ambidextrous casting?

[gdub17]

I started bass fishing at age 15 casting exclusively right handed then I saw a bill dance outdoors fishing show where he said if you want to catch more fish you need to keep your bait in the water. I decided that makes a lot of common sense so at age 17 I taught myself to cast exclusively let handed and retrieve with the right.  Twenty years later I can drop dimes casting left handed but cannot for the life of me cast right handed anymore. Is there any advantage to casting right handed or not because I’ve totally given it up? Do any of you guys cast using your mon dominant arm/hand? It just works for me and I can’t imagine going back and needing to switch the rod to the other hand to retrieve. I love my Shimano Calcutta ct50b bait caster and definitely don’t want any other reel because it fits my hand like a glove and performs perfectly with plenty enough power  💪 thanks all😊

[thediscochef]

I have one baitcaster that I use when I'm pitching or flipping and I want to be able to move fast. Normally all my stuff is right hand retrieve and I switch hands during casts. But some of my spinning tackle and that one tatula are lefty retrieve so that I'm not switching hands while trying to do fast short range stuff. It works fine on a bomb cast or even a medium cast, but once you get into short range, less steps before cranking a strike is better. Less distance = less time.

 

I would say that there isn't a right or wrong handed-ness, and that it's not wrong to switch hands while casting. But there are tangible advantages to using the same hand to cast as well as set the hook, namely readiness for immediate strikes. I don't think which side matters.

[MediumMouthBass]

I started with right handed casting reels but now use left handed ones, i was really good with RH years ago but now i can barely use it, feels too odd after using LH ones so much. Now im just talking about what hand im reeling with, but if you are actually able to cast with your non dominant hand thats really cool. Especially with accuracy.

Although you should try to regain being able to cast with your dominant hand too, that way you can fish 2 rods at once, one in each hand.

[gdub17]

Thanks, I’m like a surgeon casting left handed now and a lot of the strikes I get happen as the lure slowly drops upon landing because i mainly throw lightweight soft plastics. I can set the hook with greater precision which equals less missed fish so I think I’ll stay with my current technique of casting and hook setting with my left arm because I’m so much better  now that way than  using my dominant arm/hand much appreciated Thanks 

[gdub17]

It took two years of steady practice to  achieve casting precisely with my non dominant left arm/hand but I’ve gotten much better at it than I ever was right arm/handed to the point I don’t want to cast right handed  and need to waste time switching the rod to the other hand while I should be focusing on what’s going on with the lure  instead for better success 😊

[Susky River Rat]

I am right handed and use left hand retrieve reels. It always seemed so counterintuitive to switch hands or not use my dominate hand to cast. Reeling is the easy casting accurately is the hard part. 
 

my only exception to this is when I musky fish. I have a tranx 500 and they only come in right hand retrieve. At least they did up until I pretty much stopped fishing for them. 

[Catt]

Ambidextrous: a person able to use the right & left hands equally well.

 

I've mentioned this recently in another thread, y'all need to watch the Pros on YouTube. Most of them switch hands but are capable of using either hand. KVD, Hackney, Grigsby are three I watched yesterday, all of their reels have the handle on the right side. 

 

Guess they ain't to concerned with time wasted switching hands. 

[Pat Brown]

I just buy what's on sale.  I can cast the bait regardless of the side my reel ends up on thank goodness.  I think regardless of whether you cast and switch hands or not, you're gonna miss some fish that bite the instant the bait hits the water.  It's more about learning how to pay attention when you cast then which hand you use.

[Mike L]

The only time I use my left primarily is when pitching.
After the initial pitch all subsequent ones are left.
I can do an underhand roll cast left if the angle is right and it doesn’t need to go too far.

Other than that I always cast and reel right, it just feels more natural and yes, even when switching hands. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[TnRiver46]

I can cast either handed , I have LH and RH baitcasters. I cannot reel a spinning reel with my RH tho, wouldn’t take long to learn but I never have 

[dgkasper58]

I can flip/pitch with either hand for the correct presentation as I suck at boat control.... But casting I have to switch as it feels very awkward.

