Left Hand Retreive Baitbast

[Roy]

The left/right rant comes up every single year at this time. The same conclusions are always reached. For me, it's a sign that winter is half over and that there are only two more cabin fever induced rants before softwater.

[John]

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?

 

 

Egg Zachary!

[lew]

Your right Roy, this same discussion comes up all the time and it never changes, there's always a few "experts" who like to tell others that their doing it wrong.

 

I've been using a baitcaster and switching hands for the retrieve for probably 55 years, faaaaar longer than most of our resident experts have even been alive and I'll put my casting skills up against any of them, both in distance & accuracy.

 

Like I say just about every time this topic comes up, do whatever the heck feels best to you. If it doesn't feel right, then switch around till you find what works best and don't let anyone tell you your wrong.

Edited February 5, 2010 by lew

[azebra]

humm, I dont own a bait caster, but when I go musky, fishing things like that I use my friends big old rods and baitcasters, their all left hand cast and I HATE IT, they even normally cast with their right with spinning gear or a centerpin, but why are baitcasters mostly left handed.. I wish I knew.. and to that guy thrpwing 1/2 oz lures to 16 oz, hey, i dont know if you have any idea of weight, or maybe you have never poked smot. or bought smot. but 16 oz is 1 pound. unless your bottom bouncing the pacific ocean LMAO, 5/8 of an oz will get ya down 100ft in calm lake water..

Edited February 5, 2010 by azebra

[Governator]

I don't own a baitcaster but I always cast my spinning gear with 2 hands lol. I hold the bottom of the rod with the left hand and my right hand is on the reel. I then switch hands, holding the rod in my left and retrieve with my right.

 

Yea I'm one of a kind.

[Raf]

azebra

 

when wet the top ones probably 12oz

 

the bottom one is 16oz -- hence it's name "the pounder".

 

Edited February 5, 2010 by Raf

[John]

azebra

 

when wet the top ones probably 12oz

 

the bottom one is 16oz -- hence it's name "the pounder".

 

 

Hey Raf, I like the blades on that one, it looks like a winner. How does the 7001 crank it in?

[Raf]

Hey Raf, I like the blades on that one, it looks like a winner. How does the 7001 crank it in?

 

7001 cranks it in just fine John. That's a bit of a prototype.. those are #16 blades. To be honest, #10 or #13 are plenty!!

 

You can cast & retrieve that one just fine but it works good on the troll.

[BillM]

hey, i dont know if you have any idea of weight, or maybe you have never poked smot. or bought smot. but 16 oz is 1 pound. unless your bottom bouncing the pacific ocean LMAO, 5/8 of an oz will get ya down 100ft in calm lake water..

 

Wait, I thought you went musky fishing? What are you tossing, shad raps?

[John]

7001 cranks it in just fine John. That's a bit of a prototype.. those are #16 blades. To be honest, #10 or #13 are plenty!!

 

You can cast & retrieve that one just fine but it works good on the troll.

 

Just bought myself a 7001, that's why I was asking. I was struggling with smaller reels even with a D 13.

[Harrison]

When pitching (bassy stuff Raf, lol). Sometimes they will eat the bait when it hits the water, "IF", you have to swith hands while "pitching" and sometimes "casting" there is a chance of a missed fish.

 

For pitching/flipping it is wise to use your strong arm on the rod. It can be difficult to switch reels becasue your STRONG arm is usually the hand you write with. Low profile baitcasters that are used for the majority of "pitching" have a motion similair to writing with a pencil.

 

So, when I switched to the left side reel 13 yrs ago now, I went to the Nuke and practiced on drum. I feel 100% comfy using a lefty and I beleive it is truly an advantage. IMHO.

 

Good Luck

Edited February 5, 2010 by Harrison

[lookinforwalleye]

Your right Roy, this same discussion comes up all the time and it never changes, there's always a few "experts" who like to tell others that their doing it wrong.

 

I've been using a baitcaster and switching hands for the retrieve for probably 55 years, faaaaar longer than most of our resident experts have even been alive and I'll put my casting skills up against any of them, both in distance & accuracy.

 

Like I say just about every time this topic comes up, do whatever the heck feels best to you. If it doesn't feel right, then switch around till you find what works best and don't let anyone tell you your wrong.

