Hope I get use to reeling left handed!

[dodgeguy]

It definately is a time and effort saver to crank with the opposite casting arm and adds up to more time in the strike zone by the days end. Less movement is ergonomic.

I think I read that casting reels having originally been made by watch makers in the early 1800s were cast one hand and the reel flipped over and cranked with the opposite hand. They did not have braking or ratchets.

You can do it. I have been using left handed Casting Reels since the '70s just to pick up that little bit of efficiency, Abu Garcia XLT and XLT Plus and 6500 all lefties.

there is no time lost switching hands.the switch is made before the bait hits the water.

[LAO162]

I grew up with spinning gear.  When I tried a baitcaster at the age of 40+ I almost gave up.  The next year I tried a LH retrieve and had not any problems (other than not enough time to practice and educate my right thumb )  I know if KVD does it switching hands must not be deter from performance, but somehow it just seems to be inefficient to me :-?  Everyone has their own preferences

[piscivorous Pike]

there is no time lost switching hands.the switch is made before the bait hits the water.

I thought about this and realized that upon casting I use my casting arm to guide and control the flight of the cast. Also I turned to the tv to watch a few casts. The majority of people do not switch while the lure is in the air. I also wondered what you do about your thumb, the one that controls the spool to prevent back lashes that surely occur if you are handing the rod off between hands before the cast ends.

It looks like you have your own technique, something you developed to keep the rythmn up. I would say most people do not make that switch the few moments the cast is moving, peeling out and putting torque on the rod. That has to be tiring to get that movement done each time during the dwell time of the cast for most people.

From the oberservations the switch seems to be made about the moment the cast ends and the lure is hitting the water for the majority of people I watched cast. Most cast and hold the rod, some add a a little control to the cast, like me, through the rod during the cast. During that time many thumb the spool. Watching the cast, they move switching just as it ends.

Adding any unnecessary movement to a mechanical motion in engineering mechanical systems clearly is not the best way to do things. In biological systems, (behavioral biology, down my alley) nature has eliminated unnecessary movements, you won't see it. My limited reading on the subject suggests that we adapted to the method of switching hands as that was the best way to use the reels available at the start of the industry and sport, early 1800's. Then tradition set the path.

I found the subject interesting quite a while ago. I caught one of the TV anglers during a show that was mentioning a number of pro's were switching to LH reels to increase the number of casts per day, as I mentioned.

Now that is not to say the way you fish is inefficient. Likely not switching hands for you is so unnatural that it in itself causes wasted energy and is ineffiecient, hence you move in a way that works for you.

It boils down to what you like. I appreciate your comment because as I mentioned I find the subject on these types of preferences very interesting and I learned something because of the difference in your personal method.

[Ojurb]

im right handed with spinning i cast with my right hand and retrive with my left, but  just got a BC set up and i find it easier to cast with my left hand and retrive with my right

[SimonDM17]

I learned to cast a BC with a RH reel.  Bought two, but I started really disliking the feel of it, and I felt that I was losing a lot of fish to hooksets because I couldn't set the hook on either side using my left hand.  For example, if I'm holding the rod with my right hand, and the fish picks up a jig and moves left, I set back and to the right, and if the fish goes right, I set back and to the left.

I kept screwing up with the RH baitcasters...if the fish went left, I'd set right, but if the fish went right, I'd still set right. 

Then I was up in Vermont fishing for smallies, and a day of casting a Super Spook aggravated a wrist injury.  It was so bad I *almost* stopped fishing, and when I got back the first thing I did was buy some lefty reels. 

I noticed a substantial decrease in fish lost immediately following a hookset, which I attribute to the switch. 

[andamtoft]

Am i the only one that has to do both spinning and baitcasting right handed, my frinds make fun of me because i fish my spinning gear like a lefty would. My left hand is just the most un-coordinated thing ever. with that being said I went through the whole left handed reel thing and i just could not do it, however i really liked the idea of keeping in contact with my reel at all times... so cheaper more simple solution, learn to work the rod with your left hand so your right hand is always ready to reel.

