RH people – fishing baitcaster with handle on Right – WHY ????

Why do so many RH fishermen still fish with Baitcasting reels with the handle on the right? I know there was a time a long time ago where it was hard to find baitcasting reels with the handle on the left, but that has not been a problem for many years now. I could not tell you how many people I saw at the sports show last weekend buying baitcasting reels with the handle on the right. Almost all of them when asked what handle do they reel with on spinning reels said my Left. I said why are you buying a RH baitcaster. Answer almost always was ” I don’t know ” I saw a study once that showed people have up to 50% more sensitivity in their dominate hand. if so, Why would any right hander want to have that rod in his left hand to reel????? Not to mention casting with their RH and then switching the rod to their left to reel. People always say it would be hard to make the change. I changed after over 20 years and it took me all of a few hr’s to get use to it. After that I never gave it another thought.

…because that’s what the pros do And that’s why people use fluorocarbon lines too ~

I switch reels when I’m on the starboard vs port side of the boat casting…

Can’t put my finger on it but something is just different using my dominant(right) hand on a reel on top of the rod vs a spinning.

Maybe it’s how we grew up and what we learned on?

I’m actually quite ambidextrous and run my baitcasters with left hand retrieve. Took me longer but I got used to it. However my retrieve speed was could never quite match the rate if right handed. Don’t know why, just is. After several years it’s now much closer but still a smidge less. Go figure.

Still worth it to me not to switch hands every cast. I have to cast right handed.

Because I’ve tried it and I can’t reel as smooth or fight a fish nearly as well with my left hand. It just doesn’t feel natural for me.

I have the handle on my spinning reels on the left, but for the most part I keep my left hand still and reel with the rod handle.

Just feels natural. I’m so used to it I see no reason to change.

I’m LH and have actually had people ask me why I don’t have a baitcaster that reels on the left. Why would I do that? My left hand thumb the release and spool control and my right hand is in place reeling as soon as the bait hits the water – perfect for a southpaw!

All my trolling rods have the reel handle on the right. Because I’m not casting and using my right arm, it only seems natural to use the dominant hand for cranking.

It is a little odd once you start thinking about it though… my buddy and I had the same conversation a while ago.

Last time I went to order two reels for lead core, I actually had to go out in the garage and look at at what I had as it seemed so odd.

I have a 50/50 split on left and right handed baitcasters. I’m lucky that I don’t have a dominant hand or eye. I fish baits different between left and right, so I change up as needed

I’m right handed, but I have the handle on the right for both spinning reels and baitcaster. The other way doesn’t feel right, so to speak. My question is why do you other right handers fish left handed? When you cast, wouldn’t you want to guide it with your dominant hand? Even with spinning/baitcasting reels I cast holding the rod with my right hand.

I don’t think the dominant hand plays much of a part with fishing. It’s not like writing or throwing. Kind of like hockey where a lot of right-handed players shoot left-handed.

I always ask myself. WWBKD?

I’m right handed but shoot left too.

It may have been influenced by anyone starting with a spincast reel as a kid (i.e. Zebco). I don’t know that many of them had the handle on the left side. If it was comfortable there may have been no reason to change.

This may be why….then again?
Old time casting reels (the old antique type)…originally were not level wind reels, the angler had to palm the reel and guide the line across the spool with their left hand so that it was somewhat level across the spool allowing them to cast again with causing a backlash.
bestfishes – jim

I read something years ago that claimed one’s dominant hand was more sensitive than the other. Since I’m right handed, I switched all of the handles on my jigging rod’s spinning reels to the left hand side so I’d better feel bites with my dominant hand. I’ve used used them that way for the last 40 years or so. I suspect there may be some truth to one’s dominant hand being more sensitive, but if it makes that much difference, I don’t know.
As far as bait casting reels, I don’t need sensitivity, so I crank them with my right hand.
I think it boils down to what you are comfortable with.

Although…
As odd as it seems I always have the handle on the right side of a fly reel even though I’m right handed. Doesn’t seem to make sense either. I think part of that has to do with always handling the line with the left hand. If I need to pick up line on the reel I feel more confident to handle a run if my left hand is in contact with the line.

tegg wrote:

It may have been influenced by anyone starting with a spincast reel as a kid (i.e. Zebco). I don’t know that many of them had the handle on the left side. If it was comfortable there may have been no reason to change.

