changing casting arm.

[king fisher]

Has any one ever had to learn to cast with their non dominate hand?  If so, How long did it take to get comfortable and reasonably accurate?  Any tricks or advice that helped speed the process?

[QED]

Just put on a plastic casting plug and go out and practice.  When I started using bait casting gear, I thought it was daft to switch hands right after casting so I just learned to operate a bait casting reel with my left hand.  Practice everything from sidearm, overhead, roll cast, backhand cast, etc.  Doesn't take long to learn the thumb control.  Takes a bit longer to be able to cast with precision.

[WRB]

When I had shoulder surgery on my right shoulder just used a spinning outfit because I always cast left handed with spinning. Few years later did my left shoulder and always casted right handed with bait casting. The issue became retrieving as I used my left hand to hold and retrieve lures.

I found hook setting was more of an issue without a strong left arm. Never did get comfortable using my right arm to hold the rod and fight bass.

Tom

[Jig Man]

Carpal tunnel syndrome caused me to only be able to fish for about 20 minutes without changing hands.  I couldn’t do it with bait casting setups so I did it with spinning and only had to change the handle. 

[mcipinkie]

I started some time around the time I turned 60.  I'm 75 now.  All it takes is practice.  It really isn't that hard.  Obviously, the longer at it, the better you'll get, but after a few hours, you should start getting the feel of it.

 

Now, unless I'm skipping docks, I never think about which hand I'm using.  The rod seems to know where to go to make the cast I need. 

 

May have been a little easier for me than most because my right hand is my normally dominant hand, but I'm left eyed.  Every thing I do with my eyes, shoot a rifle or shot gun, shoot pool, etc. I do with my left hand.  Shoot a pistol cross handed.  Right hand, left eye.

 

One of the best things I've learned in fishing. 

[king fisher]

Thanks, QED and Tom, your replies have given me hope.  I have always been able to reel with either hand, but have never casted with my left.  I do think I might be able to get the hang of casting spinning with my left hand.  Baitcaster will be tough, fly casting is going to be a disaster, and I am sure I will have to become a spectator only when it comes to big game fishing.  At least it will be a good excuse for me to keep from having help land big tuna.  

[GRiver]

My friend switches from left or right, no problem. 
Me……no one is safe, not man nor beast. Oh!!! Wait!!
the fish are safe!!

 

[TnRiver46]

You could probably do ok with it first trip out but it only takes a couple weeks to learn it somewhat well. Obviously it takes a good bit of time to master it like your dominant arm but the learning curve can be surprisingly fast 

[Sphynx]

Had to? No, but nights like tonight where the fish really aren't cooperating I do like to get in half an hour of it, partially because it helps me better present baits more places, partially because I like the excuse to refresh my assortment of curse words, because they both are known to happen. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I lust filmed myself. I’m cast very well non-dom. Accuracy isn’t there, but I have distance and thumb control. 

[TnRiver46]

I forgot to add the hardest part for me is thumb discipline on a bait casting spool when casting left handed. Sometimes I stop a cast dead cold and other times I don’t stop them soon enough . Nothing replaces decades of muscle memory and thumbing the spool is part of it 

[PressuredFishing]

1 hour ago, QED said:

Just put on a plastic casting plug and go out and practice.  When I started using bait casting gear, I thought it was daft to switch hands right after casting so I just learned to operate a bait casting reel with my left hand.  Practice everything from sidearm, overhead, roll cast, backhand cast, etc.  Doesn't take long to learn the thumb control.  Takes a bit longer to be able to cast with precision.

Well, I think only do it if u have to with a psysicial injury or something, or if you are already good at bass fishing but I'd rather specialize in using right hand retrieve as a left hander and cast very accurately 

[papajoe222]

I tried it. Overhand at first......NOT. Sidearm next.....NOT. Roll cast next...... No effin way.  Then I tried pitching with the rod in my left hand as was surprised at the accuracy I was able to achieve with not much practice.  For now and the unpredictable future, I'll cast and switch hands.

[huZZah]

The human body can learn anything you want to teach it. As we age it can be frustratingly slow, but you can definitely learn to cast with your “off” hand. 
Just don’t expect it to be easy. 

[WRB]

I am left eye dominate and became right hand dominate in school to learn to write. This makes me nearly ambidextrous.

My shoulders where injured as a gymnast and finally the rotator cuff tendons gave out and needed to be attached by Kevlar and screws. By the time I healed and therapy became fairly physically comfortable but my brain didn’t adjust regarding strike detection didn’t. I reverted back to what I was used to about a year after each surgery.

Tom

PS, big tuna are back breakers! 

[Bluebasser86]

I can cast well enough to be dangerous with my left arm. I'm better with short pitches than anything but can still be pretty accurate casting too. Just like most things, time on the water and practice is the only way to figure it out. 

