I think it's all preference in what one uses at the canal,most of the Guys I know were mostly convench but now with these high end spinners most have strayed.
I have found that if you drift eels you some times have no say in the matter of what size you get at the bait store like shoes strings

so this is where spinning will still get you distance vs convench.
If it's any constellation I still prefer to use convench for eels,jigging and plugging
