Right Hand Fisherman: What Success In Reeling With Left? 2024
Silas reply :
I'm right handed and have cast with my right and reeled with my left all my life (over 50 years!) Down here in the bayous of Louisiana we cast to the brush and stumps along the little winding, slow moving bayous and by casting with my right hand, i'm pretty accurate and can lay the bait right next to the stump.
I CAN cast with my left and sometimes do with a flip cast for speed, but the accuracy is just not there.
I'm just starting to learn to PITCH and am trying to learn to pitch with my left and reel with my right. Well, this old dog's left hand doesn't quite do the "flip" of the wrist that gets the job done!
So I thought.....why not just buy a LEFT HANDED REEL and then I could cast with my right and reel with my left. After all, I do that with spinning gear. It should be easy.
Last night, I ordered an old Shimano Curado 100B left handed just to try this out ($50).......will put it on a brand new Powell Diesel 7'2" MedHeavy Extra fast rod I just got. This will be a great "experiment." If you have any suggestions, I'd certainly be glad to hear them!
My question:
How many of you right handed guys have ever switched over like this for pitching, and how successful were you?
I just want to know what I'm up against and the odds of succeeding!
LgMouthGambler reply :
Tried it, and couldnt get the accuracy I wanted. So I just flip and switch.
ec1 reply :
On a baitcaster, I only know how to pitch with my left and retrieve with my right.
I recently bought a LH baitcaster and it's been more of a bother than anything trying to pitch with my right.
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
I know im probably just weird but I've always casted and reeled both with my right hand. It just doesn't feel right reeling or casting with my left. Then again, I was raised polish hillbilly so it could just be that.
moguy1973 reply :
I'm right handed but cast better with my right hand and reel with my left. So I have all left handed reels.
Diggy reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 3:55 AM, moguy1973 said:I'm right handed but cast better with my right hand and reel with my left. So I have all left handed reels.
this
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
I'm right handed and have always reeled a spinning reel with my left hand, and a baitcast reel with my right hand. Well, after more than 40 years I switched the beginning of this season. I bought a left hand baitcaster and I will never go back to a righty again. I was very comfortable after the first outing, and after the second outing it felt great. Now it feels like I've been doing it this way all my life. Infact, I took a righty out the other day to see how it felt and I hated it. Keep at it and don't give up, you will be glad you switched. Good luck!
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 3:55 AM, moguy1973 said:I'm right handed but cast better with my right hand and reel with my left. So I have all left handed reels.
Ditto. I still don't understand why someone would deliberately choose to control the rod with their weaker hand and arm. I used to use a "right-handed" reel (handle on the right) because...well, that's "how it was done" but I'm so much happier since I switched over.
Alpster reply :
If you do a forum search on lefty reels, you can read about this topic for a long time. It usually turns into an argument about which is best and gets locked by a moderator. You just have to do which ever works best for you. There is no concensus on this. I cast and retrieve with my right hand and always will. In 45+ years I have never missed a fish by changing hands during the cast. Your milage may vary. 
Ronnie
Tim Cianciola reply :
im right handed and use a left handed rod because i like to cast with my right and reel with my left, it just more comfortable too me.
K_Mac reply :
As Alpster said, this topic comes up often. I am right handed and reel left. All of my reels are left handed, and I am no more likely to change than Ronnie. 
There is no right or wrong here! Use what works best for you. That old Shimano should serve you well...good luck.
TNBassin' reply :
I reel with my left and cast with my right for both bc and spinning gear.
DaveT63 reply :
I'm right handed. I grew up using spinning gear, casting with my right hand and reeling with my left. When I switched to baitcasters, my first was right handed, and it just felt SO wrong. I bought a lefty reel and never looked back.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 3:07 AM, Silas said:I'm right handed and have cast with my right and reeled with my left all my life (over 50 years!) ...................
I'm just starting to learn to PITCH and am trying to learn to pitch with my left and reel with my right..............
My question:
How many of you right handed guys have ever switched over like this for pitching, and how successful were you?
I just want to know what I'm up against and the odds of succeeding!
Why do you want to switch? You said "I'm right handed and have cast with my right and reeled with my left all my life (over 50 years!)" So why change for pitching??? Keep the rod in you right hand and keep your left free for the bait and reeling. Why aggravate your self?
On 10/10/2012 at 9:54 AM, DaveT63 said:I'm right handed. I grew up using spinning gear, casting with my right hand and reeling with my left. When I switched to baitcasters, my first was right handed, and it just felt SO wrong. I bought a lefty reel and never looked back.
X2
Silas reply :
I didn't mean to bring up an old topic that would end up in a slew of hot comments, so I apologize in advance if I've touched any sensitive nerves.
