Reeling hand? 2024

HeyCoach reply :

When I fish a spinning rod, I use my right hand to cast, right hand to reel, and left hand to hold on to the rod. This is similar to how I fish with my baitcasters.

Does anybody else do this? Is there a reason people reel left handed and hold the rod with your right hand?

CroakHunter reply :

Personal Preference

MIbassyaker reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 5:42 AM, HeyCoach said:

When I fish a spinning rod, I use my right hand to cast, right hand to reel, and left hand to hold on to the rod. This is similar to how I fish with my baitcasters.

Does anybody else do this? Is there a reason people reel left handed and hold the rod with your right hand?

Yes. The reason is, I learned to fish with spinning as a right-hander, where I cast, hold the rod, work the bait, set the hook, and play the fish all with my dominant hand. The left, non-dominant hand moves the bail and turns the handle, and that's it.

When I started using baitcasters, it was impossible to get my non-dominant hand to do new jobs it hadn't already learned to do years ago. So I just use left handed baitcasting reels, with the same hands playing the same roles for spinning and casting.

MN Fisher reply :

When I got the first spinning reel I could swap handle sides on, I did it. My right hand may be dominant for things like writing and such, but my left arm is stronger (go figure). So my right hand is on the reel handle and my left does the casting and working the rod.

Except for my Pflueger 640 - can't swap the handle side on that one, so while I still cast with the left hand, I swap hands after the cast and work the rod with my right. Since it's my UL rig, it's not such a big deal.

N Florida Mike reply :

I cast and hold with the right and reel with the left , with my spinning set - ups. I like to set the hook and fight the fish with my right, since Im right- handed. I have a couple baitcasters that are right hand reels and I do ok with them though.

tander reply :

Reel left handed for spinning and right handed for casting, just seems like the natural thing to do. ????

TnRiver46 reply :

It never hurts to practice and become proficient reeling with each hand.

Glaucus reply :

Left hand retrieve. I'm right handed. It's my strong hand. As such, it only feels comfortable to hold a rod and fight a fish with my right hand. 100 percent don't understand why back in the day companies thought right handed meant you reel right handed. Nope. Need that hand for doing the real work.

MIbassyaker reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:13 AM, TnRiver46 said:

It never hurts to practice and become proficient reeling with each hand.

Eh, I think I'd rather just fish.

Log Catcher reply :

I'm like @HeyCoach with this. I cast right handed, switch the rod to my left hand and reel right handed. I do this with both casting and spinning setups. I wouldn't but a spinning reel I couldn't switch the handle around. Reeling with either hand may be okay but I have tried casting left handed and it wasn't a pretty sight.

WRB reply :

Spinning left hand to reel and baitcasting right hand. Hold a spinning and cast a spinning rod right handed, cast a baitcasting rod right handed, switch to left hand to retreive lures.

Tom

lo n slo reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:10 AM, tander said:

Reel left handed for spinning and right handed for casting, just seems like the natural thing to do. ????

me too

TnRiver46 reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:49 AM, MIbassyaker said:

Eh, I think I'd rather just fish.

Hahaha. I think I have posted the story on here before but I accidentally bought a left hand retrieve baitcaster with $75 worth of quarters when I was about 12. I was very proficient with a right hand retrieve baitcaster at the time but the lefty felt crazy and I couldn’t hold the rod tip stationary. Since a 12 year old can’t really drive himself back to the sporting goods store I just practiced until it was second nature . Now I can use either RH or LH retrieve and I can cast left or right handed

Russ E reply :

I am left handed. I learned to use right handed spincast reels as a kid and never changed.

I cast with the left hand and reel with the right hand, with spinning and casting reels.

even though I am left handed, I can't use a left handed reel. It feels backwards to me.

Catt reply :

Cast with the right hand, switch to the left hand, & crank with the right hand.

That's how it's done, the rest of y'all just weird! ????

Bluebasser86 reply :

I reel with my left hand with spinning gear, right hand with casting gear.

Why? because I can't do it any other way no matter how much I try.

A-Jay reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 12:21 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

I reel with my left hand with spinning gear, right hand with casting gear.

Why? because I can't do it any other way no matter how much I try.

Me too ~

And I tried to go lefty on casting gear, I really did.

But in the end, I couldn't take the 'The Spastic Gumby' feeling.

So I gave up on it.

A-Jay

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 1:27 PM, A-Jay said:

Me too ~

And I tried to go lefty on casting gear, I really did.

But in the end, I couldn't take the 'The Spastic Gumby' feeling.

So I gave up on it.

A-Jay

I'd been doing it for over 2 decades. I gave it the Ol' college try to go lefty. I was watching my jerky spinnerbait retrieve coming back to the boat and it hit me "What if the fish of a lifetime eats that thing right now and I lose it because I can't reel and fight it properly?" Switched back to righty and not going to try again.

EWREX reply :

all comes down to personal preference. i reel left with my left hand and work the rod with my right. i don’t see any clear advantage to using either or

Boomstick reply :

It's personal preference. Personally, I'm a pretty sold lefty, my right hand is so discordinated I couldn't through a ball 10 feet (although my right arm is actually stronger) but I cannot reel with my left hand to save my life. So I use only right handed reels. For baitcasters, this feels very natural as I cast with my left and keep the rod in my left hand.

Calibassassin reply :

I always wondered. Most of us, I assume, learned on spinning gear, casting right and reeling left. Why do people change to casting right and then changing hands to reel right on bait casters? Didn’t you just re-teach yourself at that point to work the rod with the the non dominant hand? I learned to fish on spinning gear casting right and spinning left. I just started using casting gear about a year ago and never thought about reeling right as it just didn’t make sense to me to even try. With what hand did you all START (when you learned how to fish) reeling with and if you changed, why?

crypt reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 11:47 AM, Russ E said:

I am left handed. I learned to use right handed spincast reels as a kid and never changed.

I cast with the left hand and reel with the right hand, with spinning and casting reels.

even though I am left handed, I can't use a left handed reel. It feels backwards to me.

this is me also.....

nascar2428 reply :

Switching hands after a cast just doesn't seem very efficient to me.

Oregon Native reply :

Hold the rod with my dominant "right hand" and reel with the left for both spinning and casting. Had heard many years ago when worked shows that the ol leftys got big first on the west coast and then moved east....even heard it was due to the slime rocket fishermen....(used to be one). Anyway...not sure if true....but had heard this.

12poundbass reply :

I'm left handed and I'm always reeling with my right hand and casting with my left hand, with spinning and casting. I'm not sure how I ended up this way but that's how I roll. ????

Mobasser reply :

Baitcast- reel right. Spin rod- reel left

On 1/27/2019 at 9:46 AM, lo n slo said:

me too

Same here

CrankFate reply :

I use a casting rod, held in my left hand and reel with the right. On spinning gear, I hold the rod with my right and reel with the left. I rarely use spinning gear, except for casting my kids rods and helping them.

FryDog62 reply :

I just wish you could switch the handle between left or right on a baitcasting reel like you can on spinning...

Alternating hands during 2 surgeries on each wrist over a 4 year period would have been a lot easier/cheaper. But it was good training for the brain to learn to use different hands - my dad said said it is good training someday for my first stroke

Sam reply :

HeyCoach, good question that I have had a serious discussion with a fishing buddy for years regarding the spool handle location and moving the rod from hand to hand.

BAITCASTER

I cast my baitcasters right handed so I can control the spool and line and just before or just after the bait hits the water I can make sure the spool stops. I move the rod to my left hand to control the rod duri9ng and after the cast as I use my right hand to control the reel and spool as I am casting and then work the lure with my right hand controlling the line and the spool and my left hand controlling the rod's action.

By doing this I can have the line go over my right hand index finger when fishing plastics on the bottom to feel for strikes and what is on the bottom.

SPINNING REEL

When I cast my spinning reels I control the bail with my left hand as I cast with my right hand and then keep the rod in my right hand and open and close the bail with my left hand. After casting and closing the bail with my left hand, I then reel in the slack tightly back to the spool with my right hand having the line go through my thumb and finger back onto the spinning reel and holding the spinning reel and rod in my right hand and then I put my right index finder on the line coming off the spool and use my left hand to turn the spool and my right hand to control the line and rod's action.

I control the rod, reel, line and bait with my right hand and reel the spool with my left hand.

FRIEND SAYS

My friend says that my spinning casting is correct as I do not move the rod from my right hand to my left hand.

But, he says that I am wasting time by transferring my baitcaster from my right hand to my left hand and I could miss an immediate strike. And he adds that if I throw a buzzbait or a plastic and the bass hits it as soon as it hits the water, I will be transferring the rod from hand to hand and will miss the hook set.

What saves me is that I set up each individual lure on my baitcaster so the spool stops when the bait hits the water. I can make the hand to hand transfer while the bait is in the air and before it hits the water. No backlashes or other problems with this system. I actually engage the spool right before the bait hits the water with my right hand controlling the spool and the rod in my left hand.

CONCLUSION

It is your call. What ever feels comfortable to you is right. You have to have confidence in your casting, line/bait control and setting the hook so which ever way you do it is OK.

