Why Do People Use Right Handed Reels? 2024
drodriguez reply :
So I grew up fishing salmon and steelhead in Western WA. My Dad taught me that you want your dominant hand on the rod and your off hand on the reel. Needless to say, this has transitioned over to bass fishing, ESPECIALLY when it comes to flipping and pitching, making long casts, etc. I'm just wondering as I've noticed among bass fishermen it doesn't seem to matter as much. Why do most of us fish "backwards?"
drodriguez reply :
Train of thought came from realizing most Americans are right handed. This is what brought on the curiosity.
Jrob78 reply :
It's just the way we learned when we were kids. It's hard to untrain that much muscle memory.
jhoffman reply :
There used to not be a left handed baitcaster. The guys that dont use lefties are switching hands mid cast most times.
Raul reply :
The only time you fish "backwards" is when you put your spinning reel facing upwards and reeling in back, yeah, I've seen it. Really, the is no right way or wrong way, my left hand is really good at doing some things and reeling in is not one of them, complete lack of dexterity for more complex mechanical movement, it's good for holding things; my right hand is better for complex mechanical movements like reeling in and casting. I cast with my right and switch the rod to the left to hold the rod. Who can say I'm doing it wrong ?
EvanT123 reply :
I feel like these threads always discriminate against lefties. Ever use scissors with your left hand!!!????
Chris9999 reply :
I personally dont think that there is a specific "your dominate hand should do this", What ever is more comfortable and what has the muscle memory of doing that particular action is what should be doing that action. I cant for the life of me reel in left handed and if I did, it would probably take a year or so to get fully used to just the reeling action.
everythingthatswims reply :
It's funny because on a spinning rod, it seems natural to reel with my left, but on a baitcaster, I have to use my right. I bet I could have more solid hook sets if I fished lefty with a baitcaster though.
Pz3 reply :
To be honest. I learned right hand baitcasters. I would prefer a left handed one.... how ever the way I use it as of now is kind of goofy. I feel that goofy sway holding the rod actually helps a bit in giving the lures I toss a little unique action.
Maybe it doesnt but who knows. It works for me! 
papajoe222 reply :
On 5/19/2014 at 10:37 AM, everythingthatswims said:It's funny because on a spinning rod, it seems natural to reel with my left, but on a baitcaster, I have to use my right. I bet I could have more solid hook sets if I fished lefty with a baitcaster though.
I'm the same way. I've tried L/H baitcasters and look like an uncoordinated newbie. Same goes for a R/H spinning which really brings out the clumsy in me. Kind of like rubbing your belly and patting your head.....both ways
RipSomeLips reply :
Baitcaster is right handed, spinning is left handed. I am glad to know that I am not alone, I do it because that is all I had growing up and was never taught different I suppose. I tried going left handed with a baitcaster a few years ago and it didn't seem worth it to me. But who knows...maybe I will try again this year.
OK Bass Hunter reply :
Tradition and for awhile that's all most stores carried.
BigKev77 reply :
Hey, you do it your way and I will do it the right way. You see what I did there 
Bluebasser86 reply :
I tried to use left handed casting reels for a minute. My left hand might as well be controlled by someone else because I sure can't get it to do what I need it to. I also couldn't set the hook effectively at all with my right hand and a baitcasting rod, just didn't feel right at all. So basically I do it because it works for me.
BBD reply :
Funny thread. I'm right handed and started fishing with a left hand retrieve spinning reel. When I made the jump to baitcasters, I naturally went with left hand retrieve. I never understood how people who use a lefty spin reel don't use a lefty baitcaster in this day and age.
A friend came to fish with me the other day and forgot his rigs. I usually carry 8 rigs on my boat and welcomed him to use mine...he had a rude awakening when he realized all my rigs were lefties.
tatertester reply :
Reminds me of a classmate that broke his right wrist....Could not write, so he switched to his left hand and was writing in no time, looked the same as the other hand.....Learned memory.
roadwarrior reply :
George Welcome
Posted August 22 2007 - 11:37 AM
What will move the fish during retrieval is placed to the strong hand!
A baitcast is designed to be used as a winch, so it is the reel that retrieves the fish. Hence if you are right handed the handle is in your right hand.
A spinning reel is designed to pick up unloaded or loose line, not retrieve the fish. Hence it is the rod that does the retrieval, so it is the rod that is in your strong hand. If you are right handed then the pole goes to the right hand
Tywithay reply :
I use right hand with casting and spinning. I am naturally left handed, but after breaking my left wrist and a couple surgeries, I got pretty proficient with my right. I can still cast with both, but reeling is much easier with my right.
