Left Hand Retreive Baitbast

[lookinforwalleye]

Spinning reel - left hand, baitcaster - right hand, centerpin - left hand, golf - right hand, hockey - left hand.

 

 

 

Finally a normal guy like me!LOL

[Weeds]

I was recently shopping for a left reel for musky fishing; I found the choices considerably narrowed being a lefty. The only Abu 7000 series available in a lefty is the 7001i, no high speed or narrow spool options. I bought it anyways as it looked like a killer deal (used). Some of the high end reels are available in a lefty but you start getting into big coin. Alot of the saltwater reels seem to be righty only. Bass gear seems to be available in either left or right handed. I think the fact that the majority of reels are right handers today kind of stems from tradition. I'd bet that half the guys today who reel right handers wouldn't if there had been a good selection of left handed reels back in the day.

[Muskieman]

Gauche x 2

[Fishing 24/7]

LH FTW.

 

 

 

 

and for the right handed people who didnt get it.

 

it means.

 

Left handed For The Win!

Edited February 3, 2010 by fishing 24/7

[hirk]

Here's the skinny,if your right handed you have better fine motor muscle control therefore it's more comfortable to turn the handle with your right hand (spinning reels are an exception to this due to a larger turning radius making it easier for your clunky hand).The other issue is as Gary says is your grip,you want to fish a baitcaster in your hand,not behind the reel yet you have to be behind it in order to feather the spool when casting.This issue has been addressed with the drop gear low profile baitcasters now allowing you to move up on it and palm it with one hand after casting so if you fishing a bait with the rod primarily such as when you pitch a righty can use a baitcaster comfortably,not so much so for fishing on the reel though as in cranks,spinnerbaits etc. because of the clunky hand issue.Clear as mud right?? lol

FTRecord,right handed

golf left

bat left

hockey left

guns right

throw left

spinning left

casting right

[Fishn Technishn]

Man, this one will NEVER end!!

 

I started out reeling biatcasters with my right 'cuz that is all there was....or so it seemed. Kinda like watching a lefthander using a right hand baseball glove LOL we've all seen that one , where the guy throws the ball LH and then puts the glove on the L to catch it!

A buddy let me try his lefty musky reel and it was a MAJOR epiphany!!

I have been slowly selling off all of my righty reels and replacing with lefty's.

I was once told by a BIG name fishin' guy that " if you're castin' spinnerbaits with your right hand and then switch the rod to your left hand to reel with your right.... just what is your bait doing while you are a switchin'?? Sinking!! Not good, unless that is what you are TRYIN' to do! Kinda like juggling....sooner or later you are bound to drop the dang thing"

Has been that way ever since. I throw RH, golf RH( not very well tho) bat RH, cast Spinning rods RH but ALWAYS reel LH

Makes sense to me cuz' I can't throw ANYTHING with my left.. look like a real spaz!!LOL

 

FT

[jediangler]

The switching hands thing is not a problem once you get used to it. I have right hand baitcasters that when I cast, I switch hands and start retreiving before the bait hits the water. I only use baitcasters for fishing musky and most times I'm throwing bucktails so I like the bucktail to hit the water already moving rather than spalsh and sink for a second. It takes practice but so do all different presentations for many different applications. Here in Canada most anglers start out with a spinning reel with the handle on the left side and find the change difficult to adapt to.

[Whitespinnerbait]

Lefty here also....

[uglyfish]

i use left retrieve on both spinning and casting. it feels so uncomfortable to reel with my right hand.

 

as said, a lot of guys use a left hand spinning reel and right hand casting reel. on top of the comfort issue, i dont see the point in casting with my right hand, only to switch hands to start reeling.

 

and a lot of guys, pros included, have started using a left hand retrieve casting reel for flipping and pitching rods, so they dont have to switch hands to reel, which helps when a fish hits as soon as ur lure hits the water.

[fish_fishburn]

spinning rod lh,baitcaster lh, centerpin When I get one lh, hockey lh bat lh,writing rh, I gave up on rt hand reels after my first couple of bass tournaments. After casting all day for shallow smallies and always having to switch hands all day, I would be so tired at the end of the day. After buying all new lt hand gear the fatigue was was cut in half and I have never really used rt hand gear again, unless borrowing. Just doesn't make sense to do the switch every cast.

[BillM]

i use left retrieve on both spinning and casting. it feels so uncomfortable to reel with my right hand.

 

as said, a lot of guys use a left hand spinning reel and right hand casting reel. on top of the comfort issue, i dont see the point in casting with my right hand, only to switch hands to start reeling.

