Left or right retrieve and left or right handed person

[Muskie_magnet]

Mostly right handed with left hand reels but do keep 1 right hand reel in the boat for when I get worn out chucking muskie baits.  It's nice to be able to take a break and switch over.  Didn't take very long at all to get comfortable switching back and forth.

 

[David Chong]

Very impressed that over 74% of respondents are using what I believe is the most logical combination. I originally started using a right-handed baitcaster reel but eventually realized that it really didn't make sense to cast with my right arm and then switch hands. I prefer to have my rod in my power arm and more coordinated arm.

Edited January 30, 2019 by David Chong

[Garnet]

I always changed hands, witch forced me to have rod in both hands when my bait hit the water.

Far more secure hook sets this way. 

[bigbuck]

I'm a righty. I use a right hand baitcaster, I tried the lefty side but just could not get the hang of it. So I cast switch and retrieve. I use my left to retrieve with spinning gear. Go figure, I sure can't.

[David Chong]

1 hour ago, bigbuck said:

I'm a righty. I use a right hand baitcaster, I tried the lefty side but just could not get the hang of it. So I cast switch and retrieve. I use my left to retrieve with spinning gear. Go figure, I sure can't.

It felt weird when I switched as well @bigbuck but I stuck with it and am glad I did! Now it feels weird when I try a right-hand retrieve reel! LOL 

[J Roelofsen]

I'm a lefty and cast right, reel left with spinning and float gear. Cast left reel right with casting gear. But with a single hand fly rod I cast with left and strip with right.....until I hookup then I switch to reeling with the left. 

When I played hardball in my younger years I batted switch and actually pitched with both hands depending on the batter.....

Josh 

Edited February 6, 2019 by J Roelofsen

[KawarthaAngler]

On 1/27/2019 at 5:40 PM, SirCranksalot said:

hmmm---I might be normal after all. Right hand, left retrieve.

 

Every persons 'normal' is in their own head and unique to every person.  Thus there truly is no normal. 

[KawarthaAngler]

For me, as a kid I had one spinning reel and it was a left retrieve (like I believe most were).  So I learned to hold the rod with my right hand and retrieve with my left.

In my adult years when I purchased more spinning reels they were the same.  When I purchased my first baitcaster I did the same, left hand retrieve since that is what I was use to and it made sense.

Then I started watching televised tournaments and saw guys that were right handed like me, cast their baitcaster with their right hand (like I do), then switch hands to also retrieve with their right.  That's when I scratched my head and said 'what are these loonies doing?'   LOL 

Edited February 6, 2019 by KawarthaAngler

[bigbuck]

22 hours ago, David Chong said:

It felt weird when I switched as well @bigbuck but I stuck with it and am glad I did! Now it feels weird when I try a right-hand retrieve reel! LOL 

I tried it for almost a whole summer. I just could not do it. 

[NAW]

Not really related..  But I skateboard right foot forward, but snowboard left foot forward.    

[Garnet]

Watched Chris Johnston switch hands all day. Didn't seem disadvantaged .

Does it completely different than me.  

[Old Ironmaker]

My very 1st time using a spinning reel I borrowed my brothers Mitchel 300, left hand retrieve. I had to turn it upside down to reel it with my right, backwards. I cast right handed and reel right handed. Being ambidextrous can get confusing. I write left handed unless a big white/blackboard I then use my right hand . 

[Reelpro]

Right handed and I always reel with left hand. 

30 years ago it was pretty hard to find left hand baitcasters - the manufacturers pretty much only made right handed ones then, and retailers rarely stocked the lefty's that were available, which is why tons of anglers got used to "switching hands" after casting.

If you cast the rod with your right arm - only logical to reel with the other.

 

[OhioFisherman]

1 hour ago, Reelpro said:

Right handed and I always reel with left hand. 

30 years ago it was pretty hard to find left hand baitcasters - the manufacturers pretty much only made right handed ones then, and retailers rarely stocked the lefty's that were available, which is why tons of anglers got used to "switching hands" after casting.

If you cast the rod with your right arm - only logical to reel with the other.

 

Even a lot of tackle stores didn't stock lefty's back then, my first was an Abu 5001c I saw at a local tackle shop and bought on the spot, he only had one. Not positive of the time line anymore, but we moved to the burbs in 1973 and I know I had it when we moved, it was the only lefty I had ever seen up to then. I think Shimano did a lot to make them more readily available.

[dave524]

Back in the 50's/ 60's, before free spool reels were common , I don't recall ever seeing a lefty direct drive knuckle buster, fished a lot with Langely's and Inglis /Shakespeares in those days.

[OhioFisherman]

7 hours ago, dave524 said:

Back in the 50's/ 60's, before free spool reels were common , I don't recall ever seeing a lefty direct drive knuckle buster, fished a lot with Langely's and Inglis /Shakespeares in those days.

Ya, same here Dave, I don't ever recall seeing a lefty knuckle buster. My first free spool reel was an Abu 1750, not much difference in size than the Langleys and also casted well. LOL, I think I paid around 15 bucks for it new, and around 25 bucks for my 2 5001c's, sold all 3 of them to a Japanese reel collector back in the later 1990's for 450 bucks. Given the price price of reels these days I broke even?

[David Chong]

This will be the exact type of question that we'll be trying to help people with at the Quinte Sportsman, Boat & RV Show in Belleville on March 8, 9 & 10 in a new exhibit cal "EVERYTHING You Wanted to Know About FISHING...but were afraid to ask!" If you're in the Quinte area please drop in and visit the booth!

[DropShot'r]

I'm left handed and it makes no difference on the rod.

I cast left and retrieve right.

Switching hands on every cast? I don't get it. Makes no sense to me.

[BillM]

2 hours ago, DropShot'r said:

I'm left handed and it makes no difference on the rod.

I cast left and retrieve right.

Switching hands on every cast? I don't get it. Makes no sense to me.

It's because you don't do it, lol.   I switch hands mid cast, doesn't interrupt a thing.  I'm sure the thought of it seems odd.   If you saw it in person you probably wouldn't even notice it.