Casting and Reeling With the Same Hand

[Captain Phil]

I am right handed.  Years ago I began thinking that using a left handed casting reel was worth a try when fishing plastic worms.  I have more dexterity in my right hand and hook sets are firmer and quicker.  It also had the positive effect of slowing down my retrieve. At the time, I was using round Ambassador casting reels, so I bought a 5001, which I believe I still have.   This worked well for some time.  So well, that I switched to fishing spinning reels with soft plastic baits.  Using spinning tackle has a few other advantages. Because the line spills off the end of the spool instead of turning the spool, the lure falls straight down instead of falling toward you.  I also caught more fish as I could fish with lighter line.   There are only two negatives that I can think of for a right handed person using a left handed reel.  One is you have to carry more rods and reels.  The other isn't that obvious until to get some age on you.  Switching hands takes some of the pressure off one hand and distributes it evenly to both hands.  This helps if you have arthritis in your hands or wrists. 

[FrnkNsteen]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

 

So the bass jumped up in the air & caught your lure mid flight?

 

Interesting 😉

I've had it happen. We were up north fishing a Smallie lake in Ontario and the Mayflies were hatching. We started seeing the smallies jumping up out of the water after the hatching flies. I started throwing a clear Zara Puppy and they went nuts on it. I counted 3 times that a smallie clearly caught it as it was about to land and MANY times they hit it the ibstant it landed. That showed me that the fish CAN see out of the water! Wildest thing I had ever seen!!

 

As for RH vs LH,.... I started fishing on my Dad's right hand spincast Zebco 202, through 808. When I started learning a baitcaster, they were all right handed. A number of years later, I started to see LH casting reels and I started wondering why I reel my spinning reels with my left hand and casting reels with my left.

 

I bought a cheap Daiwa in LH years ago and didn't take long to get to like it. Most of my setups are LH reels these days, but I do have a handful of RH reels still. I can use either and cast with either hand, but prefer the lefty.

 

It's whatever feels right to you. No wrong or right. I will say when on a trip and fishing all day every day, it IS nice to switch it up from time to time!

 

 

[PhishLI]

When I stopped fishing in '80 I'd never even seen a low profile baitcaster in person. It was spinners up here in the northeast at my lakes except for one salt water guy we called old man Charlie who threw heavy lead weights and live killies on a corroded knucklebuster to catch bass.

 

When I came back, I simply dusted off my old Daiwa spinners and set out. It was the same deal; Everyone I came across used spinning reels. Then one day I passed by a guy who had several baitcasting rigs tossed over his shoulder as he walked down the path. I had to know what these things were, so I stopped and asked for a closer look. Mechanically they made sense to me immediately. I couldn't wait to get one and I did. The only advice he gave me was to always bring a spinning rod with me until I figured it out. He said it took him 6 months without instruction.

 

Being right-handed, I'd always casted righty and reeled lefty with spinners, so the last thing that would've entered my mind would be to switch hands and reel righty. Nobody did but had someone suggested doing so along the way I would've thought it absurd. Naturally, my first several baitcasters were all left-handed. I figured them out quickly.

 

It wasn't until I came to these forums and found the debate over "proper" handedness pop up occasionally that I'd even considered the question. I'm pretty much ambidextrous to begin with, so I bought some righty reels and took the challenge. No problem in general, and it solved casting interference issues with two people on small boats or casting down shorelines with overhung trees when wading. Oddly, I came to prefer working jerkbaits holding the rod in my left hand, but for no other technique. Besides where it was optimal to cast lefty, I mostly used rigs casting righty with left-handed reels. However, last year I blew up my left shoulder, so the experiment was officially over, and I was stuck with selling a bunch of stupid right-handed reels.😁 I did keep my righty Chronarch for my treble'd jerkbait setup because there's no horsing there. Oh well. Do what ya like.

[padlin]

I swap when I use spinning gear, rt hand to cast and reel. BC’ers I cast rt and reel left. No idea why, it just feels right.

[T-Billy]

Right hand dominate. Fish lefty reels, always have. It just feels natural to me. It's nice to have most reels available in left retrieve these days. Used to be slim pickings.

[flyfisher]

I am right handed and use left hand retrieve on all my reels.  Made no sense to me why to switch hands

[Columbia Craw]

I cast right handed, my dominant, and switch to reel right handed. It makes perfect sense to me because I want to lip or net my fish with my dominant hand. When you consider how many bass I’ve caught in my life this rationale was a wasted thought.

[BigAngus752]

My dad taught me to fish using spinning reels and spincasting reels.  I didn't have anyone to teach me how to use a baitcaster so I taught myself.  I didn't have anyone to tell me I was doing it "wrong" so I did the only thing on Earth that makes any sense whatsoever...I cast with my right hand and reel with my left.  Who invented the "switch hands" thing?  Were they missing a thumb or something?

