re: Am I the only one that doesn’t really like baitcasters?

I much prefer a spinning reel in 95% of the fishing I do. I'm not a very "competitive" fisherman though and just about every time I go fishing it's because my son wants to go so I'm just in it to relax and hang out with him. A spinning reel to me is just much more relaxing and enjoyable to fish with. I do see a lot of benefit to using a baitcaster, but it's not worth it to me, maybe if I was a lot better with it I'd feel differently, it just seems I'm always adjusting something or fixing birds nest when I use one.

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Zebco 33 to one. When I was 10 I got an Ambassador 5500C and worked my butt off to learn how to use it.

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Same here, I used nuts and bolts for casting plugs and cast at a 5gal bucket in the yard for hours at a time. I use spinning reels for finessse fishing and absolutely hate the upside down, knuckle busting, line twisting POS. About an hour or two of fishing with one and I have to take the bait off and stretch the line out behind the boat as I relocate until I can see the spool then reel it all back onto the spool to remove the twist.

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can handle lighter weighted lures better than casting reels.

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As someone already mentioned, cheap baitcasters kind of suck, and especially suck at throwing light baits. But if you're willing to pony up and spend $150+ on a baitcaster, you can throw some pretty light stuff on say a Curado 70 mgl (1/8oz jighead and small plastic goes a mile on the right rod) or even some REALLY light stuff on a Curado BFS (1/16oz total bait weight). One of the hurdles to throwing light lures on baitcasters i rarely see discussed is the rod. Until very recently, finding any casting rods designed to throw light lures was difficult. But now with BFS reels becoming mainstream, more companies are offering ML and L casting rods with fast and soft tips that can launch lighter lures with the right reels.

So the technology on the baitcaster side is catching up (at least in the US market - the JDM and KDM have been doing this sort of stuff on baitasters for years)

Baitcasters are generally able to generate power more quickly and cast more accurately than a spinning setup, and those features are paramount when targeting bass and some inshore species. Spinning Reels are less affected by wind and weight variances and often have smoother drag for fighting strong fish on light line.

They both have their place.

ETA: one arena wear spinning reels shine is letting baits fall on a slack line.

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But if you're willing to pony up and spend $150+ on a baitcaster, you can throw some pretty light stuff on say a Curado 70 mgl (1/8oz jighead and small plastic goes a mile on the right rod) or even some REALLY light stuff on a Curado BFS (1/16oz total bait weight).

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I mainly use the Daiwa Tatula SV TW I picked up from Tackle Warehouse on sale. I don’t use it often, so my technique could also come into play here with lighter tackle.

I love using baitcasters. Especially for trout and reds. In my opinion, you get a lot more casts using a baitcaster. you can reel in and whip it back out there much faster. The more casts you can make, the greater the chance you have of catching a fish. Being in the strike zone a bunch is what counts.

I've noticed this fishing with others who only use a spinning reel. I only use a spinning reel when I have to.

I grew up trout fishing so I've always leaned to spinning, I'm just more accurate.

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spinning reels are for everything and they are the best when you target bigger fish

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Completely disagree. After using spinning setups the last 3 years and switching this year I feel like I'm in total control over a fish. Not once did I almost lose a fish going into a wood pile like I did previously with a spinning setup.

Love my baitcaster so much I'm looking to add another.

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cant thumb the spool with a spinning reel

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Hold the spool with your hand. Same concept.

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I mainly use the Daiwa Tatula SV TW I picked up from Tackle Warehouse on sale. I don’t use it often, so my technique could also come into play here with lighter tackle.

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Technique and rod. The best baitcaster in the world isn't going to sling an 1/8oz lure from a broom stick. I have the Coastal SV TW and a JDM Zillion and they're great with light lures, but I don't have them on a MH designed to pull a bass out of the lily pads.

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You can control the lure better when casting?

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No, working the lure, especially jigs.