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[aaron600]

 So let me begin by saying this is my first year Salmon fishing and it has been going very well so far. I had used spinning reels my whole life for trout and am very familiar/comfortable with them. I decided to use my bigger saltwater reels for drift fishing roe. It wasn't until Saturday at the Vedder river, approx(7am) when I decided I need to drop the Spinning reel and get either a Bait caster or Center Pin reel. Got to the Vedder nice and early, and my float dunked under 3 times (Roe), there should have been more than enough time to set the hook, if I didn't have so much slack line from my vast amounts line memory/line in and under the water using the spinning reel I so fondly used in the past. 1 more hour goes by and I have 3 salmon on for only 15 seconds because my hook set was so weak due to the line slack produced from the many problems with using a spinning outfit. The 3 guys just to the left of me had the same amount of chances at catching Salmon but the difference is they landed all of them with there Baitcasters. Long story short I decided to stop by Army Navy today and decide if I wanted a center pin or Baitcaster . I was steered towards baitcaster, and asked for something that wasn't going to break the bank but I wouldn't have to replace after a year. I was given the Shimano Cardiff 401a with a fenwick baitcasting rod 11'. Took it up to como lake today to practice my casts for a few hours. Only 2 birds nests out of 2 hours seems ok to me. Time to test it out on the Vedder tomorrow. I can already see what a difference it will make drift fishing compared to my spinning reels. No line dragging in the water and faster stronger hook sets.  I should have made the switch when I decided to start fishing for Salmon. Time to test it out on the Vedder tomorrow 

[mvelasco]

I switch back and forth between my pin and baitcaster. baitcasters are definiteoy more versatile on rivers.! havefun and let us know how it goes!
tight lines

[zap brannigan]

i bring both my pin and baitcaster to the river, pin for float fishing of coarse and use my casting set up for soinners and spoons.

[Ian Forbes]

Every system has its good and bad points. Spinning reels were originally called thread line reels for good reason. They were meant for tossing light tackle that could not be cast with a center-pin or level-wind reel. That still remains true today, although there are cross-over methods that sometimes work. With the relatively heavy tackle used in salmon or steelhead fishing, a good quality level-wind reel is a good choice. When fishing with a float it's almost imperative to use a center-pin or level-wind reel to get maximum control of the drift. Another secret is to put floatant on the first 60 feet of your mainline. That helps when trying to keep constant control of the float.

[fishseeker]

I use both a spinning reel and a baitcaster.  My spinning outfit is a cheap setup I picked up at Berry's bait for 40 bucks and my baitcasting setup has a diawa baitcasting reel I picked up in Japan for about 180 bucks a 10.6 ft fenwick rod that I picked up for 100 bucks.

I fished both setups for a long time and I can honestly conclude that my cheap 40 buck setup is by far the most versatile and least frustrating to use.   The only time my baitcasting setup works better is when I am dead drifting jigs for chums and, even there, I manage to get a good enough drift with my cheap spinning setup for most circumstances.

Don't get me wrong, I love my baitcaster but, in my experience, it has made zero difference to my success on the river.  I have been fishing my baitcaster for years now and I still find myself having to deal with small overwinds every time I go out. (..and yes, I use a very good quality braid and I have an excellent quality reel)

Lately I have been going back to spin casting and I have found the experience very rewarding for all salmon species.  Baitcasters are great for some and, maybe, not so great for others.  I have spoken to enough experienced guys who prefer not to use them.

[Suther]

I have always fished spinning outfits...grew up lake fishing for rainbow on lake Erock just past deroche, so it's all anyone used.

What's the big advantage to a level wind for floating?

[Spawn Sack]

Spinning set ups are great for casting out and reeling back in. I use mine for throwing spoons and spinners for coho mainly and love it. I have a Rapala Shift on a Shimano Clarus 6-10lb line weight and it is a blast with a decent fish on!

However spinning sets ups are NOT so hot for float fishing as trying to feather the line coming off the bail will never be a smooth as thumbing the spool on a baitcaster, and trying to set the hook and flip the bail over on a spinning reel will never be a smooth and quick as quickly engaging the handle on a baitcaster.

Aaroon600, 4 years ago I was JUST like you!! I put in my first season on the Vedder with a spinning rod and reel. I did alright and learned a lot from a lot of very nice fishermen I fished beside. However I soon realized there is a reason why all the guys float fishing have either a baitcaster or centerpin. They are simply the right tool for the job when it comes to float fishing. At the end of my first year I too bought a Cardiff 401 and baitcasting rod (Shimano Technium).

The Cardiff 400 is a great reel for the money you'll love it man. If you are getting birds nests while your gear is in the AIR then you need to take the side off an add more brake weights. You can not have enough weights engaged as you'll get more casting distance this way but you need to thumb the spool a lot when the gear is flying through the air and if you are not right on the ball - instant birds nest! Better off to have the right # of brakes activated. I normally have 3-4 "on."

