Dumb Question, but I have to ask

I used to fish a baitcast setup a few years back, and some how got rid of it. I am currently in the market for a giddy-up, but have a question. I’m right handed and with a spinning rod & reel- I hold the rod in my right hand and reel with my left. It is opposite though with a baitcast setup- and it doesn’t feel natural holding the rod in my left hand and reeling with the right—Is this normal or am I just dumb? do any right-handed folks fish a left-handed model reel to not have this unnatural feel? I know there is a simple answer to this question- and I know its a bad ques. Thanks for your help & thanks for the replys on my other post. –db

I fish all left handed baitcasters. I like having my power hand, the one with all the dexterity (as anyone that has seen me dribble left handed can attest to) holding and manipulating the rod while the off hand just reels. Also, you can keep the same hand on the rod for casting and retrieving.

I started fishing on a spinning rod and reel, not a spincaster, so I never reeled with my right hand. I couldn’t get used to it on my first baitcaster, and all of mine since have been left handed.

I really don’t think it matters which hand is your power hand. If you are used to setting the hook with the rod in your right hand and reeling with your left, then that is the way you should do it always..spinning or casting…just buy left handed reels for your baitcaster…I am left handed and grew up using spinning tackle, rod in right hand, reel in left…when I got older, I tried my buddies right handed baitcaster and hated it..bought a lefthanded baitcaster and love it.

fishandski……..

I’m right handed and reel everything in w/my right hand. Spinning, Baitcast, it doesn’t matter…I’m always switching the handle over if it can be switched.

I know we’ve talked about this before in other threads, but i ususally say the same thing. I feel there is no right or wrong way….Do what feels comfortable.

Develop a style and perfect it! While my techniques are still in the perfection process, they are what work best for me so far. My “consistency” is in the hand positioning. My left hand has to be lower than my right.

So, when using a spinning rod, the rod is in my right and I reel with the left. When baitcasting, I two hand cast, use my left thumb to brake, and reel with my right. Spincasting is the same as baitcasting, but with a one arm cast.

I’m right handed but my left is actually my power arm and I’m fairly ambidextrous (sp?) in it’s use so rod control and casting accuracy has not really been dominated by one or the other.

I’ve never seen anyone else carry this exact same trait or practice…………but most of the time, it works very well for me, being unique.

I cast w/my eyes closed …

kinda like how Jordon shot free throws w/his eyes closed…

I, like Slop Bass, reel exclusivly with my right hand. This really ticks off my buddies when they want to borrow my spinning reels. My left hand is completely junk and feels really uncomfortable to reel with.
Do what feels best to you!

I’m also an odd duck, cast with my right hand……switch the rod to my left and reel with my right. This is for both baitcasters and spinning reels, go figure. Just wish I could be normal, could probably get in a few more casts with the baitcaster. As with Haywood, it irritates my fishing partners when they go to use my rods.

I’m starting to think that maybe us guys who do all of our reeling with our right hand are really just the silent majority. I too reel exclusively with my right hand. When I borrow someone’s equipment, or have to attend to a rod that is set up to reel left handed, I feel like a spastic. I just can’t do it. I need to be able to switch the reel over to the right hand. So, we’re not alone. We actually are the right way to do it!!!!
Steve

I don’t think you are the minority by any stretch. Try finding a left handed baitcasting reel in most brands, and you quickly see who is in the minority as far as baitcasters. As long as Shimano doesn’t quit making left handed Curados I will be OK.

On spinning reels it would be the minority though.

I have a buddy who just can’t use my left handed baitcasters, but he reels a spinner with his left, and can’t stand reeling a spinner with his right. He is shoots a gun right handed, bow left handed, shoots pool, eats, and writes left handed, throws a ball and bats right handed. Dude is all messed up I tell ya!!

It truly is whatever you get used to and get comfortable with I guess.

I almost always use baitcasting, but I reel with my left with a spinning reel, my right with a casting reel- its just the way i learned both. I cast with my right almost all the time. If i could start over, i would reel with my left with baitcast= more efficient to have your hand on the reel when it lands instead of switching. Incidentally, this winter i have dedicated my practice to pitching and flipping with my left hand so i can reel immediately- its a little hard but i figure no harder than to learn to reel with my left on a baitcast (am i alone, or does it seem different reeling a bc vs spinning in the left?). Anyway, also i didnt really feel like buying all new reels. I got a new cu201bsf (left hand reel) for xmas, trying to decide if i should keep it or trade it in for a 200bsf (r hand reel)to keep all my stuff the same. Its a good dilemma to have, a nice reel either way. It does help to have close to equal coordination casting with both arms for tight places, sidearm, etc. my 2 cents.

I agree, as long as it works for YOU, then that’s what’s right. I reel left handed for spinning and baitcasting, but when I use my fly rods, I have 2, each one is set up differently, one right handed one left, so go figure…maybe it’s like I’ve been told too many times I’m just wishy washy.

bassbaron im the same as you im right handed but but with a spinning reel i reel with my left i also shoot a shot gun like a lefty is supposed to
ot fears did a presentation and showed us the reasoning behind being able to cast with both hands and how to play the angles i need a place with high cealings my 20 lb test wont cast to good in this weather to practice

This question is fun (as we can all see from the replys) because we all do it our *OWN* way… the way our father’s or brother’s or whomever taught us to fish. Often, we all incorporate our our “tweaks” to make it unique to ourselves.

Like Moss Boss says, baitcasters are more readily available in right-handed… manufacturers will supply what is in demand, so I believe right-handed retrieve to be the dominiant choice amongst fisherman.

I think MOST people cast with the right hand, switch to the left and reel with their right, with baitcasters anyway. I do.

With spinning tackle I think it is more dependant… I cast with my right and retrieve lefty on this… BUT, I blame ALL my quirky traits on my old man… he taught me most everything I know, including my (good and bad) habits!

Left hand, right hand…..It’s all good for an ambidextrous guy like myself.

When in reatail a customer ask this,we tell them there weak hand is the retreive they will use,so a left handed fisherperson will retreive right retrieve.This is so power hand is making cast and week hand is on handle.It is like batting, what ever way you learned is the way you bat,even if it not the most efficeient.This can be very hard to change,But when teaching new angler to bait cast try to teach angler with proper retrieve,oppisite hand of power hand