bait cast reels

[jim49]

I am curious about right hand crank reels , I am right handed but use only left handed bait cast reels it feels natural for me , how many out there are like this?

[papajoe222]

You'll find a lot of right handed guys that do, if only for the fact that they don't have to switch hands after casting. I tried one once, kept trying to crank the rod while holding the reel handle steady. Looked like I was auditioning for a clown act,drunk, or both. 

[FreddoB]

I hold the rod in my right hand, I always crank with my left hand. I see vids where guys switch after each cast and scratch my head...but to each his own and I'm sure they have their reasons. Whatever is comfortable for you is what you should go with. The fish don't care how you crank them in!

[CroakHunter]

Casting reel I reel right handed, spinning I reel left handed. 

[frosty]

I reel left handed. I have better control of the rod with my right hand for walking baits and such. To many years using a spinning reel I guess?

[NYWayfarer]

My friend is right handed but uses left handed bait cast reels. He says it feels un-natural to switch hands after casting. Both of us use spinning gear 90% of the time so I can understand where he is coming from.

 

I use right handed bait cast reels. The cast then switch hands is almost like breathing to me. You physically do it but it is not something you think about while doing it.  

[fishnkamp]

I developed a system over 40 years of fishing.

I started with a right handed baitcaster as my first, mainly because most of the better reels back hen were right handers.

 

Now I use right handed reels for baits I chuck and wind, like cranks, traps, spinnerbaits etc.  

Any bait I impart action with the rod, I use a left handed reel.  I keep better control that way.

 

There is another benefit to this for me, as I have been making my living as a mechanic for 35 years ands have beaten my hands up, so now by switching retrieves I do not suffer with my hand cramping as often.

The nice thing is most of the best reels are made in both retrieves these days. 

[RichF]

I'm right handed and use a right handed baitcaster.  I don't get the switching hands thing.  I make two handed cast most of the time, with my left hand above my right.  No switching involved.

[HookRz]

Back when I was fishing local tournaments in our area there was a young fella named Dave LeFevbre. Doing pretty good as a pro these days! One of the best jig fisherman you'll ever meet. He's a lefty and used right hand reels as they were pretty much all that was easily available  back then. The advantage of setting the hook with your strong hand when you got a quick bite at the end of a long pitch  was obvious when you watched him awhile. That and he never got caught out of position changing hand when he got bit. I remember him saying that once you find fish it's all about mechanics. I ordered a couple left hand Curados and never looked back. 

[fishballer06]

Right here checking in, using my left handed reels. My tournament partner is just like Dave. Left handed and uses right handed reels. 

 

 

OP - There are literally 100's of thread's exactly the same as this on here and every other online fishing forum. Don't worry, you're not weird.

[Yudo1]

I think we need to get over the misnomer of "left-handed and right-handed reels," and simply refer them to left-retrieve and right-retrieve. This way, you choose what's comfortable instead of feeling compelled to choose a correct handed reel.

[clh121787]

I have to hold the rod in my left hand while fishing. Rod positioning, body positioning, and hookset mechanics are paramount for consistently putting fish in the boat. It drives me crazy watching people miss fish from poor body position. Because I'm handy capped to being a good fisherman with a right hand retrieve that's what I use. I cast left. Retrieve right. Always. I'm left handed

[RaspyRascal]

Im right handed and use a right handed reel. Switching become automatic after a while, may look goofy but you get used to it I guess

[PAbasser927]

I'm righty and use a left handed baitcaster.  I actually used to use a right handed retrieve on my spinning reel until I got my baitcaster and didn't like the idea of switching hands after the bait hits the water (due to thumbing).  On the spinning setup it was easy enough to switch hands while the lure was in the air.  Now that I trained my dumb hand to crank, I changed my spinning setup to left hand retrieve because I can work the bait much better with my dominant hand.

[XpressJeff]

I just got back into fishing this year and must have LH casting reels.

 

When I previously fished I used RH reels. Can't do it now.

[jim49]

All these posts were informative , I started out with a spinning reel which most are left hand crank or retrieve and that is what got me use to using that style from then on , thanks for the input.

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

Years ago I used right-handed baitcasting reels, but after almost losing a rod trying to switch I purchased a couple of left-handed reels.  In a sit-in kayak, wearing a PFD, the longer butt of my rod snagged on my PFD as I tried to make the switch after setting the hook.  Also found a rod with an adjustable butt.  I am still getting comfortable with the left-handed reels, but for me, it just made sense to convert. Besides, the bass don't really notice.  I say, "Do what feels right for you."

[Raul]

Well, unlike spinning reels you can't change the side of the handle in BCs. I'm right handed and all my reels have the handle on the right side.

[jonkevin]

I am right handed and just got my first baitcaster with a left hand retrieve. I figured since I wasn't used to anything yet , it would be easier to learn. 

[frosty]

32 minutes ago, jonkevin said:

I am right handed and just got my first baitcaster with a left hand retrieve. I figured since I wasn't used to anything yet , it would be easier to learn. 

If I had the chance to learn either way I'd go right hand. There's a better selection of reels in right than left, although left is catching up. 

[jonkevin]

13 hours ago, frosty said:

If I had the chance to learn either way I'd go right hand. There's a better selection of reels in right than left, although left is catching up. 

 

I am hoping by the time I want to upgrade from the reel I have now, the lefthand market will be plentiful. My current set up is the recently released Daiwa Tatula SV TW.  My main deciding factor for going left hand retrieve is I want to keep my dominant hand to cast and control the rod without having to switch hands. 

[david in va]

Just watch the pros  I see a lot of hand switching

[Joshua Beaver]

I've always been right handed and being ambidextrous is a joke for me. But I always use a lefty crank reel no matter what style. My baitcaster; lefty. Both spinning reels; lefty once again. I just can't hold a rod in my left and reel with my right, it feels unnatural and just plain wrong to do. But that's just me.

[MIbassyaker]

Chris Zaldain and David Walker use left-handed reels despite being right-handed. And Denny Brauer is a lefty, but uses right-handed reels.

 

That's good enough for me.

[frosty]

1 hour ago, Joshua Beaver said:

I've always been right handed and being ambidextrous is a joke for me. But I always use a lefty crank reel no matter what style. My baitcaster; lefty. Both spinning reels; lefty once again. I just can't hold a rod in my left and reel with my right, it feels unnatural and just plain wrong to do. But that's just me.

I'm the same way, i tried doing it right handed and my frog ended up upside down and sideways