Using A Wrong Handed Reel For Pitching

[Wbeadlescomb]

I've been rolling the idea around of getting a left hand reel for pitching because I suck using my left hand to pitch no amount of practice is showing I'm getting any better at it. Anyone tried this?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'm right handed and use left hand cranking reels almost exclusively. I'll swap hands on a cranking rod or something that's not as likely to get bit as soon as it hits the water.

[Felix77]

No such thing as a "wrong handed" reel.  If it works for you it is right.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

Oh the irony.

[MichiganFishing1997]

I have always used left handed reels. Its more comfortable for me even though im right handed. I would rather reel left handed than have to switch hands every time I cast or cast left handed.

[Mike L]

Im right handed but for the life of me I just cant get comfortable reeling left handed. Don't know why.

I feel fine reeling a spinning reel left but not baitcasting...weird

I tried pitching right and reeling left, and I can barely tolerate that, but Im working through it..

Mike

[Wbeadlescomb]

Im right handed but for the life of me I just cant get comfortable reeling left handed. Don't know why.

I feel fine reeling a spinning reel left but not baitcasting...weird

I tried pitching right and reeling left, and I can barely tolerate that, but Im working through it..

Mike

If I break down and buy a left hand chronarch or curado I'll have to learn to love it just hate to do that

[Mike L]

If I break down and buy a left hand chronarch or curado I'll have to learn to love it just hate to do that

I know how you feel, been there.

Just work at it. If you ever get bit while in the process of switching, you'll know what I mean.

Mike

[tomustang]

If it doesn't work try the other hand. There is no wrong hand to pitch

[Smallmouth Hunter]

Im right handed but for the life of me I just cant get comfortable reeling left handed. Don't know why.

I feel fine reeling a spinning reel left but not baitcasting...weird

I tried pitching right and reeling left, and I can barely tolerate that, but Im working through it..

Mike

With that mindset, you won't be getting comfortable with it very soon. Be optimistic, and practice. If you are watching a football game or something on TV, practice winding while watching. If you are in heavy traffic, have a lefty baitcast reel sitting near the dash and start winding until the traffic fades. Kidding about the last one, but seriously, keep at it and you will find that it is not so bad. I made the conversion a while ago, and it took me about 2 months of fishing to get completely comfortable. It feels completely normal to me now. I wouldn't go back to righty for any reason.

 

 

 

To the OP, if you are right handed and using righty reels, it is you who is using wrong handed reels. We correct-handed reel users don't have to switch hands because when we finish our cast, the reel is already where it needs to be for winding.

 

Using a righty reel isn't really wrong, but it isn't practical unless you like switching hands.

[daiwaguy]

Im right handed but for the life of me I just cant get comfortable reeling left handed. Don't know why.

I feel fine reeling a spinning reel left but not baitcasting...weird

I tried pitching right and reeling left, and I can barely tolerate that, but Im working through it..

Mike

I am the exact same way. I reel left handed with spinning and right with BC's and I am right handed. When friends use my spinning gear they always tell me my handle is on backwards.

[bigbill]

I had to be amberdexterious when I was working under dashboards as a young man. I'm as good with my left hand as I am with my right hand. I have left and right hand cranks. I find no problem using either hand drive.

But with spinning reels I'm left handed.

[Grantman83]

I am the exact same way. I reel left handed with spinning and right with BC's and I am right handed. When friends use my spinning gear they always tell me my handle is on backwards.

This is me to a T. I can't reel left handed with baitcasters. I've Taught myself to pitch left handed rather than learn to crank lefty. Spinning reels I crank left handed lol

[Flukeman]

Learning to pitch with your left hand is easy if your a righty, so just learn that. That way you don't have to keep switching hands or buy a different reel.

[bflp3]

 

To the OP, if you are right handed and using righty reels, it is you who is using wrong handed reels. We correct-handed reel users don't have to switch hands because when we finish our cast, the reel is already where it needs to be for winding.

 

I don't get this. Do you reel with your right hand still on the rod trigger or do you cast while palming the side plate? I tried left retrieve reels when I was first starting with a BC, and I found maneuvering my right hand from the trigger to the side plate more awkward than switching hands, and cranking with my left awkward as well.

[new2BC4bass]

I grew up cranking spinning reels with left hand.  I am right handed.  I easily learned to crank with my right hand.  I still prefer LH reels, but almost half my baitcast reels are RH.  What really did it for me was when I practiced pitching to dandelions with the RH reel I bought for my oldest grandson while standing on my rear deck early one spring.  I actually came to like reeling with the RH.  Since then I have taught myself to cast LH, and can cast just as far with either hand, although accuracy on the left isn't as good yet.  I was in my early 60s when I learned to reel with either hand.  Was 65 last year when I leaned to cast LH.  I have faith that you can do it if you take the right attitude.  Negativity never accomplished very much. 

[normmcclean]

Right hander here and ever since my grandfather taught me to fish 25+ years ago we always used left handed baitcasters. Only part that was hard was the reel selection which was always Abu 5501 reels. We fished calico bass mainly with largemouth on occasion and for calicos in the kelp forest we cast thousands of times a day and we would go nuts if we had to switch hands every cast. Plus all my strength and control was better on my right which was needed when a 40# white sea bass would pick up your swimbait rather than a calico. Besides you dont need your stronger hand to turn baitcaster paddle handles. We do go back to right handed reels when fishing 40# class line and up to 130#. If you can fish your spinner left handed there's not much of a difference plus there are so many nice offerings in lefty reels now is the time to make the change if you have been sitting on the fence jump in with the rest in the know right handed left reeled fisherman

[camovan]

Another here who is right handed and also reel with my right.  I also taught myself to pitch with my left hand.  While I can certainly pitch further with my right arm, oddly I am unquestionably more accurate with my left arm now than I ever was with my right.  In the process of learning to pitch left, I also became better at casting left and to be honest I don't even really think about left hand/right hand anymore, I just cast using the best cast for the presentation or surroundings, boat position etc.  I will say though that this is only baitcasting, I have tried left armed casting with spinning gear and it is a train wreck lol.