There is a real good reason most guys throw big stuff with a bait caster; it's about a thousand times easier. If you are going to throw bigger lures with braid on a spinning reel, you are gonna wreck your line finger pretty bad. I've used my senko (spinning) rod to throw a big spinner bait in a pinch once, my pointer finger was bleeding in short order.Most guys go way overkill with pike rods. Heavy bass stuff is all you need for the most part. The only time I use musky gear on pike is the late fall right before turn over. I use super shad raps, buck tails, believers, grandmas, and jakes. You need a stiff rod for that stuff. For the rest of the time, a good bass flippin or pitching rod works really great. Those rods a WAY overbuilt for bass because they are used to rip them out of the slop before they can bury themselves in it. The St. Croix Bass and Musky Mojo series rods can be found for $100-150 depending on what you get. This is a real bargain in my opinion because they outperform everything else I have fished in that price range by a long shot. Cheaper rods can be found that will work, but you will not regret buying quality gear.The transition from spinning to casting gear can be frustrating for some guys because they are used to cranking left, and casting gear is mostly on the right. A quick fix for this is to buy a lefty casting reel. I am right handed and only fish lefty reels, it feels much more natural to me. I hate switching hands! You will feel the quality very quickly in a casting reel. I've found the Shimano Curado reels to be bulletproof and flawless in every way.