Left or Right: What I brought up from my yesterday fishing

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

I never do twitching with baitcast reel before. I had my beloved baitcast for jigg (right handed), spinning for twitching (left handed), and was happy with that setup. While spinning setup where taken by my little girl and as a father I had no choice as to work my twitching setup from scratch.

I bought St Croix Legend X for very reasonable money and a reel was only thing to manage. 

So I was need to try my new rod and I took reel off from my another rod. Result dissatisfied me completely. When I had to twitch from left to right and opposite I understood that I need another, second right hand. I can't do twitching my left hand.

Did somebody has an experience with "switching" hands? Was this experience good/bad to you?

And could someone who lives in Carroll County, MD and has left hand baitcast and going fishing PM me? I want to try left hand reel before buy.

Thanks!

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I’m right handed and use left hand reels 90% of the time 

[NOC 1]

3 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I’m right handed and use left hand reels 90% of the time 

I'm right handed and usually use left handed spinning reels.

 

The only reason I haven't changed to left handed casting reels is because I have too many right handed TD-Z and Steez type of reels that I've over time made just how I want them and there is no way that I can replace them.

 

That aside, it feels very natural to throw with your right and crank with your left. And there is a lot less hand shifting right to left after the cast...which is very, very nice.

[Linewinder]

I had no trouble switching from right-hand BC when underhand casting because it is still casting with right hand.  This is why I tried a lefty in the first place -- the left hand is immediately free to engage the reel.  I've been needing to switch to 2-hand casting anyway, so this wasn't too different for me than using traditional spinning setup casting with right hand -- not exactly but getting there for longer casts.  So now I pick up my right and left hand BC reels and go, but I have no intention of replacing the right-hand reels.  I bought used lefties to try.

[FishTank]

When I first started using baitcasters, I used right handed reels and it just didn't feel comfortable even though I am right handed. It's sort felt and looked like I was throwing a baseball with my left hand.  I picked up a left handed baitcaster, problem solved. I have been using them for 15+ years know.  I have tried going back to right handed reels and same issue.  I think I am stuck with them for the rest of my life.  

[new2BC4bass]

Grew up cranking spinning rods with left hand.  First baitcast reels were also left hand.  A nice older reel no longer in production came up for sale.  Only one problem.  It was right hand.  Bought it anyway.  No problem learning to reel right handed.  No problem working the rod with either hand.  Small problem casting either hand.  Side arm roll cast not so much.  Overhand cast a little more of a problem.  Most accurate with right handed casting.

 

At one point I was about 50/50.  Now I have a few more LH than RH reels.  About 60% LH.

[BrianMDTX]

I have a LH and a RH baitcaster. I cast righthanded and switch rod hands with the RH and keep the LH as-is. I fish both equally well. 

[JohnFromLisbon]

I'm right handed and I only use left handed reels, be it baitcasting or spinning. Here in Western Europe (at least Portugal and Spain) most casting reels available in shops are left hand retrieve, so it just came as a natural progression. If I go in for a new Curado everyone just assumes I'm after the 201, not the 200.

[J Francho]

On 10/10/2020 at 10:39 AM, AnotherInstanceOfMe said:

I can't do twitching my left hand.

Buy lefty gear, or practice.  

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

Update: tried Metanium left handed past weekend. I felt myself in 1000 times more comfortable with left-handed reel and going to replace all my reels to left handed.

It feels like I took off 2-sizes-smaller shoes...