It wasn't that I wanted so much to do much CASTING as I wanted to just do the PITCHING. That way there wouldn't be much reeling actually involved.....just a few turns of the handle and I would be prepared to pitch again.
Thanks for all the replies, and especially for those that have converted successfully in the pitching mode. It gives me hope that it is not a really difficult task.
For regular casting, I'll probably just stick to my old tried and true switch hands method.....has served me well for decades.
The guy that is selling me the old Curado 100B says he has used it for exactly the purpose of pitching with his right hand, reeling with his left, and his suggestion was to just take the ONE rod/reel set up for the day and concentrate with it and I should have a good chance at it. Sounds like pretty good advice to me. Reel comes in Thursday and I'll try it out Friday.
Thanks for all the comments. I appreciate your patience.
Loop_Dad reply :
Hey Silas,
I had the exact thought as yours. Right handed guy pitching with right and reeling with left. I already cast with right / reel with left on spining set up anyway. 2-3 of weeks ago I bought a LH reel. Well it didn't work out for me and gave up, returned it and replaced with RH reel. ( I had a thread.)
I wasn't thinking about any problem when I bought the reel. I thought it was just matter of getting used to and practicing.
First time out, I found out quickly that my right arm got so tired and even had some pain in the wrist area. What I didn't realize before was that by casting right and reeling right, I'm constantly switching the arm all day long, which was good for my arms and wrists. I think the thumb position had something to do with it too. With thumb on the spool with bait caster, the tendon for the thumb is kinda stressed. With spinning, that area is nicely stretched out when I am reeling.
Hope you get better luck than me.
For me, I actually practiced pitching with left arm now and I am surprised that how I can still learn new stuff at my age. 
I'm liking left arm pitch.
SirSnookalot reply :
The answer is........whatever you are more comfortable doing.
I am vehemently opposed to using b/c gear for anything, except deep water ocean fishing and I'm not crazy for that either.
For me having my dominate and stronger arm (righty) on the rod is of great importance. I cast more accurately and ready for a big strike, luckily my fish hit hard enough I don't have to put much energy into setting the hook, but if I did my stronger arm would work better for me. When I'm offshore using a conventional reel I now use a left hand crank, makes pulling up and reeling down so much easier for me, even offshore spinning is my first priority.
Lee Kuusisto reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 6:43 AM, K_Mac said:As Alpster said, this topic comes up often. I am right handed and reel left. All of my reels are left handed, and I am no more likely to change than Ronnie.
There is no right or wrong here! Use what works best for you. That old Shimano should serve you well...good luck.
21farms reply :
i've tried many times over the years to make that switch. even though i reel lefty on spinning gear i can't seem to do it on baitcasters. i buy a new lefty reel, take it out and fish it until my first missed hookset, and sell the reel shortly afterward. repeat again the following year. and the year after that. i finally decided this year was my last time...i give up. no more trying. my right arm is far stronger than my left, but for some reason, i absolutely can't get a good swing on the hookset using my right arm. i know people that did make the switch and love it but it didn't work for me. YMMV. good luck.
NBR reply :
When you watch the big name pros they almost all bait cast right and reel right. Maybe it is for the same reason that I do it right/right is that I just started that way and now it's habit. With spinning gera I cast right and retrieve left.
Diggy reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 10:38 AM, Silas said:I didn't mean to bring up an old topic that would end up in a slew of hot comments, so I apologize in advance if I've touched any sensitive nerves.
if this topic touched someones nerve id believe they have some deep rooted issues..I doubt it did
Im sure you can find someone with a lh reel you know that would allow you to try it out and see if its for you before you buy one
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 11:13 PM, NBR said:When you watch the big name pros they almost all bait cast right and reel right. Maybe it is for the same reason that I do it right/right is that I just started that way and now it's habit. With spinning gera I cast right and retrieve left.
Which leads me to my next thought.....
We have always had the option to reel left or right with spinning reels, so why did right handers choose to cast right and reel left? Why did we not cast with our right hand and switch hands and reel with our right?
In the early days there were no left hand baitcast reels, just right hand retrieve, so there was no other choice. Even today you can't always find a left hand reel in the gear ratio you want or need. It's something we all got used to, and never gave it a second thought. I'm glad I made the switch though, and wish I had done years ago..
ChiCityBasser reply :
On 10/10/2012 at 3:55 AM, moguy1973 said:I'm right handed but cast better with my right hand and reel with my left. So I have all left handed reels.
Done it this way with all my spinning reels and tried a right handed casting reel and didn't feel comfortable with it. I ended up selling that reel here on the board. I then began to purchase left handed casting reels as more of them are coming onto the market and glad I have gone that route.
