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

You remind me of a guy I work with. He catches and throws with his right hand. No, he never played organized baseball or softball. It would be entertaining to watch though.

I had read that it was for spinning you use left hand and
for bait casting, the right to do the reeling
to spread the repetitive motion and fatigue issues across both hands
allowing longer periods of fishing.

I’m with you Pete S I am LH and I use my Left hand thumb the release and spool control and my right hand is reeling as soon as the bait hits the water-I am a southpaw too. I also use my left hand to cast my spinning reel and reel my right hand.

I am right handed, all baitcasters with a left hand retrieve, I run a tiller, only natural at least for me, less switching back and forth.

Why I grab my fish or net with my right hand. If it was holding the rod, I would have to switch hands. That makes no sense to me.

I was just thinking about this the other day. I’m RH and with all my spinning rigs I reel with my RH. I never tried switching and haven’t felt a need to but I might just have to now. Ice fishing is a different story, all reel handles I have on the left side…

I don’t get this either. I use LH baitcasting reels so the handle is on the Left, just like my spinning reels. Now the rod is in my dominate hand for better feel, faster hook sets, and stronger landing. I never have understood why others go RH. I want the rod in my dominate hand for sure. It does not take much for my left hand to just reel.

I hold the rod in my dominate hand as well, which is right, and reel with left. Not sure if this has anything to do with it but I am right handed everything except for shooting and archery. My left eye is my dominant eye so it is more natural that way. Maybe thats the reason I fish the way I do but who knows, I just know Ive been doing it that way as long as I can remember.

Pro bass anglers have proven it makes no difference at the highest level in terms of being able to win tournaments. I think its simply what feels best to the angler.

TripleA wrote:

Pro bass anglers have proven it makes no difference at the highest level in terms of being able to win tournaments. I think its simply what feels best to the angler.

I am with you it feels awkward to me. Besides my left thumb is not as smart as my right for thumbing the spool. Flipping I could honestly see it….maybe….. overall casting nope nada.

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!

Ditto, and they say everything is set up for “right” handed people! At least on this most important subject, the righties got it wrong!

You lefties have an inferiority complex.

If you guys make me over think about all this stuff I’m going to get messed up and won’t be able to cast anymore. So knock it off

Ha, I think we all will be! I already know I can’t reel with my left hand. Thank God on spinning reels you can swap out the handle. On my brothers boat there were always community fishing poles. I’d swap them when I’d use one. Inevitably at some point some one would use the reel and say, who put the dang handle on the wrong side!

I’ve been imagining fly fishing in my head and I bet I would actually strip and reel with my left hand.

mplspug wrote:

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.

Same here….. as a kid, every Zebco had the handle on the right.

In conclusion I think we have found d it’s just a matter of what is comfortable no matter what “handed” you are. And it’s awesome there are now left handle options on baitcasters.

mplspug wrote:

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.

Spinning rods, left hand retrieve, casting Right hand. Spinning rods I always cast one handed because its far easier to control with my right hand. Baitcasters I palm the reel so it feels much more natural holding it with my left hand. I almost always cast a baitcaster with two hands anyway. Usually over my left shoulder so switching hands isn’t something I need to do. I think it would be super weird for a right handed person to have the spinning handle on the right side. To me the two techniques are so different. Spinning tends to be more finesse than bait casting and I can be far more accurate holding the rod with my right hand and reeling with my left in that instance.

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 am right handed. Shot left in hockey, play golf right handed. My wife says that is the weirdest thing ever. I say its completely normal because hitting a slapshot is nothing like swinging a golf club. Golf you want the dominant hand on the bottom because its a swinging motion, but hockey the top is better for control.

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.

This is what gets me as well. I am right handed and fall into this population. I shoot left handed with a hockey stick but I swing a golf club right handed (as well as bat).

When fishing, all of my gear I reel on the left side. I don’t have any baitcasters though.

I don’t have a good answer to this question, but I have at times wished Fish Blood’s reels were left handed when sturgeon fishing with him because I’m a weak little baby and fighting sturgeon with my left arm makes me look even more baby like.