[WRB]

Bait casting reels back in the day only were available with the handle on right side and didn’t have free spool, the handle was direct drive meaning the handle spun during the cast.

I had a Langley 340 Target with free spool to disengage the handle during the cast but the reel didn’t have a level wind. 

I am more dexterous casting right handed and holding the rod in my left hand because using my fingers on the line to keep some contact and with the 340 reel my fingers were the level wind. 

The salt water casting reels I grew up using didn't have a level, most don’t to this day. So I learned to use my fingers to level wind line on casting reels. 

Tom

[Hammer 4]

16 hours ago, Catt said:

 

So the bass jumped up in the air & caught your lure mid flight?

 

Interesting 😉

 

 

Agreed!

 

Even though the Pros push not switching hands many of them do. Watch KVD videos 

Yup.  I had a good 6+ lb bass jump almost 2 feet out of water trying to grab my spinnbait once. Didn't hook her but was exciting to watch.

[newapti5]

No matter spinning or baitcasting reels, I always cast with my right hand and reel in with my left hand. Never switch hands. It just made more sense to me when I started to teach myself bass fishing.  

 

The story I heard regarding the popularity of right-handed baitcasting reels is that back in the days, when there were no low-profile baitcasters, people used round reels from saltwater fishing in bass fishing. And in saltwater fishing, you're supposed to use your dominant hand for reeling. 

[ike8120]

I am right handed and my bait casters are RH, but my spinning are LH. Been doing this way since I started fishing many many moons ago.

[greentrout]

I own a Zebco Omega Pro Z03 spin cast reel that I have the handle on the left side of the reel and use my left hand to reel the line in. Can work it like a spinning reel keeping the rod down toward the water working a weightless Trick Worm and Senkos. Better hooksets for T Rig worms. I'm righthanded. I like it.

 

Good Fishing.   

[redmeansdistortion]

I cast with both hands, but always reel with my right as I prefer the fine motor skills.  Switching hands has never bothered me and it's so quick it's a non issue.  I can probably switch hands just as fast as the next guy putting his hand in the palming position on his lefty reel after a cast.  The big thing that made me learn to cast with both hands was creek fishing.  This helps keep me from having to position my body in weird positions to hit my target or have to pass over it entirely just because it wouldn't be feasible if relying on one hand.  It took me a few weeks to get the hang of casting with my left but now I'd say I'm nearly as proficient casting left as I am right.  Another redeeming factor is this exempts me from paying the lefty tax when shopping used reels.  When some reels go out of production, the prices on lefty models can be considerably more than their right handed counterparts and in some cases double or more.

[Bazoo]

For baitcasting, I cast with the right, switch hands, and reel with my right. 

 

For spinning, I cast with the right, keeping the rod in hand, and reel with my left.

 

That is was feels natural to me, though I've tried the visa versa methods.

 

I read (on this forum I think) that using spinning in the right hand and casting in the left is good because it separates them in your brain, since you use different techniques for the two types.

[JackstrawIII]

I learned to fish on spinning rods, so when I finally got up the gumption to learn to use baitcasters, I went directly to left hand retrieve reels. It made sense to operate both types of rods the same way. 
 

My cousin (who introduced me to fishing) said I should use my stronger hand/arm to hold the rod, because that is what you use to fight the fish. Use your weaker hand to reel in the line. 
 

It made sense to me, and that’s what I’ve always done whether it’s with a spinning rod or a baitcaster. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i've come to realized that there is no right or wrong answer to this question ever, for you.,

 

two pages of people telling you how they do it, is of zero value.  whatever is comfortable.. not like our dominant eye dictates anything here.

[Hytekrednek]

I have always switched hands to reel. I am right handed. I grew up fishing this way, it just feels right. But, I did recently buy a left handed reel to try out on my worm rod, keeping my strong side in control of the rod is my thinking. It still feels weird to me but I am getting a bit better with it. I will give it a year, then decide to keep it or go back to a right handed reel. Honestly, I hope it works out, at least for my worm rods and similar.

[Fishingmickey]

     Lefty, righty here. Right handed reel, left handed caster, bait casting or spinning. No switching hands during a cast.  I do feel it makes a difference. I can throw a spinner bait in 9" of water with 4" of algae growing up from the bottom and get the lure started instantly and not get fouled with algae. I just think it is more efficient, especially when making short accurate casts to pockets or holes.

     I'm left handed and semi ambidextrous. I can do somethings either way. Like throwing a ball. Writing is left handed.

FM