My Braid lasts for years before I need to respool... usually breaking off the line gets shorter and shorter.
When i can cast about all the line off the reel time to respool.
Lots of good info here. I'll add that, with practice, one can learn to back off the cast controls and control backlash via thumbing the spool. In that way, you can control for bait size/weight, wind, rod, and all other things that can affect casting; while simultaneously casting very long distances.Oh, just 5 or 6 years.
There are several benefits to a baitcaster, but it depends on how you're using them. You tend to have greater line capacity and drag capability for the size and weight vs. spinning. The biggest benefit is pinpoint accuracy when casting to visible structure, and the ability to deliver a soft presentation if the fish are skittish.
The benefits to a spinning reel are they're less finicky casting into the wind, and it's much easier to fish them deep such as drop shotting for smallmouth or jigging spoons for hybrids in 15-40 feet of water. I'll throw them up in the air a bit so as to get a faster vertical presentation. Also, you can generally keep the drag cranked down on spinning reels without the drag discs getting warped. It's best to back off the drag on most baitcasters when you're not using them to keep the drag smooth and even.
Shimano used to have a lock on the best baitcasters, but they lost market share when they moved manufacturing from Japan to China. People still pay a premium for the "Made in Japan" Curado's and Chronarch's. Right now the baitcasters I like most are the Abu Revo & Orra models, along with the Lew's Tournament MB. I also have several Silver Max reels and they work better than their price range suggests. I do find that the newer Max models are more finicky on setting the spool tension knob to avoid backlash. The older round Max reels had a high speed line guide that would sort of cross wrap the line around the spool, which reduced line capacity but greatly reduced backlashes. I have a Black Max 1600 on a ML 6'10" Falcon rod that will cast even light crankbaits far into the wind without backlashing.
The trick is to rely more on the tension knob than the magnetic drag, except when casting into the wind. You'll find that with lighter lures tend to develop a backlash more in the middle of the cast, while heavier lures will do it near the beginning. That's because of when the rod tip recoils before coming to rest. By timing when your thumb finesses the spool speed, you'll have more line control. A lot of users only apply their thumb to control the lure presentation, but using it to control line speed will save you from a lot of backlashes.
Hope this helps and good luck!
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