Right or left handed...

[Drew03cmc]

A little back story, I use right handed casting reels for my power baits, buzzbaits, cranks, swim jigs, etc, but I cannot walk the dog with the rod in my right hand. I use my spinning rod when walking them now, but I'm curious if anone else switches hands when using certain techniques. 

My casting reel is a Smoke 150 that I love quite a bit for tossing baits a long way. If I could find something like a well used 151 or a 101, it'd be ideal, but I don't know. Am I alone?

[sgibby88]

being a righty i find it weird that i can not get comfortable with right hand retrieve reels. Needless to say all my reels are left hand retrieve. Guess that's about as close as i can get to your question lol

[Drew03cmc]

Hey its all good. I'm just needing to find a good affordable used lefty then.

[fishnkamp]

I use both right handed and left handed baitcasting reels. All of my rods that I chuck and wind a bait with like rattle traps, crankbaits, spinnerbaits or chatterbaits I like to use a right handed reel with. When I need to impart a dragging action or a jerking motion I prefer to hold the rod with my dominant hand and reel with my left hand. This means any topwater I walk the dog with, any jerkbait, carolina rigged baits or texas rigged worms and creature baits all get put on rods with left handed reels. I just always found I can work them better. It also means my pitching flipping setups are lefties as well. One big advantage is I can cast and am ready to follow my line and a bait down as it falls without having to change hands as most anglers do. I feel like I am more ready for reacting to a strike this way. I hope this sorta makes sense to you.  I would recommend a brand new Daiwa Tatula CT in a 6.3 or 7.1 lefty for $130 just about anywhere. 

[Bluebasser86]

I couldn't reel left handed with a baitcaster if I had a gun to my head. I can WTD with my right hand twitching forward or backwards though so that's not an issue. 

[Sam]

Drew, no, you are not alone.

One of my bass fishing friends and I have been having a running discussion about me using a right handed baitcaster and a left handed spinning reel.

My friend says that I should use only the right handed reels to save time and not have to switch hands after a cast.

Its all about personal preference and confidence. Use the reels you are most comfortable with and have the most confidence in.

[Jaderose]

I'm a hand switcher on everything.  Cast right handed......reel right handed.  Cannot walk the dog or impart any real action with my right hand.  Gotta be reeling with it while twitching with my left.  Hand get's switched midcast automatically.....don't even think about it.  Can't think of a time when I lost a fish due to switching hands.  In other words...do what is comfortable to you.

[frosty]

I tried working a frog with my left hand, it looked like the frog had a drinking problem! I bought my first baitcaster a few weeks ago and it's a left hand reel. To many years of using a spinning reel I guess?

[Poolshark]

I'm a right handed person whom uses lefty reels mostly. Maybe it's because I  used a spinning setup for years initially. It was hard for me to adjust to controlling the rod with my non dominant hand. For the techniques wich require a lot of rod action and hook setting its lefty reels. For spinnerbaits  and crankbait fishing, I have combos with righty reels. Using both helps lessen fatigue. 

[Jeff H]

7 hours ago, Jaderose said:

I'm a hand switcher on everything.  Cast right handed......reel right handed.  Cannot walk the dog or impart any real action with my right hand.  Gotta be reeling with it while twitching with my left.  Hand get's switched midcast automatically.....don't even think about it.  Can't think of a time when I lost a fish due to switching hands.  In other words...do what is comfortable to you.

I'm with this. 

Throughout my years of fishing I've tried about every 5-6 yrs to work with a left hand retrieve.  I have a lefty Tatula CT right now that I pitch with.  My biggest problem is not turning the reel handle, that's not a big deal for me, but I'm not comfortable working rod with my right hand on retrieve or set.  I always give up, sell the reel and then try again in another 5 yrs.   I'll probably have a lightly used Tatula CT 7.3:1 for sale this winter.

[shaggydog]

both

[Gundog]

 When I learned how to use a bait caster I thought it was like a spinning reel. Cast with the right, reel with the left. Now, after decades of using a left-handed reel looks like I got to switch. My problem is arthritis. 50% in my right hand makes it tough to grip a reel for long periods of time. Its only gonna get worse so I might as well start learning to use a right handed reel. I'll pick up a cheap one at Walmart to practice with and when I get use to it I'll spend more on a better reel. 

[LxVE Bassin]

I'm a lefty on both spinning and casting. I notice a lot of guys that switch hands after the cast when using a baitcaster but whatever floats your boat.

[WIGuide]

I guess I technically switch based on technique because my spinning reels are set up to reel with the left hand and my baitcasters are right hand retrieve. When I was first starting out as a little kid, it took me a while to gain dexterity in my left hand to be able to work something like a worm. Once I did though, it all became a lot easier. 

[JustJames]

X2 here, Im right handed reel on caster but left on spinning. I found it to be easier when move any lure with rod on spinning gear but I can use caster on any lure as well.

[Turtle135]

I am a lefty and use a right handed bait casting reel. The rod never leaves my left (casting) hand.

On spinning combos I reel with my left hand. Every so often I try to switch to the other side of the reel. I can retrieve lures just fine but everything goes haywire when I hook a fish. I am going to stop trying.

I can walk lures, pop poppers, jerk jerkbaits with either hand.

After reading through this thread it is very clear that we are all a little confused in different ways. 

[MIbassyaker]

I'm right handed and use left handed casters, and left hand retrieve on spinning. This means I hold right, crank/retrieve left always, no switching, spinning and casting. My left hand can do the one thing it learned how to do on a spinning reel when I was a kid: turn the handle. But it has never learned how to cast, work a bait, do a hookset, or fight a fish.

[J Francho]

Both.

[MassYak85]

I'm a righty and use right hand retrieve exclusively for both casting and spinning. Never saw a reason to switch, and when I learned to pitch I just made sure to teach myself using my left hand. It's all just personal preference. 

[pawpaw]

Bottom contact baits I always use left hand bait cast reels

When fishing reaction baits in open water such as deep cranking ledges right hand bait cast reels

When fishing reaction baits parallel to the bank I will use a left hand bait cast for banks on port side and right on starboard.

Spinning reels always cast with my right hand, reel with the left.

[bigfruits]

i switched to all lefties several years ago. it didnt take long to get used to it and it feels much better working the rod with my dominant right hand.

[Hulkster]

im cast right switch to left. back when I started to learn to use a baitcaster (late 90's) lefties were just starting to show up on the market.\

so I learned the way most people did it back then - cast and switch.

[NHBull]

Similar situation here.

Can crank both R and Loomis but rod control is much better in the Rain.

I too have carpal tunnel issues, so am thinking of splitting the quiver

Baits requiring more rod action, real L,,,,,,,surface and swim baits,R

 

 

[Molay1292]

I am right handed and switch hands during the cast with all my bait casting equipment.