 

 

Same here around 35 years of casting and switching hands with no problems and it just feels right.

The thing that surprises me is the number of people that don`t cast and switch.

[spinnerbaitking]

Not going to try telling anyone what to do, but what works for me is, I'm right handed, spincast right hand reel, spinning left hand reel, baitcast started right hand reel bought a Speed Master Shimano new many moons ago, went to buy a Calcutta from Jos at Fishing Plus years ago & he said buy a 151 left or buy it some where else & he was serious, knowing he was cheaper by quite a bit he figured I'd buy it & I did, I could have kicked his the 1st couple times I used it but then it clicked & I now have about 30 baitcast reels likely 1/2 left & 1/2 right & wouldn't have it any other way, I believe at the end of the day I'm not as sore or tired as my buddies that just use right handed reels, new to flipp'n & frog'n last year I used a left hand reel & won't be switching back any time soon,

My 2 cents & not from an expert, but works for me

Richard

[GoneFishin]

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'm pretty sure it's more about what hand you crank with. Use your dominate arm to cast with. If you cast with your left hand then you need a right handed reel so your not switching arms all the time. Do you crank with your right arm also? Cause it would make sence for you to swith hands, but I guess not every one can use both hands I guess..

[BillM]

I'm pretty sure it's more about what hand you crank with. Use your dominate arm to cast with. If you cast with your left hand then you need a right handed reel so your not switching arms all the time. Do you crank with your right arm also? Cause it would make sence for you to swith hands, but I guess not every one can use both hands I guess..

 

I cast with my right arm regardless of what type of fishing I'm doing (float, fly, baitcast, spin).. I prefer to crank with my right hand when I baitcast.

 

Every other type of fishing I'm cranking with my left.

[dave524]

Wait till some of these fellows try salt water fishing with conventional tackle, can just about guarantee you are going to have to reel right

[Tdel]

This business of changing hands seems to be a great problem for some people and they even lose fish because of it. Wow.

 

So how many seconds does it take to change hands after casting???. (1 or 2 seconds)

That is some major lost time. Relax. Enjoy yourself fishing. Don't make it an obsession or a job. Leave that for the charter captains.

 

The whole issue should be what feels right to you. Is it comfortable and is this what you want and can use, enjoy and have fun. No matter what you decide in some peoples eyes you will be wrong.

 

Enjoy life and don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

 

 

golf right

bat right

hockey left

guns right

throw right

spinning left

casting right

 

Tom

[maybo]

lefty here

[waynec]

When I first learned to use a baitcasting reel, it was a right hand retrieve reel. I cast with one hand and couldn't stand transferring the rod from my right hand to my left hand so my right hand could start reeling in line. It would be too tiring transferring the rod all day. I switched to left hand retrieve baitcasting reels and I still use them today. When I do a hookset, the power is coming from my right arm. The left hand/arm is justing hanging onto the reel handle. When I used to fish for muskies, I used a one arm (right) hookset for the figure 8 retrieve at the side of the boat

[smitter]

Right hand retrieve, casting and spinning reels.

[camillj]

Im a lefty and this topic makes me reach for the scotch bottle every time ... if you are left handed you should almost always use a right handed reel (no need to switch hands) ... get over it .. the description is wrong .. just like in Hockey (most people who shoot left are rightey's) ... except in golf where almost EVERYBODY has it backwards

 

 

 

 

The hand to reel with is your 'spazz' hand .. the hand to fight fish with and cast with and set the hook with is your sensitive (control) hand ...

[JohnF]

Im a lefty and this topic makes me reach for the scotch bottle every time ... if you are left handed you should almost always use a right handed reel (no need to switch hands) ... get over it .. the description is wrong .. just like in Hockey (most people who shoot left are rightey's) ... except in golf where almost EVERYBODY has it backwards

 

 

 

 

The hand to reel with is your 'spazz' hand .. the hand to fight fish with and cast with and set the hook with is your sensitive (control) hand ...

 

I agree. I want my dominant hand controlling the rod and my weaker hand cranking. That's why I don't get the logic of righties cranking a baitcaster right handed. I realize there's an historical precedent for it but I still don't get it. Of course I still don't understand why more righties don't want their power hand at the top of the golf club either.

 

JF

[BillM]

I think I set the hook as hard with my cranking hand as I do with the hand holding the rod