO CHANGE THE BRAKE OR DRAG WHEN CHANGING TACKLE

Which is best? I think the quick answer is which reel works best for your type of fishing and you feel most comfortable using. I use both type reels as well as fly reels and it all depends on the species and type of fishing I am doing.

To manofgod, I was in my mid fifties when I first cast a baitcaster across my front lawn for practice. Now that's one of my favorite type reels for bass and salmon fishing. Have learned lots of tricks to avoid the 'backlash' problems and will admit I don't always avoid them but with practice they get fewer and farther apart. I have found the baitcaster to be more accurate in placing my lure or bait where I want to. I'd say give one a shot. You can probably find an affordable used reel at a local pawn shop or the weekend swap meet. Give it a try.

wduff , thank you  for your insight , i never  thought about pawn shops ! that's a great idea . I have been concerned about  backlashing , i guess like everything it wll take some practice. Thats the fun part , takecare & good fishing !

Depends on fishing experience. Spincasters are extremely easy to use but lack in casting range, Spinners are also easy to use and are the "intermediate" of sorts, with medium capabilities in casting distance. Baitcasters require an experienced hand to use them effectively, otherwise you'll be spending most of your time fuming over backlash rather than fishing. But once you get used to them, they cast a country mile. Hope that helps, happy fishing.