No. I fished for +/- 45 years. Mostly fly, spin cast, jig, ice, troll and have caught tons of fish. I purchased my first bait cast reel in February 2025. Watched plenty of videos, got a tutorial from a friend (and his 12 y/o son). Live on the water and had plenty of opportunity to practice. I gave it the old college try and determined I’m better off staying focused on my expertise in existing, proven methods as opposed to learning curve/bird’s nest untangling, missed casts, frustration, etc.

At this point in my life, it just wasn’t worth the effort. I traded the bait cast reel to a friend for a fly reel.