[schplurg]

I cast with both sides all the time. I'm naturally right handed though. I have tendinitis and other stuff yet to be determined (both arms actually) so I switched.

 

My friend gave me my first baitcaster a few years ago and it was left handed (right reel). I didn't consider casting righty and switching hands to reel, I'd never used a BC and never seen anyone do it probably, so I casted lefty.

 

I actually feelbetter left handed with a BC, probably because that's how I started. Someone here mentioned the thumb feeling weird - that's how I feel right handed. Only because I rarely do it though.

 

But I do some things strange. I often cast lefty over my right shoulder. Ya it's weird. I can also skip my BC lefty, but on my right side! I suppose that's probably really weird. I've never tried skipping on my left side. 

 

HOWEVER, with a spinning rod my line-finger feels weird left handed and right now I still cast righty because of that, then switch lefty to reel. My release of the line feels odd lefty. But with a few hours of practice I know I'd get better. 

 

A basic casting motion is not complicated at all. When learning, the less I thought about it the better I felt I was doing. The thing that will feel weirdest is probably the line release, but it's such a tiny movement that you'll get it quickly. Maybe not everyone, I only know about myself.

 

People often ask Greg Blanchard why he uses left and righty reels. He never answers, but it could also be that certain retrieves are easier righty than lefty. For instance he may walk the dog better righty (and from a kayak). Who knows. He's also a Phys Therapist so maybe he's spreading out the arm usage like me.

 

It's a good skill to have! If your cast is ever obstructed, especially bank fishing near trees, you can make that killer cast anyways.

 

Edit to add even more stuff:

I'm good lefty but not with all casts. I've never really pitched lefty. Should be a snap but I don't. I always use both hands when I do full casts too.

[JustJames]

I use both left and right hand reel and can cast with both, though my right is main dominant hand. I started casting left when out on a small 14’ Jon boat with my buddy and don’t have enough room to cast right. The accuracy and distance is far behind my right cast. The only thing my left is better than right is when backhand casting light

weight lure.

[islandbass]

6 hours ago, king fisher said:

Has any one ever had to learn to cast with their non dominate hand?  If so, How long did it take to get comfortable and reasonably accurate?  Any tricks or advice that helped speed the process?

One take. First, if possible, practice with two hand casting. This will make casting on the non dominant side very stable and practically eliminate the weaker non dominant side from getting fatigued working alone. If you already cast two handed anyway, it will be even easier. I usually cast two handed whichever way I fish. The bottom hand is merely a guide and a “spotter” to help absorb the load that would otherwise be felt in your casting  forearm (think tennis elbow). 
 

Your brain already knows when to tell your dominant thumb how to feather and manage the spool. It just has to send that same information to your non dominant thumb. By employing a two handed approach, I guarantee you’ll get it in one outing. Please note I didn’t say you’d master this in a day, but after a few throws, it should be very manageable and allow to fish competently. 
 

When fishing for salmon with heavier lures, the technique involves a lot of jigging and the dominant side can get fatigued fairly quickly. Therefore it behooves me to fish both ways. 
 

This is one benefit of a spinning rig, as you can easily change the handle to the other side whereas with a casting reel, you’d have to change reels. And yes I bring both casting. Why? Because the schools of salmon always seem to swim by while your resting your fishing side, lol. 

[Log Catcher]

I have done it but it wasn't a pretty sight. One day I started having shoulder pain while fishing. I tried casting left handed. I didn't get a lot of distance and very little accuracy. Muscle memory for casting is so good in my right arm I never tried casting left handed again. Now if my shoulder hurts I just pick up a spinning rod to fish with.

[DaubsNU1]

Practice, practice, practice. 

 

For some strange reason I prefer to cast my bait-casters with left hand...and reel with the right. 

 

And with spinning rods, I prefer to cast with my right hand...and reel with my left.  

 

I know...CRAZY! But the plus side...when I get tired of casting with my left hand...just switch to the spinning reel for a while : ) 

[N Florida Mike]

I broke my right thumb once and learned to cast left handed. I could reel righty with my fingers sticking out of the  plaster cast.

As soon as my thumb healed, I went back to casting and fighting with my right and reeling lefty.

I remember when I learned to cast with my left I kept casting with a 2 oz weight on and after awhile it was easy.

[CrankFate]

Never. Wouldn’t be possible. My body could never move through the full casting stroke lefty. If I had to, I can cast backhand lefty. Sometimes it’s the only way when standing in small spaces covered in brush.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I’m an expert , so it’s no problem for me to cast with either hand . Sometimes I don’t use my hands , I just grip the rod in my teeth and use my nose to feather the reel. 

[scaleface]

Not me .  Never even felt the need to learn to cast with a different hand .