 

and a lot of guys, pros included, have started using a left hand retrieve casting reel for flipping and pitching rods, so they dont have to switch hands to reel, which helps when a fish hits as soon as ur lure hits the water.

 

How many fish have you lost because you had to switch hands? lol

 

I know I don't even think about switching hands when I'm baitcasting, it's like breathing....

 

I also know that I have way better control of my casts when my right hand is on the reel and the left is on the butt of the rod..

[trevy727]

LOL -- we're all here for ya! I'm a right handed person who, shoots a hockey stick left, golfs right, swings a bat from both sides of the plate, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, reels with the left

 

 

Are you me? that's what i do as well

[uglyfish]

How many fish have you lost because you had to switch hands? lol

 

I know I don't even think about switching hands when I'm baitcasting, it's like breathing....

 

I also know that I have way better control of my casts when my right hand is on the reel and the left is on the butt of the rod..

 

 

me personally, none. ive always used my left hand to crank the reel. i just know of other people who use a lefty for flippin and pitchin to save that extra split second instead of having to switch hands to engage the reel.

[GBW]

and a lot of guys, pros included, have started using a left hand retrieve casting reel for flipping and pitching rods, so they dont have to switch hands to reel, which helps when a fish hits as soon as ur lure hits the water.

it's funny you say that as all my MAIN reels are LH (both spinning and casting) but 2. 2 are RH casting for flipping as I'm a lefty and I have better aim pitching with my left hand... go figure... I'm not just 1/2 backwards I'm whole backwards!

Edited February 4, 2010 by GBW

[JohnF]

I've been thinking that most natural righties who crank right are thumbing the reel with the right thumb. Hence the need to change hands. Now I'm getting the idea that some of you (most?) are thumbing with the left hand which means no switch.

 

If you're a natural lefty then I could see thumbing with the left hand. I'm confused.

 

And I'm not clear on why Garry says someone like me who thumbs right handed but cranks left is naturally going to hold the reel in the wrong position. What difference does it make whether the crank is up or down for the cast? Seems to me the important thing is for the reel itself not to be up so the wrist can get the proper flex action.

 

JF

[GoneFishin]

I've been thinking that most natural righties who crank right are thumbing the reel with the right thumb. Hence the need to change hands. Now I'm getting the idea that some of you (most?) are thumbing with the left hand which means no switch.

 

If you're a natural lefty then I could see thumbing with the left hand. I'm confused.

 

And I'm not clear on why Garry says someone like me who thumbs right handed but cranks left is naturally going to hold the reel in the wrong position. What difference does it make whether the crank is up or down for the cast? Seems to me the important thing is for the reel itself not to be up so the wrist can get the proper flex action.

 

JF

 

It's all about preference and style I guess. If you want to get the most out of your baitcaster then you need to be using a reel that corresponds with the hand you cast with. If you crank with you right hand then your going to have to cast with your left arm if you want to be able to use your reel to it's fullest. If you can't do that then you need to switch cranking arms. You can tell me until your blue in the face that it isn't a big deal to have to switch hands after casting. But when it comes down to it, you won't be able to cast as quickly and probably not as accurately, you won't be able to pick up your line as fast and good luck flipping and pitching all day haha.

 

I still crank with my right hand when I use a spinning set up, but I will never use a right handed baitcast reel. Only took a couple outing's for it to start to feel comfortable, and I'm very glad I decided to switch because it even makes my time on the water a lot more enjoyable.

[BillM]

It's all about preference and style I guess. If you want to get the most out of your baitcaster then you need to be using a reel that corresponds with the hand you cast with. If you crank with you right hand then your going to have to cast with your left arm if you want to be able to use your reel to it's fullest. If you can't do that then you need to switch cranking arms. You can tell me until your blue in the face that it isn't a big deal to have to switch hands after casting. But when it comes down to it, you won't be able to cast as quickly and probably not as accurately, you won't be able to pick up your line as fast and good luck flipping and pitching all day haha.

 

lol this is comedy gold...

 

Do people REALLY think switching hands makes a difference? My right hand is the dominant hand, why would I want to cast with anything else?

 

It's all personal preference, nothing more..

Edited February 4, 2010 by BillM

[vinnimon]

I always cast with my right hand and reel in with my left.For some reason with a baitcaster I cast right but Im comfortable reeling in with either hand.In sports Im right handed except for playing goalie.