[jamarkwe]

Learn to cast left handed. Much cheaper and has other advantages too!

What advantage would you have casting left handed vs. casting right handed?

[jamarkwe]

Learn to cast left handed. Much cheaper and has other advantages too!

What advantage would you have casting left handed vs. casting right handed?

[dodgeguy]

there is no time lost switching hands.the switch is made before the bait hits the water.

I thought about this and realized that upon casting I use my casting arm to guide and control the flight of the cast. Also I turned to the tv to watch a few casts. The majority of people do not switch while the lure is in the air. I also wondered what you do about your thumb, the one that controls the spool to prevent back lashes that surely occur if you are handing the rod off between hands before the cast ends.

It looks like you have your own technique, something you developed to keep the rythmn up. I would say most people do not make that switch the few moments the cast is moving, peeling out and putting torque on the rod. That has to be tiring to get that movement done each time during the dwell time of the cast for most people.

From the oberservations the switch seems to be made about the moment the cast ends and the lure is hitting the water for the majority of people I watched cast. Most cast and hold the rod, some add a a little control to the cast, like me, through the rod during the cast. During that time many thumb the spool. Watching the cast, they move switching just as it ends.

Adding any unnecessary movement to a mechanical motion in engineering mechanical systems clearly is not the best way to do things. In biological systems, (behavioral biology, down my alley) nature has eliminated unnecessary movements, you won't see it. My limited reading on the subject suggests that we adapted to the method of switching hands as that was the best way to use the reels available at the start of the industry and sport, early 1800's. Then tradition set the path.

I found the subject interesting quite a while ago. I caught one of the TV anglers during a show that was mentioning a number of pro's were switching to LH reels to increase the number of casts per day, as I mentioned.

Now that is not to say the way you fish is inefficient. Likely not switching hands for you is so unnatural that it in itself causes wasted energy and is ineffiecient, hence you move in a way that works for you.

It boils down to what you like. I appreciate your comment because as I mentioned I find the subject on these types of preferences very interesting and I learned something because of the difference in your personal method.

i use a pflueger patriarch which is nearly backlash free.i cast with the handlle up and pass it instantly to my right hand palming position.it slides right from the left to the right and the thumb never goes out of position.all i have to do is thumb it before it hits the water and i have no problem doing that and then i engage the crank with the reel already being palmed.i sometimes even thumb it left handed.

[piscivorous Pike]

I am looking for new reels, now after Christmas.  I will have to look at that.  My older technology reels are supposed to do that but they don't.  That is a neat trick. Thank you.

[dodgeguy]

u r welcome.i do think u would be happy with a patriarch or patriarch st.both are top of the line reels.they are built on the same frame as the revo reels but i feel they have superior braking systems.also the titanium depostion finish is close to indestructable.it is now available in a 7-1 lefthanded narrow spool.

[piscivorous Pike]

I prefer LH reel and was lucky when I decided years ago to expand my collection.

I had an Abu Garcia XLT Plus LH. Those were life time warranty and had bayonet side plates and spare spools. They were costing too much to maintain and make for AG so they discontinued them. For someone who fishes a lot of different situations the spool change was great, good for me.

I found them, even LH, on Ebay but had to fight for them. I ended up with two more new in the box condition, all three are made in different years but ony have slight variations. I now have a choice of 6 spools too. But for many situations there is not enough line and I prefer the round AG styles for that, so far. Have been eyeing the C4 5601 for my new trigger HMG, 7 foot for 8-20 # test.

I usually fish with 11 rods, different 11 depending on the area and species, so I got a bunch of tackle.  Too much in the boat, it takes the space of a second person!

[bweave09]

i dont even think i could set a hook with my left hand. just thinking about it is..... mind boggling.

x2...i used a buddy's and i felt so weak