Zach Dunham reply :
On 5/19/2014 at 7:09 PM, roadwarrior said:
George Welcome
Posted August 22 2007 - 11:37 AM
Let's get technical, as there are in fact reasons, not just some lame holdover from days past that put the handles where they are.What will move the fish during retrieval is placed to the strong hand!
A baitcast is designed to be used as a winch, so it is the reel that retrieves the fish. Hence if you are right handed the handle is in your right hand.
A spinning reel is designed to pick up unloaded or loose line, not retrieve the fish. Hence it is the rod that does the retrieval, so it is the rod that is in your strong hand. If you are right handed then the pole goes to the right hand
I was also told another reason for this and it has to do with how you hold the rod. A righty using a spinning rod will usually cast with the right hand and then reel with the left, and your hand just stays in the same position on the rod the whole time. With a baitcaster, a righty will still usually cast with the right, but the grip you would use during retrieval is different than the grip you would use while casting, so it is easier to just transfer it to your left hand right into the correct grip and then reel with the right hand, rather than transfer it to the left and back to the right again to get the grip corrected.
Brian Needham reply :
I am lucky yet standard.
I am left handed but reel right handed.
this lets me hold the rod in my left hand and reel with my right......no switching hitting mid cast.
Denny Brauer always urged people to fish/flip/pitch like this, as fish will hit it on the fall.....while you are switching hands.
Master Bait'r reply :
If I were to cast with my left... Let's just say I might as well just throw my whole tackle box right into a tree and save myself a few dozen birds nests too.
It really does suck that every reel for sale is a righty though. Really steams my clams, man. Go look in the Flea Market- every single reel is righty. I have been looking for a Curado 51e for WEEKS- and I've seen literally a hundred 50e reels. Only two were 51s and as a result the price was WAAAAAAAAAAY higher. I've given up and even spent more than I should have just to get on with it.
JGBassinAL reply :
On 5/19/2014 at 8:28 AM, drodriguez said:Train of thought came from realizing most Americans are right handed. This is what brought on the curiosity.
I'm confused...are most non-Americans left handed?
tholmes reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 1:51 AM, Brian Needham said:I am lucky yet standard.
I am left handed but reel right handed.
this lets me hold the rod in my left hand and reel with my right......no switching hitting mid cast.
Denny Brauer always urged people to fish/flip/pitch like this, as fish will hit it on the fall.....while you are switching hands.
Same here. Being a natural lefty, I've always cast with my left, reeled with my right with both spinning and baitcasters. After doing it this way for 50+ years, there's no chance I'm changing now.
Tom
new2BC4bass reply :
Learning to reel with either hand shouldn't be much of a problem. Learning to cast with either hand takes more practice, but I think most people can learn to cast with either hand with a little effort. Some obviously would require more practice than others depending on dexterity.
I seem to have a different opinion than Roadwarrior on a couple threads today. Sorry young man! 
The reel may be a winch and thus require your dominent hand, but I got to tell you that after pulling a 1/2 oz. spinnerbait for awhile (sometimes through the top of grass/weeds) that it wasn't my left hand which was doing the cranking that got worn to a frazzle, but my dominant right arm that was holding the rod. My wrist was totally worn out. I suppose mostly from lack of practice. I don't get to fish much locally, but when I visit in Florida, I'll be out all day throwing lures.
jonnyblazex reply :
I can use left or right retrieve reels just the same. I prefer spinning in left retrieve, but baitcast dosent matter. I have some in left and some in right. Its nice to mix it up, and challenge yourself, you use both sides of your brain, and after a short amount of time it becomes natural, even to do the opposite. That's why it feels so awkward for some, because they NEVER use the other hand, a major disadvantage!
aavery2 reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 10:16 AM, jonnyblazex said:I can use left or right retrieve reels just the same. I prefer spinning in left retrieve, but baitcast dosent matter. I have some in left and some in right. Its nice to mix it up, and challenge yourself, you use both sides of your brain, and after a short amount of time it becomes natural, even to do the opposite. That's why it feels so awkward for some, because they NEVER use the other hand, a major disadvantage!
So what do you see as the major disadvantage?
basseditor reply :
Right hand retrieve for me because that was the only way my first Amabassduer 5000 came when I bought it new in 1963. I saved all my chores income to get it. I was 10 yrs old.