X2 Damn Zebco. I now have some LH and some RH. I woudl likely go to all LH but some reel varities are still not made/available in LH. (ex Tekotas)

Grew up fishing rod in lefthand, as a rightie. Got a tiller boat and found that doesn’t work to well. Switched to the other hand and now both can work just as well. Still remember the fall I switched too, hot jig bite that year and really helped with my confidence in switching catching several walleyes a night.

This will be the reason I get more baitcast combos, if my arm gets fatigued on the spin, switch to something else with the baitcast.

I tried to switch and couldn’t. I cant even pick my nose with my left hand.

You could ask the same question about LH v. RH about hockey players. I’m stunned at the # of guys shooting left-handed. I’ll bet 40+% shoot left while only 10% of population is left-handed.

I’m left handed. Spinning I reel with my left hand and bait caster I reel with the right.
DT

tegg wrote:

Although…
As odd as it seems I always have the handle on the right side of a fly reel even though I’m right handed. Doesn’t seem to make sense either. I think part of that has to do with always handling the line with the left hand. If I need to pick up line on the reel I feel more confident to handle a run if my left hand is in contact with the line.

Hmmmm…I have all my fly reels set up for left hand retrieve, and all the baitcasters I’ve ever used were right hand retrieve. Of course the odds of me getting a fish “on the reel” with my fly rod is pretty small.

SR

I agree. I never understood that hand-switching after a cast. I use the “left-handed” ones.

deertracker wrote:

I’m left handed. Spinning I reel with my left hand and bait caster I reel with the right.
DT

South paw too?

@deertracker

David Leonidas wrote:

You could ask the same question about LH v. RH about hockey players. I’m stunned at the # of guys shooting left-handed. I’ll bet 40+% shoot left while only 10% of population is left-handed.

I’m right handed and have more arm strength on the right side. That is the reason I hold my hockey stick with my right hand on top. More control with right hand.

I also hold my fishing rods with my right hand. Reel left when possible.

I bought curado 51E when they were on sale for about 50% because they only had left hand reels left. I’m like you, didn’t take me long to get used to it at all.

If you are a right handed bass guy that flips and pitches, having the handle on the left is a huge benefit so you don’t have to switch hands.

I still buy some reels that are right handed if they are on sale. I’ll use those for baits I cast and and not as worried about having to switch hands like crankbaits.

Moving baits, I need to use my dominant hand to reel smoothly, I don’t need the sensitivity, bites are evident. Contact baits, I need to work the rod with my dominant hand, I can’t fish jigs with my left hand on the rod, at all. I can’t reverse them, it just doesn’t work for me.

Spinning rod, I can only reel with my left hand no matter what bait, yeah, I can’t figure that out…

great question. It never made sense to me either. My best guess is that panfish bass and walleye dont require physical strength to land and so they are comfortable using there weaker arm to pull in the fish.

biggill wrote:

I always ask myself. WWBKD?

I’m right handed but shoot left too.

I shoot right. The eighties shooting left boggles my mind more. But maybe that’s why I was know as the garbageman and not known for my stick handling or shooting. To me you move the stick more with the bottom hand. There fore I have more control having my right hand there.

I do feel like I could play goalie from either side though. I’m still waiting for the first ambidextrous skater or tender in the NHL. That’d be cool.

Pete S wrote:

I’m LH and have actually had people ask me why I don’t have a baitcaster that reels on the left. Why would I do that? My left hand thumb the release and spool control and my right hand is in place reeling as soon as the bait hits the water – perfect for a southpaw!

100% me also. Left handed and cast with my left hand and real with the right hand. My son is right handed does the same as me. Cast with the left and real with the right. spinning or baitcast reals it doesn’t matter. Being left handed we’re the only ones in our right mind. Maybe that’s why it makes sense too us?

biggill wrote:

South paw too?

@mwodziak, Yes… for some stuff. I’m all messed up. I write left handed. Shoot handgun left handed but bow and rifle right handed. For baseball I’m left handed so I catch with my right hand but as a goalie I catch with my left so I can shoot left handed.