Now go out there and catch your personal best this spring.

JLBBass reply :

Always hold rod in your strong hand, and reel with the weak. I’m a leftie, so I never had any problems like y’all righties!

I cast left, & reel right.

BassWhole! reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 11:01 PM, PolarKraft195Pro said:

Always hold rod in your strong hand, and reel with the weak. I’m a leftie, so I never had any problems like y’all righties!

I cast left, & reel right.

Turning a reel handle, not unlike writing is a more fine motor skill than holding on to a rod, particularly when imparting action with the reel, and best done with one's dominant hand. Of course ultimately it is a matter of preference. The reason I reel right for BCs and left with spinning is because I don't fish BCs with the same grip I cast it with, where as I do with spinning, and this gives me the option to switch sides if fatigue or injury become an issue.

Alex from GA reply :

Like a lot of responses I do this. I learned to fish before spinning reels. I also reel with my right hand fly fishing.

"Spinning left hand to reel and baitcasting right hand. Hold a spinning and cast a spinning rod right handed, cast a baitcasting rod right handed, switch to left hand to retreive lures.

Tom"

Heartland reply :

I do it because it feels good, I could care less what someone else finds more efficient, or better. I fish because it makes me happy, and feeling good is a large part of that.

redmeansdistortion reply :

Cast right and reel right with both spinning and casting rods/reels. I am right handed. I drive left handed too because I prefer a row-your-own vs a slush-o-matic.

JoshFromBolo reply :

Spinning , reel in with my left

baitcaster reel in with my right

new2BC4bass reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:13 AM, TnRiver46 said:

It never hurts to practice and become proficient reeling with each hand.

Someone asked which hand YOU started with. My left. Spinning only. Stayed with the left hand when I got into baitcast reels. A nice (RH) Alphas ito came up for sale. Bought it not knowing if an equally nice LH would become available. Now almost half my baitcast reels are RH. Cast both hands, but RH for best accuracy.

Some lures can tire out the rod hand after awhile. It is nice to be able to switch hands. Doesn't hurt that it doesn't matter which hand a reel is when a good deal comes up.

JHB reply :

Bass fishing right hand cast left hand retrieve. Cat fishing right hand cast and retrieve. Yea I an weird that way.

BaitFinesse reply :

I'm right hand dominant so I use my right hand to both cast and turn the handle. If I'm going to hold something and fidgit with it then I hold it in my left hand and use my dominant right hand to use tools ect. If I am going to open a door while carrying something I am going to carry it in my left arm and open the door with my dominant right arm. Even it was initially being carried in my right arm, it will be moved to the left so I can use my right hand to open the door.

It's no different with baitcast reels. When holding the reel I will use my dominant hand with the better dexterity and control to turn the handle. Turning the handle with my left hand means I can't turn it even half as fast and I wear out quickly. I have a left hand reel. It is unusable.

FishTank reply :

I grew up on spincast reels (zebec 33) with the handle on the right hand side and spinning reels (Ryobi, Mitchel, and Daiwa) on the left. By the time I was a teenager I stopped using the spincast reels and just started using spinning reels. When I reached my 20's I tried out a few baitcasters (BPS, Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum) with little success, all right handed reels. It seemed no matter what I did, my casting was terrible and I just seemed to fumble around like I had never fished before. Someone handed me a left handed Curado (201 CU I thinK) and all my problems were solved even though I am right handed. I have been buying left-handed reels ever since.

Log Catcher reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 2:53 PM, Calibassassin said:

I always wondered. Most of us, I assume, learned on spinning gear, casting right and reeling left. Why do people change to casting right and then changing hands to reel right on bait casters? Didn’t you just re-teach yourself at that point to work the rod with the the non dominant hand? I learned to fish on spinning gear casting right and spinning left. I just started using casting gear about a year ago and never thought about reeling right as it just didn’t make sense to me to even try. With what hand did you all START (when you learned how to fish) reeling with and if you changed, why?

I first learned to fish with a cane pole. Oh that doesn't count. I started out with a South Bend spincast rod and reel. Then had some Zebco 606 spincast reels. Still have one of them. They all had handles on the right. I learned to cast with my right hand and switch the rod to my left and reel right handed. That is how I learned and I never changed. I never even owned a spinning rod and reel until about 15 years ago. My first baitcasters were the old Ambassador 5000 reels. I still have them in storage.

On 1/27/2019 at 2:53 PM, Calibassassin said:

I always wondered. Most of us, I assume, learned on spinning gear, casting right and reeling left. Why do people change to casting right and then changing hands to reel right on bait casters? Didn’t you just re-teach yourself at that point to work the rod with the the non dominant hand? I learned to fish on spinning gear casting right and spinning left. I just started using casting gear about a year ago and never thought about reeling right as it just didn’t make sense to me to even try. With what hand did you all START (when you learned how to fish) reeling with and if you changed, why?

A-Jay reply :

Righty - Lefty, Dominant Hand, Non-Dominant Hand, Incorrectly or Correctly . . .

Whatever - I'm looking for efficiency and in my case, this is what it looks like.

(It does seem to help being able to cast from both the left & the right side).

A-Jay

MIbassyaker reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 2:53 PM, Calibassassin said:

I always wondered. Most of us, I assume, learned on spinning gear, casting right and reeling left. Why do people change to casting right and then changing hands to reel right on bait casters? Didn’t you just re-teach yourself at that point to work the rod with the the non dominant hand? I learned to fish on spinning gear casting right and spinning left. I just started using casting gear about a year ago and never thought about reeling right as it just didn’t make sense to me to even try. With what hand did you all START (when you learned how to fish) reeling with and if you changed, why?

I think the answer clearly is that this cannot be assumed -- it only applies to a few of us. Like me. When I learned to fish, we weren't "bass fishing" -- we just fished the river in town for catfish, pike, walleye, the occasional rock bass, drum or whatever other oddball species might get hauled up. And baitcasters simply had no presence among any of the casual anglers I knew, or came across, or spent any time around, except for very specialized musky and pike gear. The tackle shops didn't sell any other than those -- the only other baitcasters we ever saw were on TV, being wielded by people like Bill Dance who caught a kind of fish that didn't live in my stretch of the river (at least then).

So when I learned to fish, I learned on a spinning rod -- cast right, reel left. Rod never changes hands. Left hand has to learn one thing. And when you're 8, the learning is pretty fast. It was only in the last 10 years, when I started getting specifically into bass fishing, that it ever even dawned on me that I might want to use a baitcaster. And that was when I learned for the first time that "right handed" for baitcasters was completely opposite from what my right and left hands already knew how to do.

I don't live in the same place (or state) that I grew up, but still I find only a minority of anglers I ever see out on the water here use baitcasters, and that's true whether they're targeting bass or not.

LionHeart reply :

Right handed dude. I reel with right hand on casting gear and left hand on spinning. I started this way because the industry said so.

I figured they would know better than me, so I went with it. I got no complaints.

JLBBass reply :

MAN I'M GLAD I'M A LEFTIE!

Koz reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 8:43 AM, WRB said:

Spinning left hand to reel and baitcasting right hand. Hold a spinning and cast a spinning rod right handed, cast a baitcasting rod right handed, switch to left hand to retreive lures.

Tom

Same here. I do admit there are times when it would be a benefit to be able to cast left handed, say bank fishing and needing to cast to my right under a tree or something similar. But I'd rather fish than practice casting.

With the baitcaster I cast and switch hands as well and I don't have to think about it. In fact, I don't realize I'm doing it - it's just automatic.

Koz reply :

On 1/28/2019 at 3:12 AM, Log Catcher said:

I first learned to fish with a cane pole. Oh that doesn't count. I started out with a South Bend spincast rod and reel. Then had some Zebco 606 spincast reels. Still have one of them. They all had handles on the right. I learned to cast with my right hand and switch the rod to my left and reel right handed. That is how I learned and I never changed. I never even owned a spinning rod and reel until about 15 years ago. My first baitcasters were the old Ambassador 5000 reels. I still have them in storage.

I first learned to fish with a cane pole. Oh that doesn't count. I started out with a South Bend spincast rod and reel. Then had some Zebco 606 spincast reels. Still have one of them. They all had handles on the right. I learned to cast with my right hand and switch the rod to my left and reel right handed. That is how I learned and I never changed. I never even owned a spinning rod and reel until about 15 years ago. My first baitcasters were the old Ambassador 5000 reels. I still have them in storage.

I first learned to fish with a cane pole. Oh that doesn't count. I started out with a South Bend spincast rod and reel. Then had some Zebco 606 spincast reels. Still have one of them. They all had handles on the right. I learned to cast with my right hand and switch the rod to my left and reel right handed. That is how I learned and I never changed. I never even owned a spinning rod and reel until about 15 years ago. My first baitcasters were the old Ambassador 5000 reels. I still have them in storage.

I'm having a major case of deja vu right now.

