Baitcasting rods and reels go together like peas in a pod – if you are using baitcasting rods, then you should always be using a baitcasting reel on those rods as well. So much is different for both the bait casting rod as well as the bait casting reel, and this is why they should be used as a baitcasting rod and reel combo.
Although the baitcasting rod might look a bit like a spincasting rod, they have a lot more backbone to them, so that they can really be used with heavyweight lures, big jerkbaits and even twitch crankbaits… and go after that fish even if they’re mixed in with pretty thick weeks and other debris.
Likewise, the baitcasting reel requires more coordination to use than a spincasting reel, so you probably want some experience with a spincaster first. The line for a bait caster comes off these reels from the top, so it will not twist, and your thumb is used to control the speed that the line unwinds from the reel while casting. Therefore, if you should forget to place your thumb over the line, or even if you do not use quite enough pressure, the reel will spin faster than the line will go through the guides, which are smaller, creating quite the mess of tangled line – this is sometimes called a backlash.