Silas reply :
Well, the beauty of this situation for me was that if I don't adapt well, it's October and my brother's (who is left handed and has only one casting rod/reel setup) birthday,and it will make a great birthday present!! And for $50, I think I can't go wrong with the quality of the reel.....just a couple of cosmetic scratches on it.
shady oaks reply :
After getting a RH reel sent to me not once, but twice by a company when I ordered a LH I took it as fate and learned how to use it. So glad that I did, now if someone invites me out for a day on the water when out of town or with my gear, no worries. I will say though my hook set is more of a body hook set than an arm hook set when using RH reels versus LH. But in the end, you have to do what is most comfortable for you, not others. Learning to versatile with a great weapon, and good way to find stellar deals sometimes!
flyfisher reply :
I use left retrieve reels for everything. I think the majority of people use the old cast right hand and reel right hand because originally there weren't options to reel with your left hand. My buddy is in the reel left handed on spinning gear and right with a baitcaster too and he always says i am reeling on the wrong side 
To me who really cares as long as you are comfortable but i do wish there were as many options for LH retrieve reels as there are for RH.
dam0007 reply :
Spinning: hold rod with right hand reel with left hand.
Gonna be in the same boat as you next week lol Getting my first baitcast set up and just stickin with left hand retrieve. I couldn't ever imagine casting with my left.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I'm left handed with a spinning reel and right handed with a baitcaster and can not interchange the two. I have tried to use left handed baitcasters and I end up moving the rod in a circle instead of the reel handle, basically reeling the rod. I tried for a month and gave up. It works for me and I can smoothly change hands while my bait is in the air and be ready by the time my bait is reaching the water so not really an issue anyways.
papajoe222 reply :
I fished spinning reels for over 30 years, reeling with my left hand and casting and holding the rod in my right. I am extremely right hand dominate and can't even buff the wood with my left hand let alone cast. When I started fishing baitcasters, however, I couldn't get comfortable reeling with my left. I'd end up moving my hand trying to get that familiar balance you have with the reel under the rod instead of on top. Luckily the shop where I bought the reel exchanged it out for a right handed model and I do all my casting and reeling with my right hand for baitcasters. I can't get my head wrapped around doing the same with a spinning combo, likely because of all those years of lefty cranking.
georgeyew reply :
I know that this might be a stupid question, but how can the cranking motion be so different between a spinning reel and a baitcasting reel that you suddently forget how to crank with your left when switching to a baitcaster?
BassAssassin726 reply :
I started fishing with spinning reels cranking with my left hand and when i went to baitcasters i just bought left handed reels so i could just keep cranking with the left. For me personally i want the rod in my strong hand for feel and strength in setting the hook. There is a reason to why guys switch and i read it here in a post by someone. On a spinning outfit the rod is what brings in the fish and the reel is just meant to pick up the slack, hence the pull, reel up slack, pull reel up slack when bringing in a fish. On a baitcasting outfit the reel is where the power is and is used as a winch basically. So thats why guys reel with their right hand because the power is in the reel. Me personally i like to crank with my left hand no matter what. Its just a matter of preference.
Silas reply :
Well, to continue the experiment, I got the Curado 100B this morn, placed it on a Powell Diesel 7'2" med-heavy extra fast rod, spooled reel with 12# P-line and went to dock to try. (Oh, and the guy sent some of those funky camo reel grip covers with it...put those on and they actually helped me "find" the handle grip faster!)
First couple of pitches, my left hand kind of bumped the sideplate, but that went away shortly. Then, I found that if I had an "over run" I would have to awkwardly switch hands to put tension on the line as I reeled it in.....definitely a problem. I expect ot have fewer overuns soon.
But, the reeling in became smoother in about 15 minutes.....maybe I could do this! At first, it was "jerky" as if I were pushing the handle in and out, but that went away too. Then, while practicing....with a 3/8oz swimjig with Rage Chunk trailer, I actually had a HIT and caught a bass right off the DOCK!! Alright! Setting the hook seemed ok. Maybe later, I'll experiment with BRAID and Flouro leader, but for now wanted a HI-Vis flourescent mono to check it out.
So now, I have to see what EXTENDED pitching will do as far as fatigue.
So, to conclude, from the 45 minutes of pitching with right hand and reeling with left, I have to say there is great potential for this to remain on my deck as my pitching set up.
tennsopher reply :
I fish spinning rod reeling with my left ,rod in right hand.Baitcasting just the opposite, reel with right,cast with right.When I pitch or flip though,I use a TDZ 105HL which is a left handed reel.The reason for this is reaction time to a strike.It's not that hard to get used to and you will find your pitches to be more accurate.
SirSnookalot reply :
QuoteOn a spinning outfit the rod is what brings in the fish and the reel is just meant to pick up the slack, hence the pull, reel up slack, pull reel up slack when bringing in a fish. On a baitcasting outfit the reel is where the power is and is used as a winch basically.
