Spinning Reels for Cats?

I was looking in the Cabela’s CAT alog the otherday. By their BIG Kat rods they have two or three open face spinning reels and rod and reel combo’s for a REEL y good price.

Has anyone use both spinning and bait casting reels? Which do you prefer and why?

They talk about being able to have the bail closed, but don’t say if there’s a clicker?

Thanks,
Newbie Cat Catcher Brian

My BIG CAT rod is a spinning reel. I’ve ALWAYS preferred spinning reels as opposed to bait casters…..

I know most fisherman will tell you that bait casters are so much better/versatile than spinning reels and they will swear up and down by them. But i don’t think there is one thing that you can do w/a baitcaster that I can’t do w/a spinning reel. (including flipping) Sure somethings may be more difficult…but they aren’t impossible.

I’m not saying i don’t use them, I just prefer Spinning. That’s all. Another thing, I reel w/my Right hand opposed to my left, which many people find different…

However, I think one of the best CAT reels would have to be any ABU GARCIA 5600C type reel. The drag on my current CAT SPIN rod clicks….so i usually set the drag almost off…so when the CAT takes the bait and runs…it will “click”

I guess my last point is that people should use what is comfortable for them….

Thanks Slop Bass,

The only kind of Cat fishing I’ve done or tried to do is loobing out a cut bait or sucker. The only advantage I see so far is with a spinner you don’t have a chance at having a birds nest. I guess if the drag is typicly better on one or the other that would make a differance…

Do you know anything about a spinning reel with the bail closed in free spool…do they click?

Also…I don’t think you’re at a disadvantage w/a spinner, because most catfishing is a sit and wait game. The casting skill isn’t needed so much…where then a baitcaster might be more helpful.

sorry to tell ya this Mr. Brain, but spinning reels for cats just don’t work. Booth times i’ve been catfishing i used spinning rods/reels………and ya know what…..i have yet to catch a darn thing .

So the next question would be…did you ever catch anything on a baitcaster?

what kind of question is that …….of course i’ve never not caught nothing on a baitcaster .

…..actually, i just got my first bait caster thingys for chirstmas. and i have NO CLUE on how to use em . they were used, so no instructional manual came with them. i know they’re older, but isn’t there still supposed to be a drag on them things?? and how to i get that garsh darn clicker thing to work??

tryin to become a bass guy ya know……got to figure this stuff out.

One of the more serious cat guys that uses the board here Mike “Mavzer” Maves uses nothing but spinning gear and he seems to get by just fine.

Shimano used to make a reel called a Baitrunner. It had a lever on the bottom of it that would engage free spool. My dad used to use these for sucker fishing and they always worked fine for him. When line was pulled out in freee spool I’m pretty sure there was a clicker. I don’t know if Shimano still makes this reel or not.

Gator Hunter

I see Shimano still makes them.

Gator Hunter

Mavzer catches lots of cats on spinning gear but I ALWAYS kick his tushee with baitcasters . And since he hasn’t made a post in months I know he won’t have a rebuttal .

Now to more serious matters. Open water or channel cats spinning gear is fine. Slip bobbers – spinning gear is good to. But thats about it for me. The lack of a clicker and the inability to hold large flathead type baits in place are problems. Mike has lost more than a few rods to big fish when they drug his pole into the water . Applications where you keep your reel engaged (circle hooks) spinnning rods are good.

Baitcasters, once you learn to cast them, offer, at least to me, better control, accuracy, and casting distance. I think you can make much longer casts with a baitcaster. With my 9 foot king cat rod and a 6500 reel I can make LONG casts, and alot to times thats helpful. Baitcasters seem to offer more power and “beef” for flatheads. And of course having a clicker that can hold a big bait is a must for flatheads. You can rig a spinning rod to hold a big bait but its a pain.

If I spent alot of time with spinning gear I could probably cast very accurately. But when you learn to use your thumb to control distance on a baitcaster you can plop a bait very accurately next to that big old root wad . Oh do I miss summer!!

Ohhhh how I miss the summer too. Don’t you ice fish? I caught a bakers dozen channel cats a couple weeks ago through the ice. Helped curb the cravings. Spinning rods are ok for channels in the spring, especially if you know they are smaller. I could split a hair on a gnat’s behind in a stiff wind with a 4 ounce bank sinker and a bullhead on a baitcaster. Wouldn’t touch a spinning rod for flathead fishing unless I was playing arround trying something different, but I am big time.

Big Time, I was just going to e-mail you to see if you had been out. Remember the last time I saw you?? About 20 minutes after you left I nabbed about a 35 lb’er. That was the last one of the year but a good way to end it I guess.

Bait casters are the bomb. I use one spinning reel with a slip bobber. I let it out a bit more every 10 minutes or so to cover more area. I have had some success. The only reason I use a spinner is because I only have 2 bait casters with clickers. The bait caster will always hold more line (unless you are using salt water gear). The more line the better. You will thank your bait caster when you see your backing. I know I have a couple of times.

I just got my 2004 Catfish Connection catalog and I see that they have quite an assortment of catfish spinning reels. They have a Mitchell Full Runner electronic spinning reel that has an exclusive bait alert that beeps and flashes. Probably scare the hell out of you late at night. They also advertise an Okuma Corrida Bait Feeder spinning reel that has a Line Out Alarm. They are right around $30. That catalog and that big fish caught in Texas have me ready to head south for a little catfishing.

I just found this site and this is my first post. I do not have picture for my profile yet but I do have some pics on a website. http://www.clementslumber.com/fish.html I used both spinning and baitcasting reels for catfish and personally I leave the spinners for the walleyes and the baitcasters tackle the cats…even for channels i prefer baitcasters but I use a smaller rod. I use a 6′ or 6 and a half foot for channels and a seven and a half for flatheads.

collegeoutdoorsman – Welcome to our site! I looked at your catfish pics on your website. NICE fish!

You’ll like it here!

Hey! Welcome to the (in my opinion) best site (can I go this far) on the web!

By taking my little poll, I think you are right on with the spinning/bait casting reels. All though there are some people that are sure to disagree.

I’m proud to say, I’m the happy owner of a slightly used BIG IRON and a brand spanking, just waiting to smoke the drag Garcia 7000. (Is the ice melting yet?0

Great pics! Did those come out of the MN river? I lived in RWF for a little over a year…too many years ago. Sure wish we had a site like this then…come to think of it, I wish we would have had the internet then

I noticed you didn’t have and pics from ’03. Did you take the year off?

I’m going to be looking for your 50+ lbs picture, you should keep an eye out for my first 20+ fish.

Don’t be a stranger to your site…

Briank alia Catfisherman…wannabe

The top 4 fish came from 2002 and the others from 2003. Yes those all came from the minnesota river. Anyone else on this site fish for flatheads on the minnesota?

Yeah collegeoutdoorsman, I fish the Minnesota too with some degree of success. Where are some of your favorite spots? I like to fish outside of St. Peter to the north. BTW nice fish pics.

I fish the river near franklin and new ulm. I have never fished the river near saint peter or mankato but I heard it can be good.

From the looks of your pictures, I wouldn’t change much!

I doubt if there’s “a lot” of cat fisherman down that way. But do you run into a few?

I went back to see why I didn’t see the cats from 03…it’s because I was looking at the cats!

Nice Pix. If you did that well in two seasons you are posting in the right place. Share your knowlegde with the rest of us not so lucky sleepless cat junkies.