Play around with differnt #'s of brake weights engaged and the spool tension (knob on side) and you'll find the right balance in no time. I added a Abu 6501 C3 to my collection and it's an awesome reel too. This year bought a Shimano Curado 301 E7 (not the crappy G series) and it is amazing and by far my favorite. However it was $325. For the money the Cardiff and Fenwick are great bang for your buck purchases you will NOT be dissapointed!

Final tips:

-Read the manual on the Cardiff before you start taking the side off to adjust the brake weights, etc.
-The spool engage/disengage button needs to be UP when you put the side plate back on or else it will not work.
-Losen your drag right off after each day or else you will flatten the drag washers on your new Cardiff.
-Get some reel oil (not grease) and apply a little bit to the worm gear every 10 outings or whatever.
-Try to NOT submerge the reel as water + grease are not a good mix and this will shorten the life of your reel big time.
-Every year or two get it professionally cleaned/serviced to keep it working like new.

I love my baitcasters but I think down the road I'll invest in a centerpin set up as I like the idea of the added challenge of no drag and I just like single action reels. You made the right choice going baitcaster before center pin.

[fishseeker]

I have always fished spinning outfits...grew up lake fishing for rainbow on lake Erock just past deroche, so it's all anyone used.

What's the big advantage to a level wind for floating?

Better for a nice natural drift when fishing jigs or roe.  In the right hands they are great but as little as 20 minutes on the beach undoing an over-wind during peak time is enough to undo that advantage in my opinion.  Fishing them with freezing cold hands  late season makes the risk of over-wind a lot more likely too.

[aaron600]

 Thanks for all the great tips Spawn Sack. I opened up the reel and swtiched 4 of the brakes to the on position(opposite one another). 
One question I have is when casting, should my thumb be slightly on the bail/line as the line is going out after my cast or just before it hits the water?

[Spawn Sack]

I would say both. If your spool tension and brakes are dialed in perfectly you should be able to whip out a cast and not touch the spinning spool at all and it should be fine. However often when fishing slower runs you will end up loosening your spool tension a bit more to get a nice drag free drift on your float. And often you might have not enough brakes activated for the amount of weight you are throwing.

So, I think most people thumb the spool lightly as their gear flys through the air then, for sure, when it hits the water you want to stop the spool from spinning or else you will get a backlash. This happens the odd time to everyone but you want to avoid it as much as possible.

I would only pull the side plate off your reel on the river if you are having some big casting issues as the last thing you want to do is drop/lose a part! You will find especially if you are tossing big weights, say bottom bouncing on the Fraser, you will likely want ALL of the brakes engaged. If you find your casting distance sucks disengage one or maybe two. I was having major issues with my line backlashing in the air the first time I used it on the Fraser tossing 3-5oz betties. I think I only had 2 brakes engaged and when I popped out 3-4 more it solved the problem immediately.

If you have any other questions on the Cardiff feel free to ask.

PS. You will soon realize how much better your new set up is for float fishing compared to your spinning set up. Just read the manual over carefully as baitcasters are finicky and need to be set up right or else they will cause you nothing but problems. Save your spinning set up for tossing spoons and spinners. Do NOT try to throw small spoons and spinners with your float set up it is not made for this (not enough lure weight) and you will get minimal casting distance and mostly backalshes with your reel.

Lately I bring both my float rod/reel and spinning rod/reel to the river and alternate fishing roe or whatever with tossing spoons and spinners, endless fun!

[aaron600]

 Again, thanks a lot for the info. Very helpful so far!

[mvelasco]

I want a centrepin I see people bottom fishing with them while I use my dumb ocean rod lol. Does the trick but theirs fits the rod holder properly

I think you are looking for a mooching outfit

[Ian Forbes]

I have heard of a mooching set up but not sure what it is.

A mooching reel is just a less expensive single action reel that has a clicker to switch between free-spool and a clicker drag. They can actually be used to cast like a center-pin reel, which in fact they are, but just not as efficient.

Spinning reels do not release line as smoothly or as efficiently as a center-pin or level-wind reel. You have to back off on the handle to let out line and guide a float down river. That can cause problems.

[Spawn Sack]

A mooching reel is for trolling. They have a drag system usually a disc drag. A centerpin LOOKS like a mooching reel but it is designed for float fishing. They have no drag system and when a fish is on it's your palm that is the drag! The two reels look very similar but a mooching reel will not work for float fishing and a centerpin will not work for trolling.

I'm not 100% sure what the difference is, aside from size and weight, between a mooching reel and a fly reel. Can anyone educate me here? I am planning to buy a mooching reel for my Dad for oceam trolling but I am hoping that, unlike a fly reel, there is some kind of spool release for letting out line with downriggers. Would be a pain if you had to loosen off the drag and retighten/adjust every time you brought your line in....