I don't buy that. True the mechanics of the 2 reels differ, but bringing a fish to the boat or shore is done by gathering up line on the reel. You can say winch if you like for a b/c or wrapping the line around the spool on a spinning reel but the result is identical, line gets put on the spool by turning the crank. The rod can move fish around, like away from cover or pylons but it doesn't bring the fish in, the reel does. Pull up and reeling in the slack is "landing fishing 101", primarily done with larger fish, this action is done with both conventional gear as well as spinning gear. As far as which type has more power, what's actually meant by more power, a higher max drag? I for one don't batten the drag down all the way, the max number is not all that important if you are playing a fish and not dragging it in.
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
On 10/13/2012 at 3:23 AM, SirSnookalot said:I don't buy that. True the mechanics of the 2 reels differ, but bringing a fish to the boat or shore is done by gathering up line on the reel. You can say winch if you like for a b/c or wrapping the line around the spool on a spinning reel but the result is identical, line gets put on the spool by turning the crank. The rod can move fish around, like away from cover or pylons but it doesn't bring the fish in, the reel does. Pull up and reeling in the slack is "landing fishing 101", primarily done with larger fish, this action is done with both conventional gear as well as spinning gear. As far as which type has more power, what's actually meant by more power, a higher max drag? I for one don't batten the drag down all the way, the max number is not all that important if you are playing a fish and not dragging it in.
In my book, this 100% spot on!
With either spinning or BC gear landing a fish should be a pump and reel in the slack action, not winching.
Silas reply :
Well, the "experiment" is over!! There are just too many negatives with this pitching with my right hand and reeling with my left.
So, after today's issues, I put the rod/ree/ set up aside and caught bass on my Calcutta 200GTB with a keel weighted Space Monkey. A cold front comes tonight and the fish bit today!
After I got home a few minutes ago, I REMOVED the Shimano Curado 100B (which is a really good caster!!) and replaced it with an old Team Daiwa X 105 reel, right handed.
I told my brother he could use the 100B, but to my surprise, even though he is left handed he reels with his RIGHT!
So, I'll probably put the reel up for sale or trade.....I wish it were the Curado 100B....the right handed model. Maybe someone will want to trade for one.
So, now I will begin another experiment.....pitching with my LEFT hand, and reeling with my right. And if that fails, then back to pitching AND reeling with my right.
Found the Powel Diesel rod a great pitching rod in the process.
78Staff reply :
Right Handed, Left eye dominant. I throw Right, Reel Left. Always have, just seems natural to me. Pitching, especially, which is what I do 80% of the time anyway. I tried to convert, since there are so many more RH options in reels, but just couldn't get used to it. Working the bait with my right hand is much more natural motion to me.
Bankbeater reply :
I cast with my right and reel with my right. Always have and probably always will.
PABASS reply :
Since what 90% of the populous is right handed, I am left handed but do many things right outside of fishing.. I cast with my left and reel with my left, pitch with my left, fight fish with my right and never had an issue.
I do have a question, why is it all spinning reels on the show floors are set to be left handed? It’s easier for me I just don’t get it?
iabass8 reply :
Im right handed. All my baitcasting and spinning set ups reel reel with my left hand. Just feels natural casting with the right not switching hands.
3dees reply :
carpel tunnel in my right wrist forced me to go to left hand reels about 15 years ago. did'nt take long to get used to it and I would never go back to right hand. why switch hands? my hook sets are so much better with my dominate hand.
bass1980 reply :
Since I'm just getting into baitcasting I was thinking now is the time to see if I would like to use lefty reels so it'll be the same as spinning reels I used. However after looking at all the retail reels and reels in the classified I think I'm going to stick with right hand reel. Just more options to choose from and when a good deal comes up in the classified it will most likely be a right hand reel. At this point, I am buying more used items than new since I'm somewhat new to bass fishing.
tugsandpulls reply :
cast with my right reel with my left im ambidextourus
retiredbosn reply :
Like many here I started with a spin cast, quickly graduated to spinning and didn't start baitcasting til my mid 30's. I have always casted right and reeled left, but with b/c equipment I cast right and reel right. Don't understand why. The only thing I can speculate is that with spinning gear the reeling hand is a bit lower than the rod hand. On b/c almost the same plane, I've tried to make the switch just feels odd. Even today I cast right reel left with spinning and cast and reel right with baitcasting.
Knightiac reply :
I'm lefty but actually cast left and reel right - so I use righty reels. Just lucky I guess. No switch.
Being that I fish banks a lot and there are a lot of trees around here, I've gotta use a sidearm cast a good amount. For whatever reason I am much better at an underhand cast than a backhand cast with my left, so I'm gonna start learning how to cast with my right, so I don't have to turn my entire body. Just switch hands depending on where I'm casting - that's the goal anyways.
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