Not_Here reply :

I use lefties for pitch'n/bottom contact and punch'n...moving baits and walk the doggers I use righties...I can use lefties for moving baits and its no big deal really for most stuff, just prefer righties in general...but when it comes to walking baits that is a different story...I just cant do it as well with the stick in right arm using a lefty, can do it if need be but never has felt natural and always awkward...

punch reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 2:53 PM, Calibassassin said:

I always wondered. Most of us, I assume, learned on spinning gear, casting right and reeling left. Why do people change to casting right and then changing hands to reel right on bait casters? Didn’t you just re-teach yourself at that point to work the rod with the the non dominant hand? I learned to fish on spinning gear casting right and spinning left. I just started using casting gear about a year ago and never thought about reeling right as it just didn’t make sense to me to even try. With what hand did you all START (when you learned how to fish) reeling with and if you changed, why?

For me personally it goes back to the early-mid 90's. I grew up as a kid in the 80's tossing spinning rods and I held the rod with my right hand, reeled with my left. When I was an early teenager I wanted to try baitcasting (the pro's were doing it!) and I never saw lefty reels on the shelf at my local tackle shop, so I just assumed that was the way you were supposed to use a baitcaster. I had already purchased and been using some Abu & Quantum reels before I even SAW a left handed reel in person. It was too late by then. I was ruined for life. Righty baitcast, lefty spinning.

new2BC4bass reply :

On 1/28/2019 at 4:44 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I think the answer clearly is that this cannot be assumed -- it only applies to a few of us. Like me. When I learned to fish, we weren't "bass fishing" -- we just fished the river in town for catfish, pike, walleye, the occasional rock bass, drum or whatever other oddball species might get hauled up. And baitcasters simply had no presence among any of the casual anglers I knew, or came across, or spent any time around, except for very specialized musky and pike gear. The tackle shops didn't sell any other than those -- the only other baitcasters we ever saw were on TV, being wielded by people like Bill Dance who caught a kind of fish that didn't live in my stretch of the river (at least then).

So when I learned to fish, I learned on a spinning rod -- cast right, reel left. Rod never changes hands. Left hand has to learn one thing. And when you're 8, the learning is pretty fast. It was only in the last 10 years, when I started getting specifically into bass fishing, that it ever even dawned on me that I might want to use a baitcaster. And that was when I learned for the first time that "right handed" for baitcasters was completely opposite from what my right and left hands already knew how to do.

I don't live in the same place (or state) that I grew up, but still I find only a minority of anglers I ever see out on the water here use baitcasters, and that's true whether they're targeting bass or not.

This fits me to a T. We caught the occasional bass (both Largemouth and Smallmouth), but weren't bass fishermen. Bullheads, Sunnies, Bluegills, rock bass, perch, pickerel, catfish, etc. were our main catches. Never saw a baitcast reel growing up.

Rod never changed hand. You can be pretty accurate with a spinning rod when it is all you use. Bought a 5001C over 40 years ago, but never learned how to cast it. Funny how well it casts today.

BassWhole! reply :

On 1/28/2019 at 12:21 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

Cast right and reel right with both spinning and casting rods/reels.

Teach me to juggle...

fin reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 5:42 AM, HeyCoach said:

Is there a reason people reel left handed and hold the rod with your right hand?

On 1/27/2019 at 8:37 PM, nascar2428 said:

Switching hands after a cast just doesn't seem very efficient to me.

This is the answer. You lose a second or two switching hands, and in some rare cases, it can make a difference. Mainly topwater.

I fish just like OP. I started with a baitcaster and then learned spinning reels and I've tried several times to reel left handed, but I can't do it.

redmeansdistortion reply :

On 1/28/2019 at 8:46 PM, reason said:

Teach me to juggle...

It's pretty easy...

BaitFinesse reply :

With a left hand reel you still have to take your hand off the rod to palm the reel after casting. It is no different than switching hands to palm the reel after casting. The casting hand must come off the rod grip and then onto the reel. It is exactly the same.

Not_Here reply :

not sure how your BC technique is BaitFinesse but when im casting or pitch'n using a lefty my hand is palming and same position...

choppertime reply :

Does it really matter? Left or right if your catching fish whats it matter if you use left or right hand...which hand do you pull the hook out with

Not_Here reply :

does matter to some chopper...this comes from someone that only used righties 100% forever...for example i'll use pitch'n, I retrained myself to use lefties...I seen the difference with myself using both for same technique with having my hand always on the trigger vs switching...some will argue that obviously, which i could care less and to each their own...but for some explaining why, it will matter and help some...

TBAG reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 6:13 AM, MIbassyaker said:

Yes. The reason is, I learned to fish with spinning as a right-hander, where I cast, hold the rod, work the bait, set the hook, and play the fish all with my dominant hand. The left, non-dominant hand moves the bail and turns the handle, and that's it.

When I started using baitcasters, it was impossible to get my non-dominant hand to do new jobs it hadn't already learned to do years ago. So I just use left handed baitcasting reels, with the same hands playing the same roles for spinning and casting.

Yep, my reasoning exactly for using LH retrieve BC reels.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 1/29/2019 at 3:32 AM, Frog Turds said:

not sure how your BC technique is BaitFinesse but when im casting or pitch'n using a lefty my hand is palming and same position...

You really shouldn't be palming the reel when casting. I'm not sure how that is even possible. I'm impressed. If it works for you then by all means continue.

'Normal' casting is placing the hand on the rod grip with the index finger on the trigger of the reel seat. The thumb is used to push the thumb bar/clutch and the thumb tip is used to apply pressure to the spool when casting. This hand then needs to be removed from the rod grip to turn the handle on a right hand reel or to palm the reel with a left hand reel. In any hand retrieve with a normal right hand dominant cast there is a repositioning of hands after the cast.

Whe casting with two hands on the rod. The right hand at the grip near the reel seat and the left hand at the rear grip.

You either

1) When casting with right hand reel the left hand is removed from the rear grip to plam the reel while the right hand supports the rod in transition then moves to turn the handle once the reel is palmed.

2) When casting with a left hand reel the right hand is removed from the grip to palm the reel while the left hand supports the rod in transition then moves to turn the handle once the reel is palmed.

Assuming we are palming the reel when turning the handle and not trying to palm it while casting then there is no difference between the the two hand retrieves in terms of time spent changing hand position between casting and palming. They are the same.

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 8:30 AM, Log Catcher said:

I'm like @HeyCoach with this. I cast right handed, switch the rod to my left hand and reel right handed. I do this with both casting and spinning setups. I wouldn't but a spinning reel I couldn't switch the handle around. Reeling with either hand may be okay but I have tried casting left handed and it wasn't a pretty sight.

I'm the same, cast with right hand and reel with right hand, I'm learning to cast left hand and I've gotten pretty good at it but I can't pitch for the life of me left handed.

Not_Here reply :

how its possible BaitFinesse? simple, same as it is to palm & pitch a jig using a lefty reel with rod in right arm...but thanks anyways for telling me what i should and shouldnt do with my inexperienced self...

BaitFinesse reply :

On 1/29/2019 at 5:09 AM, Frog Turds said:

how its possible BaitFinesse? simple, same as it is to palm & pitch a jig using a lefty reel with rod in right arm...but thanks anyways for telling me what i should and shouldnt do with my inexperienced self...

I'm genuinely curious. How do you you thumb the spool when palming the reel?

J Francho reply :

On 1/29/2019 at 1:10 AM, BaitFinesse said:

With a left hand reel you still have to take your hand off the rod to palm the reel after casting.

With most reels, I do not have to take my right palming hand off the reel. I just press the thumb bar with the heel of my thumb, and continue palming throughout the cast. I use both right and left hand casting reels, but prefer a lefty for pitching, since I only pitch right handed. Any overhand casting is two handed, with my left on the bottom. so I'm moving my hands around anyway. For anyone that thinks it's inefficient, it makes little difference to me. My hands are ready before the bait lands in the water.

On 1/29/2019 at 5:16 AM, BaitFinesse said:

I'm genuinely curious. How do you you thumb the spool when palming the reel?

I'll get a picture. It's pretty simple.

choppertime reply :

just so happens I reel left handed when fresh water fishing....when using a jerk bait or top water it feels better to me moving the rod with my right hand to move the bait I feel like I have more control since im right handed...what does it really matter....do what makes you feel better.....90% of the bass pros reel right handed....1 guy on sat mornings tv...hook and look fishes with left reel baitcasters and he doesn't seem to have a problem with his technique.....so if ya wanna be like the pros you better get right handed cranking reels otherwise do what makes you feel better and comfortable when fishing

FishDewd reply :

I grew up casting right and reeling right, but ever since I got my first spinning reel where I could switch to LH retrieve I quickly decided it just felt a lot better to me. Therefore, my last few casting reel purchases have been LH retrieve. I just don't work the rod as well LH as I do holding it RH. The difference was night and day to me. Reeling LH isn't a big deal at all. I can still use a RH retrieve though, I've just also picked up (and now prefer) to do that LH.

PhishLI reply :

On 1/29/2019 at 4:47 AM, BaitFinesse said:

'Normal' casting is placing the hand on the rod grip with the index finger on the trigger of the reel seat.

I'm right handed and never considered anything but a left hand reel. Wasn't even a second thought. I bought a bunch.

