Honestly... Why Are Lefties The Red-Headed Stepchildren?

[buzzed bait]

i'm not arguing the dominance of right handed people.  and if you read through a lot of these "lefty" guys are admitting they are actually right handed...

as far as the spinning outfits go, when you go into most any retailer, the ones on display and attached to a rod as a combo are about 98% left handed retrieve.  That's why I'm saying it is really odd that baitcasters are so overwhelmingly off balanced with the lack of LH reeels.

[J Francho]

Many industry insiders with access to sales analytics have said that righty reels FAR, FAR, FAR outsell lefties, when a left hand model is available. The reality is that while on fishing forums, the "lefty reel for a right handed person" is probably at least half the users, overall more use righties. Add in that they have weighed the cost it takes to produce both, compared to lost sales by not carrying a lefty. Guess what's more? Yep, now you have righty only. I remember over 20 years ago when asked why I was using a lefty reel, when I was right handed. When I explained, the guy actually said I was doing it wrong. Guess all those fish I caught didn't count? Run what you like. Sometimes I wear white pants after Labor Day. It's no one's problem but my own.

I think in time, as there is turnover in the buying public, this demographic will change to a more balanced ratio. Problem is, two versions costs money - our money. A reel with both lefty and and righty costs more than just a righty to bring to market.

[roadwarrior]

Sometimes I wear white pants after Labor Day. It's no one's problem but my own.

 

 

Say it ain't so!

 

 

[Raul]

You can never go wrong when you go right! I prefer to crank with my right hand and work the bait with my left... always how ive done it and don't see any point in changing.

I'm not older than dirt but being doing that way for 41 years.

[Raul]

but how does that explain why so many spinning reels are left oriented, but when you look at baitcasters they are right oriented?  i mean i hear you on the disparity of true lefties, but i'm right handed and prefer a left handed reel.  i'm just weird i suppose.

You are kidding, right ?

[buzzed bait]

You are kidding, right ?

 

no i'm not.... why would you infer that i'm kidding?

[Daniel Lin]

I got the chance to try a left handed baitcaster that a fellow bank fisherman was using last time I was out. As much sense it would make in your head to cast with your right hand, and then bring the left hand to the handle to retrieve, I discovered that shifting my hand position from casting (pointer finger on the trigger, thumb on the spool) to retrieve (pinky finger on the trigger, pointer finger above the grip, riding the line when using plastics or jigs or ring finger on the trigger, deathgrip on the reel for moving baits) was extremely awkward.

 

I find it much easier to cast naturally (and thus more accurately) with my right hand, and transfer the reel fluidly into my left hand to start the retrieve.

 

I don't know how it hasn't been pointed out in this thread yet that strong hand position for casting and retrieving a spinning reel is the same, I just move my pointer finger to hold and release the line, whereas I haven't met anyone that regularly holds a casting reel in the same position for both cast and retrieve.

 

That being said, despite being right handed, I bat left-handed (thanks, left-handed dad!), so I've been experimenting with leaving my left hand on the reel in retrieve position and doing a sort of left-handed swing with my right hand under the left when I'm trying to get more casts out in a hurry, particularly when throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits. So far, it's mostly resulted in some epic dive-bombs and even more epic backlashes, but I'm slowly getting better at it.

[Raul]

no i'm not.... why would you infer that i'm kidding?

To quote your words: " it doesn't explain why spinning reels are left handed oriented, " and I ask if you are kidding with those words, in the last 3 + decades all spinning reels from all reel manufacturers have been manufactured with reversible handles, how can they be "left hand oriented" ?

[Crankinstein]

I don't know what the distribution is but it seems like there are a lot more people who use LH baitcasters in Japan than here in the US. I don't think it has as much to do with actually being right or left handed as most people think. I'm right handed but use a LH baitcaster like several people have brought up. I think the preference of what hand you reel with has to do more with the region you live in and the style you fish. I would love to see some stats on a map about US vs Europe vs Japan on LH and RH reels and the species of fish targeted. Some comparisons about what the average outdoor shop has to offer for reels would be interesting too.

[Crankinstein]

Think he's referring to the fact that even though their reversable spinning reels are almost always left hand reel in their "default" position. Anytime your up at bps or gander you'll see that 90% of the spinning reels have the handle on the left and they don't expect every right handed buyer to immediately switch the handle to the right. Its because a large amount of right handed people reel a spinning reel with their left hand and you would think that this would transfer into a decent amount people doing the same with a BC yet manufacturers don't focus nearly as much on their LH reels which doesn't seem to make sense.

[buzzed bait]

To quote your words: " it doesn't explain why spinning reels are left handed oriented, " and I ask if you are kidding with those words, in the last 3 + decades all spinning reels from all reel manufacturers have been manufactured with reversible handles, how can they be "left hand oriented" ?

 

i don't think it's that hard to follow what i said in a separate post as crankinstein seemed to have grasped it.  i said that every retailer has the vast majority of their reels already set up as left hand retrieve.  while i fully understand the reversible nature of the reel, i seriously doubt the average joe does.  this is why i ask the reason they are already set up for a left hand retrieve yet the majority of bait casters are set up for right hand retrieve and the vast majority of the bait casters on display are RH retrieve.  

