Right Or Left

[MAD]

Why do most people when usung spinning tackle reel with their left hand, but when using baitcasting gear they reel with their right. I did the same until a few years ago when I switched. Now I use both hands with casting gear (depending on the reel) but only buy left hand models now.

[Red]

Left for me, casting and spinning.

[CKFishin]

Left for spinning, right for baitcasting... Just feels normal to me, Reeling a BC with my left hand feels wierd to me..

[Jim_M]

Cast right handed. Both spinners and BC's are left hand retrieve. Swapping to the left hand after casting never felt correct to me.

[jignfule]

Many prior post on this subject, but as for me I started many years ago, Left on both spinning & b/c. One of the best decisions I've ever made. It's so much more natural for me.

[j.bruno]

Left on both. I cast with my right hand so why switch hands to start reeling after every cast?

[NateFollmer]

I started right but when I bought a baitcaster I didn't realize it was lefty until I got home. Wasn't driving an hour back to return it, so I learned to fish lefty too. Id say learn both if you can, youll always be in a 'good' casting position if you can switch hands.

[OHIO]

Reel with my right hand on both spinning and casting.

[PondBoss]

Left for spinning, right for baitcasting... Just feels normal to me, Reeling a BC with my left hand feels wierd to me..

+1

[Bluebasser86]

Left for spinning, right for baitcasting, not interchangable. I might as well be using a cane pole instead of trying to reel lefthanded with baitcaster, just can't do it.

[SausageFingers]

Left for both

[Sfritr]

I actually prefer a left hand reel on my flippin rod. That way I can hold the rod in my right hand and being right handed, I feel like a have better feel and control.

[tholmes]

Right for both. I'm left handed, so it just feels natural for me to cast with my left, reel with my right.

Tom

[Hyrule Bass]

left for spinning and casting. but its not so much i about which hand im reeling with(even though reeling with the right feels odd) its more about holding the rod in my power/strong hand(right hand in my case)..

[Raul]

Right for both, btw, I´m not left handed.

[SirSnookalot]

I've heard the inventor of the b/c reel was left handed and put the crank on his right hand, true I don;t know.

I prefer cranking with my left hand regardless of the type of equipment, for repetitive casting and retrieving. Larger conventional reels don't make too much difference to me as I'm pulling up with both arms then reeling in on the drop.

[St James]

I reel with my left spinning and baitcasting. I don't like switching hands after I cast

[jj'sbassinforfun]

Left on spin and baitcast for the most part. I do have some right hand baitcasters that I use for carolina/texas rigging. So its basically right hand for anything I have to wait on the sink(plenty of time to switch hands). I use the lefties for cast and go mostly. I cast everything with my right hand. I do feel I get harder hooksets with the rod in my left hand though. The main reason for right hand reels on the rigged set ups.

The most important thing is to do what feels comfortable to you. Not what the rest of use do. Another thing you will find is a big hole in some reel line ups for the lefties. There is definately a better selection in the right handers. Some manufacturers have no lefties at all. Some have them in a limited gear ratio selection. Just a few have the the lefties in all gear ratio's! BPS is one AFAIK.

[John G]

I am left handed and I reel right handed with spinning and baitcasting. Always have done it that way.

[roadwarrior]

Here's a thread with some interesting comments:

I'm right handed. I crank baitcasters with my right hand; spinning reels with my left.

[bass-z-no]

One of the biggest reasons why I fish baitcasters right hand retrieve is the fact that I tried casting all day with a left hand retrieve, and by the end of the day my right arm was dead from casting and setting the hook. Your right arm is doing all the work. I started paying more attention to the way a lot of pros fish as well and most of them fish right hand retrieve baitcasters. So I tried it and now I love it. I use left hand retrieve for spinning but right hand for baitcasters. Been fishing bass tournaments for 2 years now.

[BIGfryFish]

I've always cast with my left hand and reel with my right.

[RoLo]

It would appear that the first baitcasting reel was designed by a southpaw,

and the right-handed community just filed in line without question.

The downside of course, is having to switch rod hands about 1,000 times a day?

I'm right-handed, so my right hand and right arm are naturally stronger and more dexterous.

Whether I’m fishing a spinning rod, conventional rod, baitcasting rod or cane pole, it's going to be held in my right hand.

In this manner, my superior arm does all the casting, hook-setting and rod-pumping.

Even if there’s a giant tuna on the other end, the main job of the left-hand is to crank up the slack line.

Roger

[MarkM]

I'm right handed, cast with my right and reel with my right on both spinning and baitcasting gear. yeah, I have to switch hands after the cast but it feels awkward to reel with my left. My dad, who I fish with often, has always given me grief - from when I first started fishing with a spinning reel until now when I'm in my 40's - about reeling a spinning with my right. He finds it funny... I find it uncomfortable any other way. Glad to see there are a few other right handers on here who use right-hand retrieve spinning gear. I thought I was the only one as no one else I know or have fished with does it my way.

[hike4steel]

Left for me. Have better control with my right arm and switching hands after the cast never made sense to me.

I am Right handed.