I didn't have a mentor, just taught myself casting righty and reeling lefty. I found it most comfortable to have my middle finger wrapped around the trigger. I use the heel of my thumb to depress the thumb bar, and the flat of my thumb to control the spool. This has my hand nearly "palmed" around the reel. I'll usually leave it in that postition while reeling in unless I'm throwing jerkbaits. Then I'll just slide up on the reel a tad and I'm there, fully palmed. It's second nature. Automatic.

A while back I picked up a righty Chronarch for a specific reason: To learn how to cast with my left arm. That's a work in progress. I'm getting there. It's still pretty ugly. In the meantime, I've been casting with my right arm and switching hands to reel in. As usual, the reel gets transferred into my left hand, fully palmed, once the lure hits the water. However, last week I was fishing next to a pal and BSing. Casting and retrieving on autopilot. I caught myself casting, switching hands while the lure was in mid flight, then thumbing the spool with my left thumb. It sorta happened on it's own. An absolutely unconscious act. This suprised me. It also showed me that righties using right handed baitcasters aren't as absurd as I thought they were beforehand. I get it now.

BassWhole! reply :

On 1/30/2019 at 10:29 AM, PhishLI said:

last week I was fishing next to a pal and BSing. Casting and retrieving on autopilot. I caught myself casting, switching hands while the lure was in mid flight, then thumbing the spool with my left thumb. It sorta happened on it's own. An absolutely unconcious act. This suprised me. It also showed my that righties using right handed baitcasters aren't as absurd as I thought they were beforehand. I get it now.

Someone give this man a key to the executive lounge, make sure to collect his wrong handed reels....

The follow through of a cast places the rod in the opposite hand in one fluid continuous motion. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why my BC rods with cork foregrips were getting pitted in the same spot just above the reel, turns out it was my left index finger nail landing in the same exact spot every time. Now I wrap a little painters tape or get a manicure.

papajoe222 reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:10 AM, tander said:

Reel left handed for spinning and right handed for casting, just seems like the natural thing to do. ????

Same here. When I tried using a left handed baitcaster, it was like trying to pat my belly while rubbing my head. Yea, that bad. I've tried to force myself to do it, but, ultimately I end up winding the rod and holding the reel handle.

Tracker101 reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:34 AM, Glaucus said:

Left hand retrieve. I'm right handed. It's my strong hand. As such, it only feels comfortable to hold a rod and fight a fish with my right hand. 100 percent don't understand why back in the day companies thought right handed meant you reel right handed. Nope. Need that hand for doing the real work.

I,m with you on this one,, I,m right handed also and I want to be holding on to the rod with my strongest arm and crankin the reel with my left hand.

Sebastian Andews reply :

Im Trying to buy a Max Pro Abu Garcia Bait-caster as my first one but I don't know what side I should get the reel on I have done right my whole life but people say to go lefty because of "advantages" For example they say that right should be your directing hand and i agree with that but to not switch I don't feel that it gives a great advantage but i have never tried it.

J Francho reply :

Go to a store and try both. Buy the one you like better.

Paul Roberts reply :

On 2/8/2019 at 11:16 PM, J Francho said:

Go to a store and try both. Buy the one you like better.

When I bought my very first casting reel, this ^^ is what I did. I'm R handed, but I tried both R and L reels, thinking I'd be going L bc of the apparently obvious advantage of no switching hands. Plus, I was already comfortable with L-side spinning reels.

Oddly, I found it was more comfortable, and natural feeling, reeling R-handed. So, I've used R casting reels ever since. I own one L, a Daiwa Fuego -the original red one- and it's been used... maybe twice. Nice reel; I still plan to get back to it someday.

I'm sure one can quite easily learn to take advantage of a L reel as a R-handed fisher. A few years ago I ended up with "bass elbow" (tennis elbow -caused by wrestling bass) and had to switch to L-handed fishing. It was tough for the first month. (It took a full year to heal). But I hung in there, figured it out, and am now pretty close to ambidextrous. Guess it may be time to take that old -spanking new- Fuego out for a spin.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/8/2019 at 11:08 PM, Sebastian Andews said:

Im Trying to buy a Max Pro Abu Garcia Bait-caster as my first one but I don't know what side I should get the reel on I have done right my whole life but people say to go lefty because of "advantages" For example they say that right should be your directing hand and i agree with that but to not switch I don't feel that it gives a great advantage but i have never tried it.

Just go with whatever feels more comfortable for you because...

IMO reeling is just 10% of bass fishing.

Reeling is 90% when your fighting tuna or other sea monsters. Which is probably why right-hand retrieve "tradition" was adopted into bass fishing. When all you're doing holding the rod steady and fighting the 200lb fish by cranking, that's why they used dominant hand for cranking. Bass fishing is NOT that. Probably just the opposite.

I prefer to use my dominant (right) hand to do the more precision&power tasks like working the bait/rod, pitching, jerking, setting hook, even fighting the fish etc. which is why I would make the decision primarily around which hand I want to hold/work the rod, and THEN leave the less important task of cranking to the non-dominant (left) hand.

J Francho reply :

On 2/8/2019 at 11:32 PM, Paul Roberts said:

I'm R handed, but I tried both R and L reels, thinking I'd be going L bc of the apparently obvious advantage of no switching hands. Plus, I was already comfortable with L-side spinning reels.

Funny, I went with a lefty. It was a mid line Daiwa for around $40. It had some fancy features, like a flipping switch and you could turn off anti reverse to back reel if you wanted. That reel lasted at least 30 years before I sold it. I bought it at B-E, coincidentally.

GReb reply :

I reel RH but probably 70% of my casting is backhanded. So my left hand stays palmed on the reel through cast and retrieve. For full length casting I do cast normal though. I just rarely am in a position where it’s needed. The back hand is more efficient and accurate for me

Catt reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 8:37 PM, nascar2428 said:

Switching hands after a cast just doesn't seem very efficient to me.

Wanna fish against me & see? ????

ResoKP reply :

A 12 year old could just as adequately turn the reel handle as any pro bass angler would.

Why waste the dominant hand for such a menial task? ????

Paul Roberts reply :

On 2/8/2019 at 11:59 PM, J Francho said:

Funny, I went with a lefty. It was a mid line Daiwa for around $40. It had some fancy features, like a flipping switch and you could turn off anti reverse to back reel if you wanted. That reel lasted at least 30 years before I sold it. I bought it at B-E, coincidentally.

That's not coincidental; We were almost neighbors, adjusting for a small amount of space and time. I bought mine, a Shimano Bantam Mag, at B-E too. It had an anti-reverse switch too. Don't see many of those anymore. I don't believe I've ever used mine. What were they for? As a back-reeler I guess I could, but, with drag, why bother? I still have that little Bantam and use it every year. Some people have commented on it, seeing it in my videos, saying, either: "Hey, you need some new reels!" -or- "Retro! Cool!" I reply to the first, "No, I don't", and to the second, "That's not retro; That's just my stuff!"

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 12:42 AM, ResoKP said:

A 12 year old could just as adequately turn the reel handle as any pro bass angler would.

Why waste the dominant hand for such a menial task? ????

It is actually difficult for many right handed people to turn a baitcast reel's handle with their left hand. It is similar for trying to write left handed. Doable but very awkward and slow compared to using their dominant hand.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 1:03 AM, BaitFinesse said:

It is actually difficult for many right handed people to turn a baitcast reel's handle with their left hand. It is similar for trying to write left handed. Doable but very awkward and slow compared to using their dominant hand.

If they can reel spinning with left hand, there wouldn't be any additional "difficulty" reeling baitcaster with left hand.

Saying it's similar to writing left handed is a major stretch. Reeling is even simpler than drawing a circle on paper. It's basically just rotating your wrist in a circular motion.

If you're reeling right-handed because you find that reeling is more important than working the rod in bass fishing, then there's something to discuss there.

But saying you're reeling right-handed because it's difficult to reel left-handed on a baitcaster while reeling just fine left-handed on a spinning reel... makes no sense whatsoever.

Tennessee Boy reply :

For slow retrieve presentations I keep the rod in my right hand so that I can impart the precise wrist actions necessary to make my bait irresistible to the fish. This is only possible with my highly trained right hand so both my spinning rod and slow retrieve bait casting rods have left hand reels. My crank bait rods have right hand reels so I can do all that cranking with my right hand. I've been doing that way for 30 years and will still be doing it that way next week when this topic comes up again.????

NorthernBasser reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 7:10 AM, tander said:

Reel left handed for spinning and right handed for casting, just seems like the natural thing to do. ????

Same here. Always been like that.

bwjay reply :

It seems obvious to me to use your dominant hand for control of the rod, which is used to cast, feel bites, set the hook, and fight the fish. Your dominant hand/arm is more sensitive, and stronger. I really could not wrap my head around the idea of using my dominant hand to cast, then losing sensitivity and strength by switching the rod to my weak hand, just to do such a simple task as turning a lever with a handle that requires no finesse or strength. You do need some forearm endurance but that can be built up quickly. It seems so inefficient that the only reason I can think of for doing it is if you grew up doing it and can't retrain yourself.

