Do you switch hands when you cast a baitcaster?

[new2BC4bass]

Get a Daiwa...backlashes are gone, and you can still run a free spool.

Have a previous model Prodigy, Procaster (was for my grandson, but he hasn't used it yet), 50th Anniversary Zillion, Alphas ito, TD-S 103HL, TD-Z 103HL Type R, 3 Fuegos and a TD-X 100HSDF on the way. Think that is it. I can 'fluff' any of them.

EDIT: Although now spooled and on a rod, I haven't used the Prodigy yet. It is one I had cleaned and drag/bearings upgraded. Received the TD-S and TD-X about a month ago. Neither are spooled yet so I can't truthfully say I can 'fluff' them all.

EDIT2: Oops. Forgot my Sol. That little puppy gave me fits with anything below 1/4 oz. the only time I had it out on the water. Looks like it might be spooled with 6 lb mono. Have it on a Falcon Expert Light. Rod loaded fine, but spool backlashed on about every cast until I went to the 1/4 oz weight. Backlashed on the first cast with that weight, but then I stopped babying the cast and was fine after that.

[Yinzyaker]

No switching. Last year I changed from a right handed baitcaster to a lefty. At first I thought it was going to be tough to get used to, but it felt really natural and I took to it right away. Best decision I have ever made. I have since replaced all of my baitcasters with left handed versions, and will never go back.

[Coosa]

Yes/no. Most of the time I cast with my right hand, and then switch. Sometimes though I just do a gentle cast with my left hand.

[CalebWVU]

For someone who is planning on buying a baitcaster, what's the consensus here? I've always fished spinning reels with a left hand retrieve, so I assumed I'd buy a LH retrieve baitcaster. Apparently that's not very common, and some companies don't even make them that way. Would it be right saying if you are just learning to use a baitcaster then to start with a LH retrieve? I understand it's personal preference, but I'd rather not spend $100 to find out I liked it better the other way.

[M-D]

In my youth I learned to operate a baitcaster by switching. When I got out of the military and a fairly long absence from fishing, I decided to quit the switching habit. My biggest reason was to be ready for a instant hookset as soon as the lure hit the water. The only advantage I can see to switching is to give your arm a break. My right arm gets tired sometimes during a long day on the water depending on the type of fishing I'm doing. I do still use a right hand reel when carolina rigging so I guess you could say I do both.

[Busy]

I don't buy that switching is a 'bad' habit. I think the 'common sense' notion that RH reels are for lefties and LH reels are for righties is anything but. If that were the case there'd be more LH reels on the market than RH reels, which clearly isn't the case. The reel companies aren't catering to lefties, who are a minority. Doesn't make sense at all.

Do what you are comfortable with and you will catch more fish than doing what you aren't comfortable with.

My left hand is retarded, if I could teach myself to reel and cast with it I'd bowl with it, throw a baseball and football with it, and write with it but that ain't happening But I CAN hold a rod with it work a bait. That's why I switch. It is a lot like baseball, you don't see a lot of guys that throw right-handed and bat left-handed or vice versa do you? I don't think thats too much different than casting with one and reeling with the other.

[skeetercraig]

nope i cast right and reel with the left ,easy sense i came off spinning gear , only thing now when i do use spinning gear it feels funny cause the turning radius is alot bigger

[countryfried]

yes i switch. i cast with my right, hold with my left and rell with my right on a baitcaster

[A-Jay]

My left hand is retarded,

That's Funny.

A-Jay

[wn2fsh]

I just had this discussion with my daughter who is learning to fish. I have a right handed casting rod. But I cast with my left hand and reel in with my right hand on the crank. No switching. I do the same with my spinning rod, but I always have to convert my spinning reel to a "left handed" spinning reel. I always wondered why the switch?  And why with a casting rod but not with a spinning rod?

[Zcoker]

I've never understood this hand switching, either. Maybe years ago they only made right handed bait casters? When I first got my baitcasters, left or right was an option. Well, my right hand has always been my dominant rod holding hand and my left hand has always been my reeling hand, just like with spinning rods. So it made no sense whatsoever to follow the norm, which seems to be just the opposite. I really can't see any gain to have it that way, at least mechanically. I'd have to re-learn the whole casting/reeling deal all over again. 

[A-Jay]

Surprise ~New member - Old Thread.

 

I'm a two handed caster and the process is the same for me with either type rig.

I'm right hand retrieve on casting gear

and left hand retrieve on spinning gear.

I cast from either side.

What other anglers do or understand about it has zero bearing on my results. 

I get a few now & then.

I just try to be smooth and effective. 

Looks like this for me

https://youtu.be/8x9A8IP3j7w?feature=shared&t=10

A-Jay

[Bankc]

1 hour ago, wn2fsh said:

I just had this discussion with my daughter who is learning to fish. I have a right handed casting rod. But I cast with my left hand and reel in with my right hand on the crank. No switching. I do the same with my spinning rod, but I always have to convert my spinning reel to a "left handed" spinning reel. I always wondered why the switch?  And why with a casting rod but not with a spinning rod?

It's just tradition.  There's really no good reason beyond that.  Whatever you're comfortable with should work fine.  