[new2BC4bass]

 So I wanted to know- what is the split for right/left handled users? 60/40? 80/20?

 

 

 

My baitcast reels are split about half and half....20 left hand, 20 right hand with another LH on the way.

[long island basser]

I am right handed and have tried to get use to using right handed reels but for whatever reason it just feels wrong. I used spinning reels with the crank on the left side for so long that using a left handed baitcaster almost feels natural. Also, it feels weird to switch hands after a cast with a right handed reel. I know it's just me but well, that's how it is.

No its not just you lol...im the same way

I'm right handed and fish with lefty baitcasters. To me it makes more sense holding the rod with your strong arm/hand and reeling with your weak hand, it feels completely unnatural fishing with a righty baitcaster.

Like they said, I'm also right handed and all my reels are left hand retrieve.

[Further North]

I'm right handed and fish with lefty baitcasters. To me it makes more sense holding the rod with your strong arm/hand and reeling with your weak hand, it feels completely unnatural fishing with a righty baitcaster.

Same here...I've never figured out why anyone would want to cast with their right arm, then switch hands to reel.

[GoDeep]

I'm a righty and reel with my left. Your dominant hand should help control the fish.

[*Hootie]

Same here...I've never figured out why anyone would want to cast with their right arm, then switch hands to reel.

That's the beauty of this sport. You never have to figure out how or why the other guy does it different than you.

It just doesn't matter.

It just doesn't matter.

It just doesn't matter.

Hootie

[Todd2]

I'm a righty and reel with my left. Your dominant hand should help control the fish.

Same here... And you don't have to do that rod hand switching thing on each cast. I switched 10 years ago and wished I'd switched sooner. To each their own though.

[EmersonFish]

I'm a right-handed person who uses "left-hand retrieve" reels exclusively. To me, it is just more natural. I have more control over the rod with my good arm, and the reel is meant to collect/manage line, not act as a winch. But whatever works for people. I don't mind the number of options available in the bass fishing market. I get more frustrated looking for reels intended for other species, although I usually get what I need.

 

To play Devil's Advocate, I'd say a good reason for a righty to use a "right-hand retrieve" reel that forces you to switch hands every cast is to reduce arm fatigue. I've never had a problem with that; at least not yet.

[mod479]

probably more righties out there, but I'm ambidextrous so I can pick up just about any setup and fish. Prefer left hand retrieve reels and working the rod with my right, yet right hand dominant with everything else in life including writing, throwing a ball, using a comp mouse ...etc. Shim make lefty cores so that's all I care about in sense of the market. Fire bush in the house.     

[Josh Smith]

In the beginning, Kentucky watch makers created the modern baitcasting reel, and the reel was good.

 

The Makers intended the rod to be cast with the reel on top but retrieved with the reel underneath.

 

And lo, the fishermen disobeyed the law set forth by the Makers.  For their disobedience, they were condemned to switch hands after the cast for a period of four generations.  At the end of four generations, the fishermen were freed by the bass prophets Abu Garcia, Daiwa, and Shimano.

 

Only the chosen ones, the Lefties, were spared this plight.  And the Lefties, for the favors bestowed upon them, were thus persecuted by those whose handedness necessitated the shifting of hands after the cast.

 

-  The Book of Joshua, 19:77

[masterbass]

I believe that the new generation of casting gear converts will be left retrieve. 

[new2BC4bass]

To play Devil's Advocate, I'd say a good reason for a righty to use a "right-hand retrieve" reel that forces you to switch hands every cast is to reduce arm fatigue. I've never had a problem with that; at least not yet.

 

 

I've spent some 12-16 hour days on the water fishing.  The only time I have felt arm fatigue was when casting a spinnerbait.  Once in Florida and again yesterday after spending a little over 2 hours casting nothing but a spinnerbait.  Guess age is starting to catch up with me.  I was wishing I had brought one of my RH setups with me.

 

I often switch casting arms regardless of the side the handle is on.  Doesn't help with arm fatigue, tho.

[hatrix]

There is no right or wrong but I'm curious what the percentage is of left handed people in the population, how many of the lefties that fish prefer right handed reels, and how many righties like me prefer left handed reels. If a company outsources manufacturing to an existing factory that has two production lines already I don't see why they wouldn't grab whatever piece of the lefty market they can. On the flip side, the cost of implementing their own second line is probably substantial enough to justify needing a minimum market share to even consider it. 

I am left handed and reel with my right. I have always fished that way not matter what it is. It is the most comfortable and just makes sense when you think about it. Your dominant hand should be the one working the rod because that is where it is most important. I have never understood that whole switching when people go from casting to spinning. I never understood why people don't just use the same hand. 

 

My brother actually has only been fishing for about 3 years now and when he was first starting I told him to try to lean reeling with his right hand. He is right handed and reels left btw. I knew it would be somewhat of a issue later on trying to find reels. He did't not have the muscle memory of fishing in his brain and I was trying to help him out. Plus then he would be able to just pick up one of my rods and be totally fine but he didn't listen.