Anyone use Berkley® Air™ IM8 Salmon/Steelhead Spinning?

Spinning.  The threat of encountering the rat's nest effect scares me, so I haven't tried casting reels yet (except for trolling... they look like casters)

Abu makes some nice casters for about $100.  Many casters have a magnetic brake you can set to prevent bird nests.  It puts a tiny bit of free spool drag on the reel to prevent it from free spooling after the line stops stripping.  I usually start a casting session with it set pretty tight and loosen it as the muscle memory kicks in.

Is there an advantage to using a caster instead of a spinner?

Is there an advantage to using a caster instead of a spinner?

Backlash is a bummer but as long as you're not casting you most likely will never have to deal with it. I like baitcasters for salmon, rock, and bass fishing mainly because of the control you get with your thumb. You can always put a little more pressure on a fish by thumbing the spool a little. I recently started using a conventional reel for bass fishing and really like it for that. I also like being able to slow down casts mid flight. While it takes a while to learn, and yes quite a few backlashes, once you get it down they're awesome.

Z

Is there an advantage to using a caster instead of a spinner?

Like Zee says..bait casters better cast control.  Another advantage is that you also have reduced line twist with bait casters.

I prefer baitcasters, even for simple jigging, again for better control. I find it much easier to sense the bump when I hit the bottom.