I usually cast right-handed and use right-handed reels which means I switch during the cast, before the bait hits the water.  But I pitch left-handed so I don't have to switch.  And if I can get a better angle by casting with my left hand, I'll do it.  I typically use RH casting and spinning reels, so I switch reeling hands depending on what kind of reel I'm using.  But I can just as easily flip them around.  

 

Fishing isn't a sport that requires extreme levels of coordination or strength, for the most part.  And I believe that most people can learn to do it both ways if they put in the time and practice.  The reason why most of us prefer one way over the other is usually more because that's just the way we've always done it, versus some kind of mechanical advantage created by using our dominant hand.  

[DaubsNU1]

I am with you @A-Jay, right handed retrieve with casting gear, left handed retrieve with spinning gear. Most of the time it's a two handed cast...unless running really light spinning gear. 

 

I think my tendency dates back to the Zebco 33 right handed retrieve, and Mitchell 300 spinning reel left handed retrieve. Back then there was no option to switch handle to other side.  You just made due. 

 

Unintended consequence:  when my right hand gets tired...switch to spinning gear and a left hand retrieve : ) 

[gim]

Another right handed BC and left handed spinning user here.

 

I read somewhere that approximately 75% of anglers who use both BC and spinning are this way.

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I am with you @A-Jay, right handed retrieve with casting gear, left handed retrieve with spinning gear. Most of the time it's a two handed cast...unless running really light spinning gear. 

 

I think my tendency dates back to the Zebco 33 right handed retrieve, and Mitchell 300 spinning reel left handed retrieve. Back then there was no option to switch handle to other side.  You just made due. 

 

Unintended consequence:  when my right hand gets tired...switch to spinning gear and a left hand retrieve : ) 

I do this when throwing/working jerkbaits for 8 hours - 6 straight days.

Forearms are like jell-o.

A-Jay

[newriverfisherman1953]

3 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I think my tendency dates back to the Zebco 33 right handed retrieve, and Mitchell 300 spinning reel left handed retrieve. Back then there was no option to switch handle to other side.  You just made due

That’s why I had to special order Mitchell 301 and Mitchell 309. Still have them. I’m left handed and cast left, reel right. 

[Jar11591]

I am a right handed caster and right handed retriever. I’m a righty taught to fish by a lefty who didn’t know the difference when it came to fishing. 
 

I do the hand switch, but I find it sort of confounding that something that is so instantaneous, something that happens before you can blink an eye, is talked or worried about so much. I never even realized I did the switch until a friend pointed it out to me. 

[Bird]

Half of my baitcasters are left handed and half of my baitcasters are right handed so this means I'm switching hands half the time........ never give it much thought.

[KP Duty]

Yes, I switch hands.  If I went  lefty, I'd still need to use my other hand to hold the rod while I move my right hand from casting to palming position.

[Bigbox99]

Even with my left handed reels I still have to change up hands between casting and palming.  I sometimes do the palming cast but that really chokes off distance so I only use it when making close target casts.  For me it comes down to what the dominant means of moving the bait are.  If it's cast and wind then I use righty reels.  If it's cast and move the bait with my rod and only reel for slack line recovery then I use lefty reels.  

[Mike L]

Being right handed I Cast right, switch, reel right. 
I tried casting right and reeling left but felt totally unnatural and just plain wrong. 
The switch is done in flight without thinking about it so when the lure hits water I’m ready immediately. 

I don’t use spinning gear at all, but the combos I have for the kids all are setup to reel left. 
 

Now that said, when pitching the first is done right handed but all subsequent ones are left as the rod never leaves my hand. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[bowhunter63]

Right handed I do switch but I have been doing it so long I don’t notice 

[Gera]

3 hours ago, newriverfisherman1953 said:

I think my tendency dates back to the Zebco 33

This! 

On the good side, during the last few years I have increase the use of spinning gear, I think it works with me to use BC with RH and Spinning with LH. 

 

[new2BC4bass]

3 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I am with you @A-Jay, right handed retrieve with casting gear, left handed retrieve with spinning gear. Most of the time it's a two handed cast...unless running really light spinning gear. 

 

I think my tendency dates back to the Zebco 33 right handed retrieve, and Mitchell 300 spinning reel left handed retrieve. Back then there was no option to switch handle to other side.  You just made due. 

 

Unintended consequence:  when my right hand gets tired...switch to spinning gear and a left hand retrieve : ) 

 

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Surprise ~New member - Old Thread.

 

I'm a two handed caster and the process is the same for me with either type rig.

I'm right hand retrieve on casting gear

and left hand retrieve on spinning gear.

I cast from either side.

What other anglers do or understand about it has zero bearing on my results. 

I get a few now & then.

I just try to be smooth and effective. 

Looks like this for me

https://youtu.be/8x9A8IP3j7w?feature=shared&t=10

A-Jay

 

I hadn't been using a baitcast reel too long when this thread was first posted.  Now I have plenty of RH and LH baitcast reels.  Will cast with either arm. but almost always use a 2-handed cast.

 

Certain lures can put a hurtin' on an arm (especially if dragging something like a spinnerbait thru weeds).  This is a secondary reason for using either retrieve reels.  Primary reason was it allowed me to get some good deals on RH reels.  I grew up cranking spinning reels with left hand and am more comfortable working a lure with my right arm.  Chuck and retrieve makes no difference which side the handle is on.