Lefty Or Righty

[Cast_And_Blast]

Right hand dominant, left hand retrieve....Easier for me to cast with my right and and not have to switch hands to start reeling.

same here. Got tired of switching hands after every cast or pitch or flip. 

[tomustang]

Shocking results, no? Just like the similar thread on the other forum, left side retrieve reels received more votes! 32 votes lefty, 17 righty. That is almost 2 to 1.

It shows people who frequent forums and take polls are dominate in left hand retreive. It's not going to account for the many more who doesn't. Who knows, active online anglers might have more knowledge about switching hands over others who impulse buy more available right hand models in store

[K_Mac]

I am right handed and reel with my left. That works best for me. I agree with A-Jay that with some practice and good technique using either hand to cast is a great way to ease the strain of fishing long hours. It can also make getting the bait into the right spot easier. 

[Lunker Huntin]

It's funny that this post was just started because yesterday while watching some flipping videos on YouTube it hit me all of a sudden that the two brand new tournament pro's I just ordered were right handed models. I started to panic because it then dawned on me that what that meant was it's opposite from all my spinning gear that I am used to. This will be my first year trying casting gear so it's all new to me and when I saw right handed I thought yep that's me cause I always cast and hold the rod in my right hand, boy let me tell you I felt like a real DA for that mistake. Luckily I got them from the same company and they told me just send them back and we will exchange them, since I'm deployed and not home to receive them I never got to see them other wise I would have realized when the first one showed up it wouldn't work for me. I agree 100% with a couple of the other post that I'm completely right hand dominate so holding a rod in the left just wouldn't work for me. Thank god lews has both models in lefties or I'd be up the creek without a paddle.

[Hooked_On_Bass]

Cast with my right hand and retrieve with my left.

[Arv]

I wonder if this is indicative of the general population of fishermen. I've also seen similar results on other forums, however, it could just be because us left hand crankers are more passionate about the topic providing a voluntary response bias (I think that's the right bias...). I have a hard time believing that companies aren't aware that the majority of fishermen crank with their left hand, as that would put more money in their pockets assuming these polls are accurate, but who knows.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I wonder if this is indicative of the general population of fishermen. I've also seen similar results on other forums, however, it could just be because us left hand crankers are more passionate about the topic providing a voluntary response bias (I think that's the right bias...). I have a hard time believing that companies aren't aware that the majority of fishermen crank with their left hand, as that would put more money in their pockets assuming these polls are accurate, but who knows.

People say that it isn't a fair representation of the public, and I think that is correct to an extent. I think that more and more people are switching to lefties (since there are more right hand dominant people in the world), so maybe one day lefty reels will be more popular and more prevalent in the industry. Oh, and the right hand retrieve people will get to feel us left hand retrievers' pain!

[Scott F]

I'm right handed, cast with my right arm, crank with left or right hand. I carry both left and right handed reels in the boat. No poll option for this.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I'm right handed, cast with my right arm, crank with left or right hand. I carry both left and right handed reels in the boat. No poll option for this.

If you were going to get a full line up of either lefty or righty reels, and you had to choose one side or the other, which would you choose?

[ColdSVT]

Right handed...reel lefty

I do a lot of stuff lefty however. I dad is left handed and i was taught many things left handed lol

[deadadrift89]

I am left handed and I always cast with my left and reel with my right.

Same here. All my friends are right handed and 99% of them cast right and retrieve right ,i don't get changing hands. FWIW when I use spinning or fly rod I use right hand cast and retrieve left

[WiregrassRiverRat]

I pitch with my left hand only! when I was learning I was told .. you need to learn both.. knowing that left would be more difficult...but better because you dont have to switch hands.. I learned to do it that way.. and now I dont pitch righty nearly at all... but I cast right then put the rod in my left hand and reel them fish in!

[MemphisFF]

Natural southpaw throw left reel righty, just feels natural.. I'm in the minority

[Scott F]

If you were going to get a full line up of either lefty or righty reels, and you had to choose one side or the other, which would you choose?

Why would I have to choose one or the other? I fished for years casting with my right, cranking with the left. Now I use both and will continue to use both. Switching gives my hands a break.

[jignfule]

As of todays  almost 63%  of the reels are lefties, never would have thought that.

[bflp3]

I wonder if this is indicative of the general population of fishermen. I've also seen similar results on other forums, however, it could just be because us left hand crankers are more passionate about the topic providing a voluntary response bias (I think that's the right bias...). I have a hard time believing that companies aren't aware that the majority of fishermen crank with their left hand, as that would put more money in their pockets assuming these polls are accurate, but who knows.

I think that is definitely part of it. It seems right caster left crankers are passionate about justifying their position, probably because reel manufacturers continually leave left hand crankers with less options.

But let's be honest, the reel companies are basing their offerings on sales numbers. If sales of lefty reels don't overcome tooling costs, they aren't going to offer them.

I think preference has a lot to do with what you grew up with. I grew up with spincasters, didn't try spinning reels until shortly before baitcasters, and never fell in love with spinning, so cast right right retrieve feels more natural to me.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

~61% left hand retrieves... Anyone else surprised?

[Fish Murderer 71]

I can cast with both hands (prefer right, but at times I need use a left hand cast), All reels are right hand retrieve, including open face.

[shootermcbob]

I cast with my right hand on the reel, left hand on bottom of rod. I reel both lefty and righty with baitcasters....I think that makes me....

 

amphibious       

 

I discovered last summer that I am MUCH more adept at fishing jerkbaits, topwater walking baits reeling lefty. I am also working on pitching with R hand, reeling with L even though I do not do much pitching/flipping from the bank.

I reel spinning reels left handed.

[bflp3]

I wonder how many people didn't read your entire post and voted based on spinning reels? You didn't mention this was for casting only until the very end. I know we have a few spinning only people on here.

[livetofish28]

I feel on the short end of the stick being left handed dominant and right hand retrieve lol

Tight lines

Andrew

[ak47soulja22]

Right and right but can do left and right or right and left. But mostly right and right

[BenB54]

Right/right as far as normal casting and bombing lures goes. It's so natural now to switch hands for me that the rod is in my left hand way before the lure ever hits the water. I find it amusing that it confuses people or that they think it takes such an effort or it's so inefficient to switch mid cast. Flipping/pitching is a totally different story, I'm left/right as far as that goes because that's the only time I find it more efficient not to switch hands.

[WIGuide]

I'm a right dominant and right retrieve. I'm a reel palmer though, so it works for me.

[papajoe222]

Baitcaster right hand, spinning reel left.  I'd likely reel with my right hand for both, but I learned on a spinning reel with the crank handle on the left and fished that way for years.  I tried going to  right hand cranking, but it's like patting my head and rubbing my stomach; I can do it one way, but not the other.