Funny enough, I think I saw on a Tactical Bassin video, Matt said he is a right handed guy who used left hand reels, and did that his whole life, but switched to right hand reels for some reason. Don't remember his rationale for it. I'll keep using my dominant hand for the rod as it is more sensitive, tactile, and strong.

nascar2428 reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 12:35 AM, Catt said:

Wanna fish against me & see? ????

You must be out of your mind! LOL. I'm a horrible jig fisherman even when I don't switch hands!!

Catt reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 2:11 AM, bwjay said:

. I really could not wrap my head around the idea of using my dominant hand to cast, then losing sensitivity and strength by switching the rod to my weak hand,

In my younger days I was a Golden Gloves boxer & while my dominant hand is my right hand my knock out punch was my left.

I never bought into having a weaker arm, I could lead with my right or left.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 2:30 AM, Catt said:

In my younger days I was a Golden Gloves boxer & while my dominant hand is my right hand my knock out punch was my left.

I never bought into having a weaker arm, I could lead with my right or left.

Hey not everyone is a Golden Gloves boxer like you and can't knock someone out with their left punch let alone a fish ????

Catt reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 2:48 AM, ResoKP said:

Hey not everyone is a Golden Gloves boxer like you and can't knock someone out with their left punch let alone a fish ????

Just because you have a dominant hand does mean your other hand is weak or uncoordinated.

I simply don't see a need to change how I fish.

bwjay reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:18 AM, Catt said:

Just because you have a dominant hand does mean your other hand is weak or uncoordinated.

I simply don't see a need to change how I fish.

Most people aren't ambidextrous, but people who are, are clearly at an advantage, not only for fishing, but any sort of sport or activity that may require the use of either hand based on proximity or reaction (like catching something). There's not much reason to be able to write with both hands, unless of course you're trying to fake out a handwriting recognition test.

FCPhil reply :

Assuming your right handed...you should start with a left hand retrieve baitcaster if your just starting. With a left hand retrieve, you will not have to switch hands before and after casting and your right arm will give you more power to fight fish, being the one holding the rod.

Mobasser reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 2:30 AM, Catt said:

In my younger days I was a Golden Gloves boxer & while my dominant hand is my right hand my knock out punch was my left.

I never bought into having a weaker arm, I could lead with my right or left.

Catt, I boxed in the Kansas City Golden Gloves. 72- 75.

Catt reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:21 AM, bwjay said:

Most people aren't ambidextrous, but people who are, are clearly at an advantage, not only for fishing, but any sort of sport or activity that may require the use of either hand based on proximity or reaction (like catching something). There's not much reason to be able to write with both hands, unless of course you're trying to fake out a handwriting recognition test.

I am not ambidextrous but doing certain jobs require the use of both hands.

I'm also a carpenter, auto mechanic, and A&P aircraft mechanic. All 3 require you to be able to use both hands.

@FCPhil I don't know about y'all but I set hook & fight the fish with both hands on the rod.

bwjay reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:30 AM, Catt said:

I am not ambidextrous but doing certain jobs require the use of both hands.

I'm also a carpenter, auto mechanic, and A&P aircraft mechanic. All 3 require you to be able to use both hands.

@FCPhil I don't know about y'all but I set hook & fight the fish with both hands on the rod.

I can do some things with my left hand (non-dominant hand) but some things that might be useful, like setting a hook and fighting a fish, or throwing an item, or using a knife or hatchet, I cannot. I am also right eye dominant so shooting firearms is very much a right-hand right-eye activity. I suspect using a hatchet and throwing items, which require accuracy, would be very risky/inaccurate for a long time. I have no real need to use a knife or hatchet with my left hand in any sort of precise way, but throwing items with my left hand would come in handy.

Mobasser reply :

I've always reeled with my right hand,cast with my right, and switched to hold the rod with my left. It would be hard to change now

ResoKP reply :

I've yet to hear a single logical reasoning for using non-dominant hand to control the rod and dominant hand to reel.

Catt reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:39 AM, ResoKP said:

I've yet to hear a single logical reasoning for using non-dominant hand to control the rod and dominant hand to reel.

Do you not read any of the above post?

In boxing if you're "one" handed I'll own you!

As a craftsman if you're "one" handed you'll have a hard time keeping a job cause ya slow!

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:53 AM, Catt said:

Do you not read any of the above post?

In boxing if you're "one" handed I'll own you!

As a craftsman if you're "one" handed you'll have a hard time keeping a job cause ya slow!

Most right handed people would have their right punch as their stronger/knockout punch. So that's just your own personal scenario.

Nobody actually said their left hands are useless, just that that their right hands (if that's their dominant hand) do better job and choose to use it for more important tasks, reeling not being one. lol.

GReb reply :

This is the most useless reoccurring fishing discussion there is. Catch toads and smile

rod snapper reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 4:16 AM, GReb said:

This is the most useless reoccurring fishing discussion there is. Catch toads and smile

thankyou sir.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 1:40 AM, ResoKP said:

If they can reel spinning with left hand, there wouldn't be any additional "difficulty" reeling baitcaster with left hand.

Saying it's similar to writing left handed is a major stretch. Reeling is even simpler than drawing a circle on paper. It's basically just rotating your wrist in a circular motion.

If you're reeling right-handed because you find that reeling is more important than working the rod in bass fishing, then there's something to discuss there.

But saying you're reeling right-handed because it's difficult to reel left-handed on a baitcaster while reeling just fine left-handed on a spinning reel... makes no sense whatsoever.

Turning the handle on a spinning reel is completely different than with a baitcast reel. A spinning reel is suspended below the rod. This allows you to stick your elbow out and use your whole arm to turn the handle allowing you to rotate your shoulder and/or elbow to turn the handle instead if relying on pinching the handle knob between the thumb and index finger and rotating the wrist. With a baitcast reel the the hand turning the handle is in front of your chest with the elbow against your side and the rotation of the handle is made exclusively by rotating at the wrist. It is this motion that is akin to writing and difficult for right hand dominate people to do.

If you have some degree of ambidexterity that allows you to use a left hand reel while right hand dominate then then that is great but don't pretend like the rest of us can. Many of use have tried or currently own left hand reels and juat can't turn the handle smoothly, fast enough or both.

Paul Roberts reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 2:11 AM, bwjay said:

It seems obvious to me to use your dominant hand for control of the rod, which is used to cast, feel bites, set the hook, and fight the fish. Your dominant hand/arm is more sensitive, and stronger. I really could not wrap my head around the idea of using my dominant hand to cast, then losing sensitivity and strength by switching the rod to my weak hand, just to do such a simple task as turning a lever with a handle that requires no finesse or strength. You do need some forearm endurance but that can be built up quickly. It seems so inefficient that the only reason I can think of for doing it is if you grew up doing it and can't retrain yourself.

Funny enough, I think I saw on a Tactical Bassin video, Matt said he is a right handed guy who used left hand reels, and did that his whole life, but switched to right hand reels for some reason. Don't remember his rationale for it. I'll keep using my dominant hand for the rod as it is more sensitive, tactile, and strong.

That is the rationale alright. But, oddly, it just wasn't as comfortable reeling with the R, even though I use spinning with the L. I've found that my dominant hand (R) is not more sensitive, or if it is, it isn't by much. I've done both long enough now, I guess. It's possible to learn to do well with both.

bwjay reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 4:27 AM, BaitFinesse said:

Turning the handle on a spinning reel is completely different than with a baitcast reel. A spinning reel is suspended below the rod. This allows you to stick your elbow out and use your whole arm to turn the handle allowing you to rotate your shoulder and/or elbow to turn the handle instead if relying on pinching the handle knob between the thumb and index finger and rotating the wrist. With a baitcast reel the the hand turning the handle is in front of your chest with the elbow against your side and the rotation of the handle is made exclusively by rotating at the wrist. It is this motion that is akin to writing and difficult for right hand dominate people to do.

If you have some degree of ambidexterity that allows you to use a left hand reel while right hand dominate then then that is great but don't pretend like the rest of us can. Many of use have tried or currently own left hand reels and juat can't turn the handle smoothly, fast enough or both.

I will admit that it is not a very natural motion for me to articulate my left wrist in a circular motion, like how you reel a baitcaster, and it's gonna take me a while to get used to it, but no doubt much less time than it would to train my left arm to handle a rod with the accuracy and sensitivity I'd want. I feel like I'd be setting the hook in the wrong direction. Well, I've got a baitcasting reel on the way, gonna look at rods maybe this weekend, and if I find that using my left hand to hold the rod isn't completely out of the question, maybe I'll get a right-handed reel too and try it.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 4:27 AM, BaitFinesse said:

Turning the handle on a spinning reel is completely different than with a baitcast reel. A spinning reel is suspended below the rod. This allows you to stick your elbow out and use your whole arm to turn the handle allowing you to rotate your shoulder and/or elbow to turn the handle instead if relying on pinching the handle knob between the thumb and index finger and rotating the wrist. With a baitcast reel the the hand turning the handle is in front of your chest with the elbow against your side and the rotation of the handle is made exclusively by rotating at the wrist. It is this motion that is akin to writing and difficult for right hand dominate people to do.

lol. Let's be real. There's no difference. At all. Doesn't matter if the reel is at the butt of the rod, or on the side of my head. It's still the same turning motion.

