conventional or spinning?

[Grilled]

Do you guys use conventional or spinning reels on your yak?

I use conventionals for trolling but for jigging and livelining I use spinning. I've seen quite a few people using baitcasting reels for jigging. Anyone else use anything other than spinning reels?

[mmanolis2001]

Spinning for casting plugs and plastics.

Conventional for everything else.

[jffoley]

Ditto, what mmanolis2001 said. I also like a level wind conventional. Except for offshore stuff...

[surfdog]

99% spinning, from ultra light to 80 series surf reels. i do have a cabo pt 30 for boat fishing to pull fish from the wrecks when out on a tog trip. picked up a used abu at the flea markets this winter and tried a few times not good, need to get some cheap mono and keep trying.
the right hand crank and feel of a bait caster feels very odd to me.

[Redfish12]

Surf, I'm the same way, 99% spinning for everything. I have picked up a few conventional for trolling, but I spend most of my time casting plastics and bucktails. I picked up a used millionaire to try and learn how to cast, but it's been a lot of rat's nests so far. I think the whole motion is different. I also got a conventional with a clicker that is left hand retrieve just so it wouldn't feel so weird. I'm much better at casting that one.

I see a lot of guys who have conventional set ups for their flounder rigs. I have a hard time getting used to the sensitivity of those things and I feel like I'd miss a flounder bite pretty easy from a kayak.

[MDSmith370]

For me it depends on what I am fishing for and how I am fishing. I fish for almost every species salt and fresh. If I'm casting crankbaits I use a baitcaster. I also use a baitcaster for flounder in OC and trolling for stripers. I use spinning for soft plastics and chunking for stripers.

[surfdog]

yeh RF12, i never understood why for right handed fisherman conv. reels crank on the right which makes you use your weaker arm to bare the weight of the fish. when trolling for tuna and you are short stroking a 100# fish your left arm turns to jello. at least spinners accommodate left handers on most reels and you can switch the handle around.

i need to get out and hunt down some flounder. i usually go to lewes de and fish the canal or the pier at chsp, but would like to try foley or parker creeks in va eastern shore they don't have as much boat traffic as wachaprick or chincoteague

[MDSmith370]

It is nice being left handed. Conventional reels are perfect and I can switch the handle on spinning reels.

I will be in OCMD the entire week of July 19 flounder fishing from the kayak.

[Redfish12]

MD I'll be in Fenwick Island the week of the 4th of July. Are you fishing the bay, inlets, or surf? We used to see tons of schools of bunker cruising the beach, but always out of casting range. I'm looking forward to having my yak with me so I can chase after them.

About the reels- I completely agree with the confusion of using your weaker arm for stroking the rod. I recently picked up a Pflueger Trion 66L reel, L denoting left hand retrieve. While it still feels funny in my hands, I do like it a lot more than the right hand retrieve model I have. I am also able to cast this reel better, not sure if it's just because the reel is better quality or not. They stopped making this reel, but it is very popular for live-lining at Smith Mountain Lake in VA. I am hoping the salt won't eat through it like my other Pfluegers though...

[MDSmith370]

I'll be fishing in the bay. I won't go into the surf unless the flounder fishing is really bad.

[jet]

from the kayak, 100% spinning now, from trolling, livelining, to casting.

(from surf, all conventional. trolling on a boat, conventional with maybe one spinner)