Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

  • 0

Baitcasting reel: Left or Right hand retrieve


mistermom

Question

I am a baitcaster rookie. I've been using them for trolling but not casting. My question is: Would it be smarter for a right handed guy like myself who is totally comfortable reeling with his left hand on spinning reels to get a baitcaster with left hand retrieve? What thinks you folks on this? Thanks! I'll hang-up and listen.

mm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0

hmmmmm i tried a left hand retrieve bait caster , but it just didn't feel comfortable to me so i sold it. i too real a spinning reel with my left hand, but went back to holding the casting rod in my left. if it feels comfortable to you, go with the left. you will get more casts in do to not changing hands. just remember that fishing is suppose to be enjoyable and fun. i have been working on learning to cast with my left hand. this is an option too. del

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Hi Mistermom
I have been thinking the same thing.Too me cranking with the right does not seem as comfortable as cranking with the left.SO i purchased some left hand baitcasters,but i can't tell you what i think yet,i havnt used them(but i hear that some people are already casting in their back yard) so it wont be long! wink.gif

------------------
Try Too Fish
Forced Too Work!!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

It is all up to the user and how you feel about it. I also wind with my left on spinning gear. I am a little bit lucky, cause I can run a baitcaster either handed (ambedextrious)sp). I do prefer to pitch with my right hand, and casting I have no preference. I am looking for a new reel just for the purpose of pitching in the left hand winding style. Like Delmut said make it fun, not work. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
My neighbors think I have lost it, pitching to trees when it is just above zero.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

This is something that I have questioned for a while. I watch the pros on the TV cast with their right hand and them switch the rod to their left and reel in. This does not seem correct to me. If you are right handed that's your strong hand. Why would you try to bring in that huge bucketmouth holding the rod in your weak hand?

Wishin2BFishin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

MM,
On this forum is a great thread about baitcasters, and the one on the 'Bass' forum turned up nice info too.

------------------
Aquaman
< )/////><{
"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

True, it is your strong hand. But you need to be able to have a bunch of power with your right hand to crank down on the hogs. And it gets to be a motion that becomes second nature switching from right hand to left hand to begin your retrieve. It's becomes like breathing in out in.....gasp.............

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Thanks for all the replies! I think I might just try both out in the store and see what feels right (providing I can in the store). I'm sure I can do it either way. I'm just intriqued by the left hand idea.

mm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

I bought a left hand baitcaster thinking similarly to you mistermom. The only difference was I grew up on baitcasters.

I was totally uncomfortable with it. For reasons unknown I just could not fight a fish well at all holding that rod in my right hand and reeling with my left, even that's what I do with a spinning reel. Maybe it's just a headgame, but it didn't work for me.

A couple years ago I hired a guide who had only left handed baitcasters on board for trolling 3 ways. I didn't like them at all but did learn by day's end that I could feel bites better holding the rod in my right hand.

If you can I would definitely try one out - even fish it - before you buy it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Mistermom, When I first started fishing with a baitcaster I thought the same thing you are asking, so I got a baitcaster with the handle on the left side. You can cast with your right and reel with your left. The only problem is, if your right handed, your left hand is more sensitive. Cast with your right, switch hand and reel with your right, you will feel more fish holding the rod with your left hand.

------------------
Jim Reed
http://countrykatfishing.com

[This message has been edited by Derek Johnston (edited 03-06-2003).]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Some pros don't switch hands, an extra unneeded step. You don't switch hands with a spinning rod so why do it with a baitcaster? I agree with an earlier post and that is practice practice practice. I retrained myself not to switch hands and it was worth it.

lakevet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Many of the older pros cast and switch because back when they learned to cast, they didn't have casting reels with the crank on the left side. for spinning reels, they didn't have cranks on the right side. I cannot figure out why casting reels were made for left hand casting, and spinning reels for right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Growing up from a young age I remember using closed faced reels with right hand crank. Then came the Spinning reel which was left handed. While using these, then started to fish bigger fish and changed to casting with baitcaster, right handed of course since it was the only. But the first year they came out with the "left handed" crank I switched knowing it didn't make sense always casting with the right hand and moving the whole pole and reel to the other hand to retrieve the lure. Plus missing strikes at times when the fish would hit when the lure hit the water. I have 3 Baitcasters - all left handed retrieve. It just makes sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Countrykat
I agree that if your righthanded your left might be more sensitive but i also think that if your are right handed your reflexs are better on the right(for setting the hook) and for me being right handed it's easier to thumb the reel and handel the pole with the right.but thats just me.
I think each person has to look at themselves and decide what is best for them! smile.gif one size don't fit all

------------------
Try Too Fish
Forced Too Work!!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

I really like my left handed baitcasters but because I have some 6500c that are right handed I still try sometime to real with my right hand but its easier for me to fish the left reels. Go to ebay and look under shimano corsair 301/401 the 01 are left handed and these are a good caster for the money ,around 45.00
metro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

I too grew up with spinning reels. When I bought my first baitcaster,(20 some years ago) it was a left-hand Shimano. For me, it's not so much which side cranks better, or even casting, but what feels better working the lure, setting the hook and fighting the fish. No question my right hand does alot better. I absolutly cannot work a worm or jig with my left hand on the rod. I feel like Jerry Lewis. My right hand IS the rod and I feel everything and seems only natural. I work a hooked fish with the rod, and the reel only takes up excess line. But, to each their own. To all who can go from left/spinning to right/casting, you're better than I.

rascal

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.