On 2/9/2019 at 4:27 AM, BaitFinesse said:

If you have some degree of ambidexterity that allows you to use a left hand reel while right hand dominate then then that is great but don't pretend like the rest of us can. Many of use have tried or currently own left hand reels and juat can't turn the handle smoothly, fast enough or both.

Me too man. I can turn things better with my right hand. But I'd rather use my right hand to control the rod which is a much more involving task in bass fishing. If I had two right hands, I wouldn't use my left at all ????

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 3:26 AM, FCPhil said:

Assuming your right handed...you should start with a left hand retrieve baitcaster if your just starting. With a left hand retrieve, you will not have to switch hands before and after casting and your right arm will give you more power to fight fish, being the one holding the rod.

I agree that when starting out new to baitcasting that it is advisable to try out both hand retrieves to see which fits you better than to rely on conventional wisdom for handle side choice.

To say that there is an advantage in not having to switch hands is a bit of an over statement. This adversion to changing up hand position between casting the rod and palming the reel encourages bad habits like holding the rod when turning the handle instead of palming the reel or trying to palm the reel when casting causing the anglers to grip the split portion of a split grip rod instead of the rear grip or open side plates when casting by hitting the release latch.

It is perfectly normal to grasp the rod handle when casting then pick it up off the grip and onto the reel to palm. This is normal and how most cast baitcast reels are used. Wether or not the reel changes hands when this change up of grip between casting and palming is made is inconsequential. It is abnormal to palm the reel when casting or to hold onto the rod grip when turning the handle.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 4:38 AM, bwjay said:

I will admit that it is not a very natural motion for me to articulate my left wrist in a circular motion, like how you reel a baitcaster, and it's gonna take me a while to get used to it, but no doubt much less time than it would to train my left arm to handle a rod with the accuracy and sensitivity I'd want. I feel like I'd be setting the hook in the wrong direction. Well, I've got a baitcasting reel on the way, gonna look at rods maybe this weekend, and if I find that using my left hand to hold the rod isn't completely out of the question, maybe I'll get a right-handed reel too and try it.

Definitely try both to get a feel for it. The sentiment that you need your "strong arm" to set the hook is overstated. When palming a baitcast reel you are cupping the rod in and under handed cupping motion. It is not a particularly good way to hold onto something to begin with and doesn't allow for a lot of dexterity when compared to how you hold a spinning reel. You are giving up an overhanded grip on the rod for a small winch on top of the rod. It is just something that is part of using a baitcast reel. All the arm holding onto the rod when palming has to do is lift up to set the hook. It's not difficult and even the dumb arm can do it. It is the act of casting that requires the most strength and dexterity and that is done with the right arm by right hand dominant anglers regardless of handle side.

If you want a lot of fine control of the bait to hop and twitch then holding the rod in and over handed grip with your dominate hand and the reel suspended below is ideal. It is this reason alone why spinning reels are great for small finesse jigs for bottom contact and right hand dominant users use left hand retrieve spinning reels. I'm saying this as an egg beater reel hater and use baitcast for everything including UL 1/32 jigs and 1 inch plastics.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 4:43 AM, ResoKP said:

lol. Let's be real. There's no difference. At all. Doesn't matter if the reel is at the butt of the rod, or on the side of my head. It's still the same turning motion.

No it is not. It can be completely different. I can't make small circles with my left hand by rotating at the wrist for any extended period of time. I can only do it very slowly and for a short time. So slowly in fact that the rate of line recovery makes it unusable to do so. Guess what? I have have no problems turning the handle on a spinning reel left handed because I do not rotate my wrist making small circles. I do the chicken wing and stick my elbow out and rotate my forearm to make the small circles like a monkey screwing a football. I can do this with a spinning reel thanks to the reel being suspended below the rod. My father uses spinning reels exclusively and grasps the knob overhanded and rotates his whole arm at his shoulder to turn the handle.

Catt reply :

We talking fighting a bass here guys...I think I can handle it left-handed!

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 5:20 AM, BaitFinesse said:

No it is not. It is completely different. I can't make small circles with my left hand by rotating at the wrist for any extended period of time. I can only do it very slowly and for a short time. So slowly in fact that the rate of line recovery makes it unusable to do so. Guess what? I have have no problems turning the handle on a spinning reel left handed because I do not rotate my wrist making small circles. I do the chicken wing and stick my elbow out and rotate my forearm to make the small circles like a monkey screwing a football. I can do this with a spinning reel thanks to the reel being suspended below the rod. My faster uses spinning reels exclusively and grasps the knob overhanded and rotates his whole arm at his shoulder to turn the handle.

So you're telling me, you take the same spinning reel that you can reel just fine with, put it on an ice fishing rod and hold it like this:

and now all of a sudden you can't turn the handle anymore because the handle is not sitting below? Makes no sense. Whatever the reason it is that you're not able to turn the baitcaster is in your head.

You make a lot of contradicting points and none of it has any logical cohesion:

On 2/9/2019 at 4:46 AM, BaitFinesse said:

To say that there is an advantage in not having to switch hands is a bit of an over statement.

There is a quantifiable advantage to not switching. You miss less bites when you get bit the instant the bait hits water. Matt from TackticalBassin talked about it in his video. That's why he stopped switching hands when pitching.

On 2/9/2019 at 4:46 AM, BaitFinesse said:

This adversion to changing up hand position between casting the rod and palming the reel encourages bad habits...

That's a big assumption. And just because it encourages, doesn't mean it applies. Not that it encourages in the first place.

On 2/9/2019 at 4:46 AM, BaitFinesse said:

It is abnormal to palm the reel when casting or to hold onto the rod grip when turning the handle.

That's just your own thinking.. You can actually pitch & punch palming the reel because you can just engage the thumb bar with left hand or your right hand thumb if you can reach it. On the other hand, if your throwing crankbaits, you don't need to palm the reel (and instead "hold onto the rod grip when turning the handle").

On 2/9/2019 at 5:03 AM, BaitFinesse said:

When palming a baitcast reel you are cupping the rod in and under handed cupping motion. It is not a particularly good way to hold onto something to begin with and doesn't allow for a lot of dexterity when compared to how you hold a spinning reel.

Wrong. Baitcaster is a more natural hold. Stand with your arms down. Thumb faces forward. Bend elbow and raise ur hand. Thumb faces up. And that's how you'd hold baitcaster. Spinning, you're holding with thumb pointing down. Your wrist is twisted like how you use a computer mouse. It's not ergonomic. Thats why they sell ergonomic computer mouse that positions your hand more like in a trigger grip style. Google for images if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

On 2/9/2019 at 5:03 AM, BaitFinesse said:

If you want a lot of fine control of the bait to hop and twitch then holding the rod in and over handed grip with your dominate hand and the reel suspended below is ideal. It is this reason alone why spinning reels are great for small finesse jigs for bottom contact and right hand dominant users use left hand retrieve spinning reels. I'm saying this as an egg beater reel hater and use baitcast for everything including UL 1/32 jigs and 1 inch plastics.

You're contradicting yourself here. You talk about controlling the rod/bait with dominant hand for spinning gear. Yet you use your "bait finesse" baitcaster for the same application but doing it with the opposite hand. What. lol. Also, there's a lot of fine control of hopping and twitching with normal jigs too not just "small finesse jigs" as well as many other variety of baits.

MIbassyaker reply :

I....also don't understand what's so different between turning a spinning handle vs. turning a baitcasting handle. But I'm not interested in that sort of hair-splitting.

I am interested in this, though:

On 2/9/2019 at 6:00 AM, ResoKP said:

Wrong. Baitcaster is a more natural hold. Stand with your arms down. Thumb faces forward. Bend elbow and raise ur hand. Thumb faces up. And that's how you'd hold baitcaster. Spinning, you're holding with thumb pointing down. Your wrist is twisted like how you use a computer mouse. It's not ergonomic. Thats why they sell ergonomic computer mouse that positions your hand more like in a trigger grip style. Google for images if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

I have been fishing spinning reels for more than 3 decades, and I don't believe I have ever in my life held the rod with my thumb pointing down. My thumb is on top, fingers wrapped underneath with 2 or 3 in front of the reel stem. Or, the thumb is on the side, sort of pinching the foregrip with the knuckle of my index finger on the other side (a reason I prefer spinning rods with a foregrip...I do actually grip it).

Nobody has ever before remarked to me that there is anything odd or unusual or wrong about this.

Here:

I mean, the wrist angles down more than a baitcaster, but the thumb is certainly more forward than "down", and it's still on top. Nothing like a computer mouse at all.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 6:00 AM, ResoKP said:

So you're telling me, you take the same spinning reel that you can reel just fine with, put it on an ice fishing rod and hold it like this:

and now all of a sudden you can't turn the handle anymore because the handle is not sitting below? Makes no sense. Whatever the reason it is that you're not able to turn the baitcaster is in your head.

