Confessions of a righty who prefers jerkin' lefty

[PhishLI]

Not looking to re-ignite a left vs right retrieve debate here yet again. Just a little story.

 

I'm a righty, and have previously always used left handed reels. Just feels correct to me. Out of necessity and desire I bought some righty reels a few years ago then learned how to cast lefty and reel righty. The left handed casting was weird in the beginning, but the righty reeling felt fine right off the bat. Eventually it all blended together and I can switch up when it makes sense, like during boating position changes.

 

Ultimately, and after trying most techniques with either hand, I still prefer casting righty and reeling lefty, except for one thing in particular. Recently I was throwing jerkbaits and snagged my trolling motor on the back cast which exploded the spool on my lefty reel. I had a righty Chronarch spooled up and waiting in reserve, so I mounted it up. I casted out a 6th sense Provoke and began jerking it in. Instantly I knew I preferred palming the reel in my left hand while fishing a jerkbait. I don't feel clumsy palming righty, but lefty just feels better in this case. Can't explain it, and don't wish to, so I'm just going with the flow. I'll be jerkin' lefty from now on. Who would've thunk?

[islandbass]

I love discoveries like that, especially when what you find out in nothing you would have expected or suspected. ?

[jbsoonerfan]

Confessions of a righty who prefers jerkin' lefty

Well, I was always told it felt like someone else was doing it. 

 

[DitchPanda]

I see what you dud with the title sir and I have one word for you,...........................CLASSY

[PhishLI]

46 minutes ago, islandbass said:

I love discoveries like that, especially when what you find out is nothing you would have expected or suspected.

Yup. Happy accidents.

[kayaking_kev]

I like to start out lefty and then finish righty with my dominant hand. Jerking all day really takes it out of you, especially when you have as long as a rod as I do. But, in the end there's nothing like releasing that big bag at the end of the night.

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

11 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Well, I was always told it felt like someone else was doing it. 

Myth, that only works if you numb it up first.

[PhishLI]

15 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I have one word for you,...........................CLASSY

........and sarcasm is the wit of the witless. Got anything clever to add to the subject at hand??

[Dwight Hottle]

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

........and sarcasm is the wit of the witless. Got anything clever to add to the subject at hand??

 

I think your post has gotten out of hand. ?

[BrianMDTX]

Just now, Dwight Hottle said:

 

I think your post has gotten out of hand. ?

I am reel interested in this topic! 

 

Seriously, I learned quickly that I can reel a BC equally well left or right, and can work a bait (jerkbait, Texas rig) equally well left or right as well. 

 

Casting? That’s another story. I couldn’t cast a baitcaster left-handed if my life depended on it. 

[PhishLI]

20 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

Casting? That’s another story. I couldn’t cast a baitcaster left-handed if my life depended on it. 

It's interesting how my progression casting a BC lefty is completely opposite from what it was when I was learning righty. It's as if my wiring is reversed in this case. Right handed over head bomb casting took me the longest to really get down consistently. Side arm roll casting and pitching came quickly. Left handed over head casting has been the easiest for me to develop a stroke for. I can bomb a frog nearly as far as righty casting. Roll casting lefty is OK, as is pitching, but roll cast skipping while holding the rod lefty has been the hardest. Skipping only works lefty when it's a back handed pitch/skip, but even that's wonky. Still, i can do what I need to when I have to, but there's still work to do. It's worth a shot if you like a challenge.

43 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

I think your post has gotten out of hand. ?

Probably won't be the last time, knowing me.

[QED]

I've broken both collarbones over the years while bicycle racing.  I'm right handed but have learned to cast with either hand out of necessity.  Since learning to cast with my left hand, I've stayed with it for bait casting gear.  It's remarkable what the body can adapt to if forced to do so.  But you can also do it volitionally.  Casting with the right hand and swapping to the left for retrieval seems pretty daft.

[J Francho]

It took me forever to learn how to use a left hand retrieve for jerks and topwaters.  Now I use whatever is there.