Poll question for right or left hand fishing

[FishingBuds]

I mainly cast right handed but, I'm one of those that switch hands to crank right handed too.  Now I've been thinken about this and considering on working to change it to left hand cranken(still casting right handed) reaction time will benefit

Be curiuos on results.

You can vote for more than one.

[Alpster]

I have participated in this right/left hand baitcasting discussion many times before. Most guys who cast with their right hand and use right handed reels can shift the rod to their left hand before the bait hits the water. I know I can. Even the guys who cast right handed and crank left handed reels will usually shift the rod/reel down in their grip so they can palm the reel. This take no less time or energy that shifting them to the other hand. In 40+ years of fishing with a baitcaster I have never once missed a hookset due to changing hands. JMHE

Ronnie

[.RM.]

I cast with the right hand and crank with the left.

I also understand the old school crossover method and the time it takes, and also understand the lowering of the grip to palm the reel, taking somewhat as much time to setup.

Mine however has nothing to do with either of those, it does however have a lot to do with casting, setting the hook, and fighting fish with my power hand which is my right hand. Nothing more nothing less.....

Just my .02¢

Tight Lines!!!!  

[d.hark]

Baitcasters I cast righty and crank righty so I do the switch thing.

For spinning gear I cast righty and reel lefty!!!

[grimlin]

Cast right and crank right....old habit i can't break.

[LakeAnnaBasser]

I cast right and reel right. Feels natural and normal. No need to change for me.

[TI_Bassin]

I cast left and crank right so I never have to switch. But I am learning how to cast with my right hand so I can be more accurate when I can't get a good back hand cast.

[Tin]

I 'm strange, I can cast left or right, and reel left or right with casting stuff. But for spinning I have to cast right-handed and reel with my left. Just can't do it with spinning gear for some reason. :-/

[Jake.]

I cast with my left and crank with my right.

[RoLo]

I cast with the right hand and crank with the left.

I also understand the old school crossover method and the time it takes, and also understand the lowering of the grip to palm the reel, taking somewhat as much time to setup.

Mine however has nothing to do with either of those, it does however have a lot to do with casting, setting the hook, and fighting fish with my power hand which is my right hand. Nothing more nothing less.....

Just my .02¢

Tight Lines!!!!

Exactly...the power arm is a terrible thing to waste (a no-brainer)

If a casting reel that I really want is not available in a left-hand version (for right-handed anglers), they lost a customer.

Roger

[ABC123]

I cast with the right hand and crank with the left.

I also understand the old school crossover method and the time it takes, and also understand the lowering of the grip to palm the reel, taking somewhat as much time to setup.

Mine however has nothing to do with either of those, it does however have a lot to do with casting, setting the hook, and fighting fish with my power hand which is my right hand. Nothing more nothing less.....

Just my .02¢

Tight Lines!!!!

Exactly...the power arm is a terrible thing to waste (a no-brainer)

If a casting reel that I really want is not available in a left-hand version (for right-handed anglers), they lost a customer.

Roger

What they said.....

[sal669]

+1

[Korea_Bassin]

Baitcasters I cast righty and crank righty so I do the switch thing.

For spinning gear I cast righty and reel lefty!!!

Same here.

[ww2farmer]

For both baitcasting and spinning I cast right, reel left. I started on spinning tackle many years ago and when I switched to baitcasting I found it very odd and uncomfortable to switch hands after the cast, so I have been using left hand casting reels ever since.

[Micropterus salmoides]

When I first started bass fishing I bought a left hand reel and cast right, cranked left. I bought several more reels but chose right hand reels because they were more readily available and more right handed people seemed to use them. Now I cast right and crank right. I kind of wish I had stuck with left hand reels. I can remember being able to set the hook using only my right arm with that left hand reel. I can't do the same with my left arm. I was in a tackle shop recently and mounted a left hand reel on a rod and it felt awkward cranking the handle with my left hand after not doing so for several years. It would be interesting to see if casting right and cranking left would be easier for me, after the initial adjustment period, of course. Unfortunately, I have too much invested in right handed reels and don't want to go through the trial and error process.  

The way right and left handed reels are labeled now is a misnomer. I believe the guy who invented the baitcaster was left handed so he put the handle on the right side in order to use his dominate left hand for the rod.

[FishTank]

I cast with my right and reel with my left.  It just feels more natural.  I'm sure I could get use to a right handed reel but why should I.  

[Tpayneful]

I have always cast with my right and cranked with my left.  I have tried a friend's righty reel and I couldn't properly set the hook.  I missed every fish that bit.  I am slower and not as strong setting the hook with my left hand.   Its a no brainer for me

[Dr. Perf]

Tried both methods before buying my first baitcasting combination last summer.  While either method worked, it felt better to me to cast right/crank left, the same as how I use a spinning combination.

Doc

[Cigarlover 1]

Cast with my left and crank with my right. Left hand is my power hand and my accurate hand. I have zero accuracy with my right hand casting.

[=Matt 5.0=]

Cast with my right, reel with my left. Absolutely cannot reel with my right hand. Guess that's why I never got into baitcasting...all my dads stuff was opposite from the way I fished so I never could get used to it when I was growing up...

[Jeff H]

Baitcasters I cast righty and crank righty so I do the switch thing.

For spinning gear I cast righty and reel lefty!!!

Same here.

This is the group I fall into.

[lubina]

I was never able to find a reason I should change hands when the lure is on the air......, just me.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Your poll is kinda messed up.  Like reelmech, I cast right handed and crank left handed.

There should only be 2 choices,

Cast right, crank left

and

Cast left, crank right

Anyone else doing it otherwise needs to catch up and realize there is equipment made for both now.  The old need to "switch hands" after casting is just that,....old.

Sure, folks who learned this way out of necessity are bound to their bad habit, but it doesn't mean they can't catch fish,lol.  In another 5-10  yrs of lefty reels being on the market, this should be an issue of the past.

[YJsmitty]

I cast right and reel right.  For crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and other moving baits I think its okay.  But for pitching I wish I could reel left handed.

[brophog]

Either or. Any of the above. I can do any combination, but obviously don't need to the majority of the time.

I have my spinning rigs set up to cast left, crank right. I buy right handed baitcasters and do the same. However, since I tend to fish from the bank a good deal, I do a lot of casting with my right hand with baitcasters too. Sometimes shore cover just makes it easier to cast with the off hand, so I think it's helpful to do both. In a boat, especially by yourself, you don't tend to have those obstacles.

So many people with casting rigs, especially, just switch hands. They've done it all their lives, and it can be a little hard to change. Muscle memory is either a great thing or terrible one, depending on how you look at it!