You make a lot of contradicting points and none of it has any logical cohesion:

There is a quantifiable advantage to not switching. You miss less bites when you get bit the instant the bait hits water. Matt from TackticalBassin talked about it in his video. That's why he stopped switching hands when pitching.

That's a big assumption. And just because it encourages, doesn't mean it applies. Not that it encourages in the first place.

That's just your own thinking.. You can actually pitch & punch palming the reel because you can just engage the thumb bar with left hand or your right hand thumb if you can reach it. On the other hand, if your throwing crankbaits, you don't need to palm the reel (and instead "hold onto the rod grip when turning the handle").

Wrong. Baitcaster is a more natural hold. Stand with your arms down. Thumb faces forward. Bend elbow and raise ur hand. Thumb faces up. And that's how you'd hold baitcaster. Spinning, you're holding with thumb pointing down. Your wrist is twisted like how you use a computer mouse. It's not ergonomic. Thats why they sell ergonomic computer mouse that positions your hand more like in a trigger grip style. Google for images if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

You're contradicting yourself here. You talk about controlling the rod/bait with dominant hand for spinning gear. Yet you use your "bait finesse" baitcaster for the same application but doing it with the opposite hand. What. lol. Also, there's a lot of fine control of hopping and twitching with normal jigs too not just "small finesse jigs" as well as many other variety of baits.

It makes perfect sense. A spinning reel is suspended below the the rod. This places the reel handle much lower than it would be in a baitcasting reel and at an ideal location to turn the handle by rotating your forearm should you choose to do so. With a baitcast reel the reel sits on top of the rod and would require you to lift your arm much higher if you were to attempt to turn the handle this way. Baitcast reels also have dual knobs and are shaped in a way that are designed to be grasped by your thumb and index finger and small rapid circles made by the wrist. A spinning reel has a single knob and the knob is often shaped in a T or ball knob that allows the angler go to turn the handle if ways that don't require rotating at the wrist. Spinning reels have geometry that allows you to turn the handle in ways don't rely on the rotation on the wrist the way a baitcast reel does.

You are litteraly arguing that everybody turns the handle on a spinning reel the same way as they do a baitcast reel even after being provided examples. You have no argument on this point.

Palming the reel when casting: you have an argument here. Palming while casting does prevent you from having to move your hand from the casting to palming position but it also creates its own set problems. It is a case of the cure being worse than the sickness. Casting while palming the reel encourages the index finger to ride along side plate of the reel and potentially open the side plate or scroll the mag dial on Daiwa reels. Casting by choking up on the reel trying to palm it also places your hands further up onto the rod and onto the exposed blank portion of the split grip rod. Palming the reel when casting also locks your right wrist in place and does not allow it to rotate on the cast. Not to mention trying to thumb the spool when the thumb is in front of it. All of this for what? The ability to set the hook as soon as the bait hits the water? You can already do this if you switch hands or position before the bait hits the water.

Holding a rod in a over handed grip is more natural. Go pick up a stick in yard and swing it around. Go swing a baseball bat. You grab it over handed. Heck, when you cast a baitcast rod you grab it by the rod grip over handed and cast. It isn't until the rod/reel is palmed does the grip change to an underhanded cupping grip provided you are not trying to palm the reel when casting.

I use my BFS reels for presentations where the means of moving the bait is done with the reels handle. For these applications I prefer the tiny winch mounted to a stick operated by my dominant hand aka a baitcast reel. For jigging and shaking presentation I prefer spinning. The only spinning rig I use is for shaky heads and drop shot and it is for the ability to grasp the rod with my dominant hand in an over handed grip.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 6:32 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I....also don't understand what's so different between turning a spinning handle vs. turning a baitcasting handle. But I'm not interested in that sort of hair-splitting.

I am interested in this, though:

I have been fishing spinning reels for about 3 decades, and I don't believe I have ever in my life held the rod with my thumb pointing down. My thumb is on top, fingers wrapped underneath on either side of the stem. Or it is on the side, sort of pinching the foregrip with the knuckle of my index finger on the other side (a reason I prefer spinning rods with a foregrip...I do actually grip it).

Nobody has ever before remarked to me that there is anything odd or unusual or wrong about this.

Haha you're right. There's differences in hand position depending on grip. I mainly use spinning for drop-shotting so that's what came to mind. I think the second grip you mentioned is what I meant though. I do hold it in the first grip you mentioned as well.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 6:55 AM, BaitFinesse said:

It makes perfect sense. A spinning reel is suspended below the the rod. This places the reel handle much lower than it would be in a baitcasting reel and at an ideal location to turn the handle by rotating your forearm should you choose to do so. With a baitcast reel the reel sits on top of the rod and would require you to lift your arm much higher if you were to attempt to turn the handle this way. Baitcast reels also have dual knobs and are shaped in a way that are designed to be grasped by your thumb and index finger and small rapid circles made by the wrist. A spinning reel has a single knob and the knob is often shaped in a T or ball knob that allows the angler go to turn the handle if ways that don't require rotating at the wrist. Spinning reels have geometry that allows you to turn the handle in ways don't rely on the rotation on the wrist the way a baitcast reel does.

lol. It's all in your head man. You're turning a handle in a circle whether it's below the rod, above, beside, or on the ground. So can you turn an ice fishing spinning reel or not?

On 2/9/2019 at 6:55 AM, BaitFinesse said:

Palming the reel when casting: you have an argument here. Palming while casting does prevent you from having to move your hand from the casting to palming position but it also creates its own set problems. It is a case of the cure being worse than the sickness. Casting while palming the reel encourages the index finger to ride along side plate of the reel and potentially open the side plate or scroll the mag dial on Daiwa reels. Casting by choking up on the reel trying to palm it also places your hands further up onto the rod and onto the exposed blank portion of the split grip rod. Palming the reel when casting also locks your right wrist in place and does not allow it to rotate on the cast. Not to mention trying to thumb the spool when the thumb is in front of it. All of this for what? The ability to set the hook as soon as the bait hits the water? You can already do this if you switch hands or position before the bait hits the water.

Do you know what pitching is? I was talking about palming while pitching. Read my post again. All those negatives you mentioned, almost never happens. How many times does getting strikes when bait hits the water happen? A lot. You can mention all the extreme cases all you want, it doesn't help make your case in the real world.

By the way, thumb the spool while the bait is in the air when punching/pitching. It's not only easier but it also stops the lure mid air and makes it drop vertically straight down so it punches through grass better and also makes less splash. You can do it while palming. It takes some skills. Kind of like reeling a baitcaster reel. lol. /s

On 2/9/2019 at 6:55 AM, BaitFinesse said:

Holding a rod in a over handed grip is more natural. Go pick up a stick in yard and swing it around. Go swing a baseball bat. You grab it over handed. Heck, when you cast a baitcast rod you grab it by the rod grip over handed and cast. It isn't until the rod/reel is palmed does the grip change to an underhanded cupping grip provided you are not trying to palm the reel when casting.

I think the original context of that was around "strong arm to set the hook". Baitcaster = bicep curls. Spinning = hammer curls with wrist tilted down. So big hooksets with baitcaster is more natural and effective.

On 2/9/2019 at 6:55 AM, BaitFinesse said:

I use my BFS reels for presentations where the means of moving the bait is done with the reels handle. For these applications I prefer the tiny winch mounted to a stick operated by my dominant hand aka a baitcast reel. For jigging and shaking presentation I prefer spinning. The only spinning rig I use is for shaky heads and drop shot and it is for the ability to grasp the rod with my dominant hand in an over handed grip.

Probably should be moving the bait with the rod. But then again BFS is a category that doesn't belong anywhere in bass fishing ????‍♂️. Wrong tool for the job. Like hammering a nail with a shovel. Not that I have anything against BFS, but that's a discussion for another thread.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 8:52 AM, ResoKP said:

lol. It's all in your head man. You're turning a handle in a circle whether it's below the rod, above, beside, or on the ground. So can you turn an ice fishing spinning reel or not?

Do you know what pitching is? I was talking about palming while pitching. Read my post again. All those negatives you mentioned, almost never happens. How many times does getting strikes when bait hits the water happen? A lot. You can mention all the extreme cases all you want, it doesn't help make your case in the real world.

By the way, thumb the spool while the bait is in the air when punching/pitching. It's not only easier but it also stops the lure mid air and makes it drop vertically straight down so it punches through grass better and also makes less splash. You can do it while palming. It takes some skills. Kind of like reeling a baitcaster reel. lol. /s

I think the original context of that was around "strong arm to set the hook". Baitcaster = bicep curls. Spinning = hammer curls with wrist tilted down. So big hooksets with baitcaster is more natural and effective.

Probably should be moving the bait with the rod. But then again BFS is a category that doesn't belong anywhere in bass fishing ????‍♂️. Wrong tool for the job. Like hammering a nail with a shovel. Not that I have anything against BFS, but that's a discussion for another thread.