[Bankc]

I usually pitch left handed because I use right handed bait casting reels.  But I usually cast with my right hand or both hands.  However, since I fish from a kayak, I'll often find myself in situations where casting with my right hand just doesn't present a good angle or there's some obstacle in the way.  So it's not too rare to see me casting with my left hand.  I'm not as good with it, but there are definitely times where I'll get a more accurate cast using my left hand than trying to do something awkward with my right hand.  

 

I wouldn't call myself ambidextrous by any stretch of the word.  It's just that sometimes a terribly awkward way to do something is still less awkward than the alternative.  

[Skunkmaster-k]

Mike L said what I was thinking. 

[MediumMouthBass]

8 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

I just buy what's on sale. 

Truer words have never been spoken, this is how i ended up with several nice RH reels i dont use sitting on the work bench.... My main rods are Daiwa Aird X rods and even tho i can reel with either hand these rods have a curve where you rest your fingers (most rods are flat/straight) and when im holding it left handed it just starts cramping badly, and feels like its digging into my hand. Holding it right handed i dont even feel it tho.

[TOXIC]

I always thought it was strange that the majority fish a baitcaster with the left and reel with the right and then on spinning gear do the exact opposite.  When choosing, most all spinning reels have the option to move the handle to the right side to match what I do with a baitcaster so that what I do.  My fear being a guide and on the water a lot was that I would develop tendon problems due to matching the setup with both spinning and baitcasters but luckily that hasn’t happened.   

[Tennessee Boy]

I can’t even scratch with my left hand.  I can hold a rod with it but I can’t impart the magical action to the lure that causes fish to strike.  I use a combination of left and right hand reels.   For slow presentations,  I used left hand reels so I can cast and work my magic with my right hand while slowly cranking with my left.   For fast retrieves I use right hand reels so I cast with my right and then switch hands so I can crank fast with my right hand.  
 

I think switching hands just because you’ve always done it that way is wrong.  You can probably still win the Bassmaster doing it that way but you will never be able to reach your full potential until you correct this problem.  😆

[DaubsNU1]

I learned to fish with a Zebco 33 way back in the 1970's...cast with left hand, reel with right. 

 

Then along came the Mitchell 300 spinning rod...cast with right hand...reel with the left. 

 

Works well...if I get tired of casting and reeling...I just switch. 

 

And the really interesting thing...my brother has some right handed reel casting rods...I cannot stand to use them(!)

[ButchA]

I guess I was brought up seriously "old school" style from my dad...

 

Rod: right hand.

Reel: left hand.

 

I guess it's why I just never got into baitcasters and the like.  I can't reel in with my right hand, it just doesn't work.  Believe me, I've tried.  An old fishing buddy even loaned me one of his backup rod/reel setups, and I had to reverse everything: Rod-lefthand, Reel-righthand.  It messed me up!

 

[Catt]

On 4/8/2024 at 1:08 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

I think switching hands just because you’ve always done it that way is wrong.  You can probably still win the Bassmaster doing it that way but you will never be able to reach your full potential until you correct this problem.  😆

 

Somebody needs to tell KVD, maybe he would have reached his full potential. 🤣

 

Seriously y'all need to watch some of the Pros, many switch hands & all their reels have the handle on the right side.

 

They can use either hand 

[GRiver]

Nobody is safe around me if I try to cast left handed. The birds fly out of range, bears leave the area. The turtles and gators all sound and go deep. I’m right down dangerous.

[Mike L]

On 4/8/2024 at 2:08 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

I think switching hands just because you’ve always done it that way is wrong.  You can probably still win the Bassmaster doing it that way but you will never be able to reach your full potential until you correct this problem.  😆

How do you define what’s right or wrong ?

🤣

 

Most would agree that winning a Bassmaster event, some level of an anglers potential was reached 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Tennessee Boy]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Somebody needs to tell KVD, maybe he would have reached his full potential. 🤣

Perfect example. 😆   Only 4 Classics because he was casting all wrong.  Might have been president if he knew how to cast.  I guess there’s still time for him to get it right.  He’s got another 40 years before he’s prime presidential age.  😆

 

Can anyone name a left handed pro that cast left handed and then switches hands?