Email From Abu Garcia

[Sodus Bay Scooter]

So I sent an email to Abu Garcia a few days ago about my frustration about them not manufacturing left hand retrieves in all their revo reels. I thought I'd share their answer with you guys. Here it is.

Hi Joel,

 

Thank-you for your email. We have to base our left handed reels off of forecasted demand.  While we would like to make all of our reels available in both left and right hand retrieve, the cost of tooling and retail placement opportunities outweighs our ability to do so.  However, when we receive input from enough of our customers and there demand, we often go back and tool a left handed version in a series at a slightly later date.  The MGX - which will be available in a left handed retrieve this spring. We always like to hear from consumers and try to facilitate their needs.  We will pass this information on to the brand manager. 

 

Best Regards,

TM

Abu Garcia Customer Service

Okay, Joel here again. If you guys want left hand retrieves, let them know!

[BasskingKeith]

Probably what they were thinking when they got your email --   lol. Not sure if the emoticon shows up, but it's pretty funny.

[rdollar80]

I feel your pain. I fish left handed and wanted to try out a Phluger bait caster...the problem is the same all right handed. I have since started using Shimano reels and love them.

[Lunker7]

I have the same problem. I just sent Abu an e-mail too.

[Sodus Bay Scooter]

I'm not sure how to start a simple petition but maybe we can get one going and send it. It can be a generic left hand reel request too that way we can send the same petition to any reel manufacturer we want.

[Felix77]

This is the exact same issue with left handed golf clubs.  The right handed models come out first and after it's proven successful and enough demand/requests for the LH version comes through is when the manufacturer makes it available.   When it came to reels I expected the same thing.

 

Unfortunately it can set you back a whole season in some cases.  

 

I just took it as the norm being a lefty.

[Lunker7]

This is the exact same issue with left handed golf clubs.  The right handed models come out first and after it's proven successful and enough demand/requests for the LH version comes through is when the manufacturer makes it available.   When it came to reels I expected the same thing.

 

Unfortunately it can set you back a whole season in some cases.  

 

I just took it as the norm being a lefty.

I'm actually a righty in almost everything I do. For some reason, I just feel more comfortable fishing lefty. Now I know how you lefties feel!

[Teal]

I dont mean to hijack this but im glad that the fishing industry does do their due diligence to make products for lefties but the truth is not every reel that we want is going to come in left handed. I say this because i am left handed, but the when i was growing up, nobody cared that i was left handed (the especially my parents) so i learned how to do most things that guys do as a right handed person. in fact thethat only thingsa i doi left handed on aa regular basisl is write and throw a baseball. Heck i even shoot and carry a pistol right handed. And to this day i fish right handed, but when i see a great reel that iis on clearance because it is a lefty i buy it up. I know for alot of guys, this isnt an option but i encourage you to trying casting and fishing with your week hand. Besides, casting with your other hand opens targets that you didnt have before.

[Sodus Bay Scooter]

It's funny, I am right handed but to me it feels more natural to hold the rod with my strong arm and reel with the left. It feels akward the other way around.

[islandbass]

That is nice to here that Abu is going to do that.

 

A reel designated as "right-handed" is done so by the manufacturer because, well, it's a fact that the angler using the reel will use his or her right hand to crank the handle.  The angler's hand dominance, whether left or right, has no bearing whatsoever on having the reel being labeled as right-handed.  Vice versa is true for "left-handed" reels.

 

This revalation dawned on me the day I got my first baitcaster. I bought a right-handed reel because I was right-hand dominant.  Boy did it feel awkward!

 

@ Lunker: If you are right-hand dominant, you ought to feel more comfortable using left handed reels anyway, as I do, also being right-hand dominant, lol.

 

Now everybody is different so there will always be folks who prefer to fish opposite of what their hand dominance would usually prefer. Most right handed people playing catch with a baseball and glove would prefer to throw the ball on with the right hand since it is going to be the one with the power and coordination and catch with their left.  Naturally it should follow such a person should cast with their right (as in throwing a ball) right.

 

However, this is not always going to be the case.  Not everyone will follow this mold.  So unless one is completely ambidexterous, one way will feel more comfortable and less awkward than the other.  The only way to know for certain is to try both.

 

Also, RW, makes a great case for why folks who are rh dominant should use rh reels when using baitcasters.

 

After realizing I bought the "wrong" one, I decided I would train myself to "fish" the other way and I am glad that I did.  So while I prefer LH set ups, I don't have a have a problem using RH setups.

 

After that, as already mentioned, it would behoove all of us to become proficient both left and right.  Love this subject!

[Lunker7]

It's funny, I am right handed but to me it feels more natural to hold the rod with my strong arm and reel with the left. It feels akward the other way around.

X2

[jbone177]

X3