No, it is not the same thing. There are plenty of right handed people who are not able to turn the handle on a left handed baitcast reel but are able to fo so on a spinning reel no problem. This is actually the case with most right handed anglers myself included. It has been explained to you multiple times, this is due to the geometry of the spining reel being different from that of a baitcast reel and the single handle knob and knob shape. You can grab a spinning reel handle and turn it in ways that don't rely on rotating at the wrist like a baitcast reel. Your statement that if you can reel left handed on a spinning reel then you can on a baitcast reel is simply WRONG. You are not everyone. You don't know. Don't pretend to.

No, I'm not going to try and palm the reel while casting. It is stupid and not how normal people cast. If you lefties do it then that is fine. Continue being weird. I and many others have no problem hooking into fish as soon as the bait hits the water without having to do something so asinine as trying to cast the reel while palming it.

Unless you have some disfiguring disease then your arms are of roughly equal strength. You shouldn't be struggling to set the hook becuase you are palming the reel with your left hand rather than the right. The difference in hand dominance has to do with dexterity and fine motor control. Holding the rod and hookseting are simple tasks that are easily handled by the non dominant hand. Casting the rod and turning the handle are tasks that benefit from the use of you dominant hand and it is why it is common to see anglers use their right hand to both cast and retrieve. The desire to turn the handle with the right hand usually trumps the desire to hold the rod in their right hand. It is typically much easier to adapt to the relatively simple task of holding the rod with their non dominant hand than to try and turn the reels handle with their non dominant hand. They might as well be tryiing to teach themselves to write left handed. It IS that difficult.

As far as ice fishing if it means that crazy nonsense you have pictured above then count me out. I thought casting while palming a baitcast reel was weird as this thread gets but that is on a whole different level of weird.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 10:03 AM, BaitFinesse said:

No, it is not the same thing. There are plenty of right handed people who are not able to turn the handle on a left handed baitcast reel but are able to fo so on a spinning reel no problem. This is actually the case with most right handed anglers myself included. It has been explained to you multiple times, this is due to the geometry of the spining reel being different from that of a baitcast reel and the single handle knob and knob shape. You can grab a spinning reel handle and turn it in ways that don't rely on rotating at the wrist like a baitcast reel. Your statement that if you can reel left handed on a spinning reel then you can on a baitcast reel is simply WRONG. You are not everyone. You don't know. Don't pretend to.

No, I'm not going to try and palm the reel while casting. It is stupid and not how normal people cast. If you lefties do it then that is fine. Continue being weird. I and many others have no problem hooking into fish as soon as the bait hits the water without having to do something so asinine as trying to cast the reel while palming it.

Unless you have some disfiguring disease then your arms are of roughly equal strength. You shouldn't be struggling to set the hook becuase you are palming the reel with your left hand rather than the right. The difference in hand dominance has to do with dexterity and fine motor control. Holding the rod and hookseting are simple tasks that are easily handled by the non dominant hand. Casting the rod and turning the handle are tasks that benefit from the use of you dominant hand and it is why it is common to see anglers use their right hand to both cast and retrieve. The desire to turn the handle with the right hand usually trumps the desire to hold the rod in their right hand. It is typically much easier to adapt to the relatively simple task of holding the rod with their non dominant hand than to try and turn the reels handle with their non dominant hand. They might as well be tryiing to teach themselves to write left handed. It IS that difficult.

Nah, you're just either delusional or in denial. There's an on-going poll on another forum with 945 votes, 57% being on left handed reel as of now. So your "most right handed anglers cannot reel right handed" statement is flat out wrong. Maybe it's just you or a small groupthink of similar people like you that find it SO difficult to reel with their off-hand.

Also, don't be getting defensive. I never told you or anyone how to cast or how to do anything in regards to fishing lol. You're the one spewing what is "normal" and what isn't. You learned it that way, and it works for you, keep doing that. That doesn't mean new anglers need to learn the inefficient way.

Also, observing these left/right hand threads, it appears that more people are starting to think that dominant hand should be controlling the rod/lure. Maybe it's the changing dynamics of modern bass fishing where baits are getting more complex and need the "fine motor control". Again, reeling is just the most menial task to bass fishing. We're not fishing 200lb tunas.

Anyways, all I've done is present factual and logical reasonings while all you've managed to do is equate turning a reel handle to writing letters on paper. Just... lol.

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 10:28 AM, ResoKP said:

Nah, you're just either delusional or in denial. There's an on-going poll on another forum with 945 votes, 57% being on left handed reel as of now. So your "most right handed anglers cannot reel right handed" statement is flat out wrong. Maybe it's just you or a small groupthink of similar people like you that find it SO difficult to reel with their off-hand.

Also, don't be getting defensive. I never told you or anyone how to cast or how to do anything in regards to fishing lol. You're the one spewing what is "normal" and what isn't. You learned it that way, and it works for you, keep doing that. That doesn't mean new anglers need to learn the inefficient way.

Also, observing these left/right hand threads, it appears that more people are starting to think that dominant hand should be controlling the rod/lure. Maybe it's the changing dynamics of modern bass fishing where baits are getting more complex and need the "fine motor control". Again, reeling is just the most menial task to bass fishing. We're not fishing 200lb tunas.

Anyways, all I've done is present factual and logical reasonings while all you've managed to do is equate turning a reel handle to writing letters on paper. Just... lol.

I operate with facts. More people in the US use right handed baitcast reels than left handed reels. This is a fact. To calim othewise is wrong. Left handed reels are slow selling for a reason and their adoption by US anglers has been slow. It can even be difficut to find left hand reels in some gear ratios because there is such little demand. I don't care what some internet poll is on some other forum lol. Look at the facts if you care about the percentage of this vs that hand retrieve.

In any case it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if left hand reels sell less than right hand reels. It doesn't matter what the pros use. Use whatever you are comfortable with and when a bunch of us tell you we can't use left hand baitcast reels because we are right handed and have problems turning the handle then believe it. Don't argue and say that it is the same as a spinning reel and that if you can reel left handed with a spinning reel then you can with a baitcast reel. It is not the same.

And no, I can't claim ownership of the dominant hand and writing anology. That brilliant illustration goes to the the member @Reason. He is right on btw. As a guy who has tried to write left handed and reel left handed with a baitcast reel let me tell you they are very similar.

Casting while palming is weird. I'll stand by that forever. That's weird as hell.

ResoKP reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 10:59 AM, BaitFinesse said:

I operate with facts. More people in the US use right handed baitcast reels than left handed reels. This is a fact. To calim othewise is wrong. Left handed reels are slow selling for a reason and their adoption by US anglers has been slow. It can even be difficut to find left hand reels in some gear ratios because there is such little demand. I don't care what some internet poll is on some other forum lol. Look at the facts if you care about the percentage of this vs that hand retrieve.

In any case it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if left hand reels sell less than right hand reels. It doesn't matter what the pros use. Use whatever you are comfortable with and when a bunch of us tell you we can't use left hand baitcast reels because we are right handed and have problems turning the handle then believe it. Don't argue and say that it is the same as a spinning reel and that if you can reel left handed with a spinning reel then you can with a baitcast reel. It is not the same.

And no, I can't claim ownership of the dominant hand and writing anology. That brilliant illustration goes to the the member @Reason. He is right on btw. As a guy who has tried to write left handed and reel left handed with a baitcast reel let me tell you they are very similar.

Casting while palming is weird. I'll stand by that forever. That's weird as hell.

I'm sure there's much more right hand retrieve baitcasters floating around because that's what companies sold you on back in the day. Maybe we can get a tackle shop owner to chime in on sales data. What's more important is probably the change in historical sales volume of left vs right. What I know is my local tackle shop carries more left-hand retrieve models and don't even stock some of the right-hand models.

Go ask 10 right hand dominant people who reel left handed if they can write letters on paper with their left hand. Probably 9/10 will have terrible left handed writing. That is logical reasoning and where your analogy crumbles to nothing.

I've still yet to hear one concrete benefit of utilizing your dominant hand for reeling as opposed to controlling the rod. It's either just excuses of it being difficult thus making compromises or "it's just how I've been taught so I'm sticking with it".

BaitFinesse reply :

On 2/9/2019 at 1:11 PM, ResoKP said:

I'm sure there's much more right hand retrieve baitcasters floating around because that's what companies sold you on back in the day. Maybe we can get a tackle shop owner to chime in on sales data. What's more important is probably the change in historical sales volume of left vs right. What I know is my local tackle shop carries more left-hand retrieve models and don't even stock some of the right-hand models.

Go ask 10 right hand dominant people who reel left handed if they can write letters on paper with their left hand. Probably 9/10 will have terrible left handed writing. That is logical reasoning and where your analogy crumbles to nothing.

I've still yet to hear one concrete benefit of utilizing your dominant hand for reeling as opposed to controlling the rod. It's either just excuses of it being difficult thus making compromises or "it's just how I've been taught so I'm sticking with it".

I don't think you understand how awful some of us are at turning a baitcast handle with our left hand. I struggle to make a single revolution a second. That is unacceptable. Turning The handle that slow means that the reel is basically unusable. Any attempt to turn the handle faster means I no longer can make small circles and the motion breaks down into an oval shape that produces jerky stops and starts of the handle. I find it awful and unnatural as a right hand dominate person.

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