[Raf]

The other issue is as Gary says is your grip,you want to fish a baitcaster in your hand,not behind the reel yet you have to be behind it in order to feather the spool when casting.This issue has been addressed with the drop gear low profile baitcasters now allowing you to move up on it and palm it with one hand after casting so if you fishing a bait with the rod primarily such as when you pitch a righty can use a baitcaster comfortably,not so much so for fishing on the reel though as in cranks,spinnerbaits etc. because of the clunky hand issue.Clear as mud right?? lol

 

i still don't understand what you guys mean.

 

i "palm" my 7001 -- a full size (& then some) baitcaster. use the thumb on my right hand to thumb the spool. use two hands to cast - one (right hand) on the reel one (left hand) on the butt of the rod as a pivot. i can cast 1/2 oz lures to 16oz lures no problem. i cast as far & as accurate as my right-handed pardner.

 

what's this pitching crap? is this a baseball forum?

[Jer]

lol this is comedy gold...

 

Do people REALLY think switching hands makes a difference? My right hand is the dominant hand, why would I want to cast with anything else?

 

It's all personal preference, nothing more..

 

 

I don't think anyone is talking about casting with their left hand (except for natural lefties), rather having a right-hand retrieve reel and casting with their right and having to switch hands to turn the handle.

 

I cast with my right arm and wind the handle with my left, regardless if I'm using a spinning or a baitcaster. My right being my dominant hand, I'd rather fight a fish with the rod in my right hand.

[BillM]

I don't think anyone is talking about casting with their left hand (except for natural lefties), rather having a right-hand retrieve reel and casting with their right and having to switch hands to turn the handle.

 

Jer, read the post I replied to I think you'll then figure out where I'm coming from.

[solopaddler]

lol this is comedy gold...

 

Do people REALLY think switching hands makes a difference? My right hand is the dominant hand, why would I want to cast with anything else?

 

It's all personal preference, nothing more..

 

 

Wrong.

 

Switching hands is counterproductive and inefficient.

 

As you said your right is dominant, why would you want to cast with your left? Conversely why would you want to switch hands and hold the rod with your weaker left hand (your hook setting arm)?

 

Last Sept on the Attawapiskat tossing bucktails, most times the retrieve was started while the lure was still in the air. If you let the lure hit the water before starting your retrieve you'd end up with a clump of weeds on your hook.

Try switching hands in mid cast and doing that.

 

I can understand why someone would use a right hand retrieve casting reel if all their other reels were also right hand retrieve.

Most people, yourself included, use left hand retrieve reels for everything else and cast with the right hand.

Makes no sense.

[BillM]

Mike, you'll have to prove how counterproductive and inefficient my casting is in June.. Let's just hope you can keep up

[dave524]

Might depend on how you hold a bait rig too. I learned to fish with the old direct drive casters with the pistol grip offset reel handles. Dad taught me to cast in the late fifties, he was a very good tournament caster, won a few T.A.H.A. competions at the C.N.E., before there was even a Sportsmen Show. He'd set up hula hoops and my favourite target, the lid off the galvanized metal garbage can, gratifying clang when you hit that, in the back yard , the competition was called " SKISH".

Anyway, being right handed we cast with our right and like everyone would transfer the rod to the left and reel with the right, but instead of gripping the rod handle, the left hand would grasp the rod ahead of the reel somewhat with my palm against the sideplate. To this day, I use the more forward grip while retrieveing. To use my favoured grip while holding the rod with my right would seem to necessitate tranferring the rod to my left and then repositioning my right hand above the reel, even more movement. I use the more common today straight grips but still grip the same as I learned. guess I've just done it too many years to change now.

 

Really this left hand reeling only started when fixed spool spinning gear started becoming popular in the fifties, before that everything was right hand reeling. The guys that grew up with spinning gear became accustomed to it and it's carried over to their casting gear.

Edited February 4, 2010 by dave524

[singingdog]

lol this is comedy gold...

 

You got that right....pretty much the entire thread. Everytime this thread pops up it is full of misconceptions and plain mistruths.

 

Using a RH baitcaster does not mean that you are casting with your left hand. (please repeat that until you understand it). The vast majority of folks using RH baitcasters cast with their right hand, then switch the rod to their left hand to reel with their right.

 

I always cast RH, but used both RH and LH baitcasters last season (it's a great way to relieve wrist stress). Unbelievably, I can switch hands and engage a lure (yes, even a bucktail) while it is still in the air. It's not that hard. I must be pretty bad with a baitcaster, because I get just as good casting performance with a LH reel as a RH reel.

 

Definitely some entertaining "info" in this thread.