Freespool- How important is it?

[lite-liner]

I have been following Mr Tani's rebuilds, and had great success in increasing drag & retaining or improving freespool @ the same time. (Thanks, Alan)
But I"m in a quandry. I grew up in SoCal, and learned in short order the necessity to toss a 2oz. live 'chovie 30' w/ no weight on a 30# rig.
Once the bait hits the water, though, it's a handline out kinda thing.
I have noticed that out here on the gulf, "flylining" live bait is not that popular, but chunking is. In addition, artificials are VERY popular out here.
so if pinning live sardines & pitching them out isn't THE technique out here,
why does freespool duration seem to have so much say when choosing a reel.
Can't see freespool being an issue on vertical jigging(controlled descent)
Or casting/retreiving poppers
or chunking for that matter(just drop in & drift out)
I hope I'm not being short-sighted, or worse, pissing somebody off, but I thought I'd start a good thread and see what y'all think
tight lines, amigos
-Brian

[captdeej]

I think its more a matter in terms of getting the most bag for your buck and a gauge of quality. The engineering of individual reel designs have defined limitations until new technology arises. We all endever to be the lightest thumb caster on the boat so in that regaurd we want good free spool.

I am a east coast fisherman and a good cliker is highly reguarded here!

The funny thing about all this is I have collected many high dollar high quality(free spool) reels and I still like picking up that Newell and making it sing!

[Pope]

Even while chunking I like to have great free spool. Many fishermen here pull line off the reel while the rig is in the rod holder. I hold it and strip it or let it flow off the reel while I hold my rig. I think it makes the drift of the chuck more natural. I also fish live bait.

[jig]

You're right; if you're not casting it shouldn't be an issue. But its kinda like the sports car thing to me. Having a high performance reel is cool, esp. if you tweeked it yourself. I get a simple pleasure out of spinning that spool and watching it go. Probably a sign we need to get on the water.

[BigMike]

Hey Brian, Love to run a makeral into the pack. When the chase is on your not sure it's a pick-up or the bait running for the last bits of life.
My friends make fun of me because I almost never lose a fish.
The two run rule always works for me.
When I have chuncked I never let my bait spin. So I like to let it drift with the chum.
When I finally make it out there I'll fly line with you.
BigMike

[SkeeterRonnie]

freespool to let the jig drop faster, let the bait swim more freely, and let the chunk out without the monotonous strip-strip-strip...lol.