As a lefty if I get a right hand reel is there any reason I need to switch hands after casts?

[NHBull]

The struggle is reel.....get it! 

 

I was was in the same situation and used to switch hands, but it was always awkward.  I found that I could set a hook far better with my right, so that wasn’t going to change and left handed reels are plentiful.

Dont look for the hole in the donut.  If you want to reel left, it works far better for me.

[Mikeltee]

Most of us cast right handed and reel baitcaster with our right hand. Until recently BCs only came right handed. We have done it so long that we dont even realize we switch hands. It would be unnatural to not switch hands.

[MassYak85]

Fish what's comfortable. I'm a righty. I by right handed reels (baitcasting and spinning). I cast with two hands, one on the reel and the other on the butt of the reel. I can switch hands if needed depending on the angle of the cast I need to make. 

[Djohn]

I'm a lefty and i want the rod in my left hand for feel and setting the hook. 

[Hammer 4]

Righty here, I never understood why anyone would cast with their dominate hand, then switch to their non dominate hand to work the rod. I use the hand that the most control to work my rod i.e..bottom , spinnerbait ect. Heck I could reel with my toes if I had to..So yeah,I've used left handed reels from the get go.

[umckibben]

Get a reel that's right hand retrieve, it'll be more natural not switching hands, I'm right handed, I hold the rod with my right hand, cast with my right hand, set the hook with my right hand, only thing my non dominate left hand does is turn the handle. 

[Brad Reid]

Just an odd note here that Alabama QB sensation, Tua Tagovailoa, is actually right-handed, born that way and right-handed in everything he does  . . . other than throwing a football. His father is a leftie and liked the action of lefite QBs, converted Tua when he was very young. Go figure. Rare; it usually goes the other direction: untold numbers of lefties have been forced or encouraged to use their right hands.

 

But, most of us southpaws are at least slightly ambidextrous since so much in life is set up for righties, things like zippers, buttons, butter knives.

 

In angling, if there is any advantage much at all, it'd likely be in favor of lefties since we can cast with our dominant left sides and reel right-handed using both spinning and casting gear. 

 

Say! When I am using casting gear and casting left handed with a right sided reel handle, my left hand DOES move. Once my lure hits, my thumb is no longer required to regulate out-going line, I rather seamlessly move my grip forward on top of the reel and off the handle as most anglers hold casting reels.

 

Brad

[keagbassr]

The best way to figure out what you 'should' be doing is to hold your rod like a baseball bat; the top hand should be your rod/casting hand and the bottom hand your reeling hand. I once read that leftys who cast left and reel right were in the lucky minority in that they could do what comes natural with the more readily available right handed reels.

[jbrew73]

I keep my hand high on the reel, 2 or 3 fingers in front of the trigger depending on the technique.  Casting lefty with a right hand reel works well.    When I do cast with my right hand or use left hand reels and casting left I have to lower my grip to one finger in front of the trigger and even then I sometimes hit the handle and engage the pinion.. not good!   I feel it also gives me better control and steadies the reel in my hand for more consistent  thumb pressure.

 

I would encourage everyone to try casting and holding the rod with your dominant hand. It seems to be more pro’s than con’s .

[FrankN209]

I'm left handed, cast with my right, reel with my left. Why would you want to switch to a right handed reel?

[Derek1]

I’m a lefty, cast left reel right. Casting and spinning. Feels perfectly natural. 

[Wizzlebiz]

1 hour ago, FrankN209 said:

I'm left handed, cast with my right, reel with my left. Why would you want to switch to a right handed reel?

Maybe I am not saying it right. I mean the reeling handle on the right side. I cast with my left. So I was just wondering if there was any benefit to casting with my right hand. 

[FrankN209]

40 minutes ago, Wizzlebiz said:

Maybe I am not saying it right. I mean the reeling handle on the right side. I cast with my left. So I was just wondering if there was any benefit to casting with my right hand. 

I understand now. Probably the benefits would be not having to change hands.  

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, Wizzlebiz said:

Maybe I am not saying it right. I mean the reeling handle on the right side. I cast with my left. So I was just wondering if there was any benefit to casting with my right hand. 

There is no inherent benefit to either hand over the other, other than what is most comfortable.

 

However, many people feel there is a benefit to learning how to cast with both hands. 

[deadadrift89]

I'm left handed and when using my baitcasters I always cast with my left and keep the reel in that hand during the retrieve. Crazy thing is when growing up I learned to cast a spinning rod and fly rod with my right hand and leave it there while retrieving which I still do when using them??

[DanielG]

I'm left handed and cast with my left and reel with my right. You have to try it out to see if it feels right. If you're already doing this with your spinning outfit it will be also work for a bait caster. And if you don't have to switch hands to crank they that's a good thing. Not a lot of us can it seems like.

[WRB]

On August 17, 2019 at 11:09 AM, Wizzlebiz said:

Maybe I am not saying it right. I mean the reeling handle on the right side. I cast with my left. So I was just wondering if there was any benefit to casting with my right hand. 

None

[dodgeguy]

No.

[The Bassman]

On 8/16/2019 at 5:49 PM, Mikeltee said:

Most of us cast right handed and reel baitcaster with our right hand. Until recently BCs only came right handed. We have done it so long that we dont even realize we switch hands. It would be unnatural to not switch hands.

Surprised there's not more guys mentioning this. It's all I've ever known as well.

[Hammer 4]

19 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

Because it is easier to use you non dominate arm to hold the rod and work the bait using gross motor control skills present in your non dominant arm than to try and force your non dominant hand to perform a strenuous task with insufficient fine motor control skills.

 

Both casting the rod and turning the handle on a baitcast reel are tasks that require fine motor control skills.  Many right handed people simply do not have sufficient fine motor skills in their left arm to grasp the handle knobs with their thumb and index finger and make continuous small circles with the left hand by rotating at the wrist.  

 

Using your right arm to both cast and turn the handle allows right handed anglers to use their dominant arm to perform the two most strenuous tasks that come with the use of a baitcast reel.  The compromise is that you have to use your non dominant hand to hold onto the rod and work the bait but these are less strenuous tasks that are easily accomplished with gross motor skills.  Hooksetting in particular is often done with both arms and torso if not the whole body.  

 

For reference 

"Motor skills are movements and actions of the bone structures.^[1] Typically, they are categorised into two groups: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are involved in movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts. They involve actions such as running, crawling and swimming. Fine motor skills are involved in smaller movements that occur in the wrists, hands, fingers, feet and toes. They involve smaller actions such as picking up objects between the thumb and finger, writing carefully, and even blinking. These two motor skills work together to provide coordination"

Well, I must be odd then, because I find just the opposite in my case..

[Wizzlebiz]

3 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Well, I must be odd then, because I find just the opposite in my case..

Same here