Jeff H reply :
This subject always cracks me up. You guys don't really waste time worrying about such a trivial matter, do you? Who gives a hoot!
There's this other popular sport we have in this country called baseball. Some are right, some left, some can switch. It doesn't matter as long as you can play the game. When I played, I could switch hit and throw almost as good with my left as my right. Glove stayed on my left hand but sometimes I'd switch hit just to throw a guy off. In the end it didn't matter as long as I got my intended results.
As close to ambidextrous as I am/was, I don't like reeling my baitcasters with my left nor do I like reeling my spinning rigs with my right. That's how I do it, it works for me and I do as well as the next guy. How or why somebody else handles their rods/reels the way they do never factors into my day.
Tywithay reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 2:08 AM, Master Bait said:If I were to cast with my left... Let's just say I might as well just throw my whole tackle box right into a tree and save myself a few dozen birds nests too.
It really does suck that every reel for sale is a righty though. Really steams my clams, man. Go look in the Flea Market- every single reel is righty. I have been looking for a Curado 51e for WEEKS- and I've seen literally a hundred 50e reels. Only two were 51s and as a result the price was WAAAAAAAAAAY higher. I've given up and even spent more than I should have just to get on with it.
I've found the opposite. Every time I find something I want, it's a lefty. Oh well...
bigbill reply :
From being a car mechanic in my younger days and working under dash boards I had no choice to become amberdexterious. I use a left hand spinning reel but a right and left hand on my bait casters.
Grantman83 reply :
If you watch the pros who switch hands, they always wait a second and hold the line before switching hands so as to make sure they don't miss a bite on the fall. I prefer to reel right handed and as such when I pitch out I just hold the line/rod for a few seconds before switching. No biggie to me. I keep my thumb on the spool if I have to set the hook. It may be more complicated, but I really don't like retrieving left handed with baitcasters
flyfisher reply :
I use a left hand retrieve on everything i throw from bait casters, spinning and fly reels.
My thought was it never made sense to switch hands after casting so that is what i stuck with, pretty basic concept really but ultimately whatever works for you is what you should use.
.ghoti. reply :
Uh, because I like it that way?
aavery2 reply :
I can use either hand to a degree for fishing and a few other things but ultimately my right hand is more dominant. When I started buying baitcasting equipment for myself in the early 80's there was almost no selection at most retailers for left hand reels, it is better today, but there are still some major mfg's that are slow to produce or do not produce left hand reels in certain models. My Brother and Son are both left handed, and I have watched both of them cast at length. the casting grip and retrieving grip are both different, and to switch from one to the other requires the off hand to be brought to the reel to support it while the hand is adjusted. It happens so naturally I don't think a lot of people even realize that they do it, much like right handed people who switch hands after the cast, it is a natural motion and happens with not thinking required. Ultimately fishing is about fun for most of us, you should do whatever creates the least amount of stress and offers the greatest amount of enjoyment, there are few rules in fishing, and even those can be broken.
Choporoz reply :
On 5/19/2014 at 8:00 PM, Z-Dunham said:I was also told another reason for this and it has to do with how you hold the rod. A righty using a spinning rod will usually cast with the right hand and then reel with the left, and your hand just stays in the same position on the rod the whole time. With a baitcaster, a righty will still usually cast with the right, but the grip you would use during retrieval is different than the grip you would use while casting, so it is easier to just transfer it to your left hand right into the correct grip and then reel with the right hand, rather than transfer it to the left and back to the right again to get the grip corrected.
I'd never heard this, but there could be something to it. I'm a lefty and always used right-cranking spinning gear. When I started baitcasting, I (naturally?) got a right cranking reel. It took some time start palming the reel religiously on retrieve. If I'd have been forced to switch hands after the cast, I'd have held it 'right' every time.
sparky241 reply :
It doesnt make sense to me to change hands really, i have 2right hand baitcasters and 2 left. I prefer the lefty
Rich in Co reply :
I'm one of those wierd guy who is left handed I cast a BC with my left and reel with my right but switch hands with the spinning gear, its just how I have done it my whole life. I have tried going right with the spinning gear but it felt so awkward
Bruce424 reply :
I am left handed so baitcasters are usually set up for lefties... why?? And there are right handed baitcasters soooo why dont pros use them. I see majority of them switch hands during cast or pitch?????? Why its probly such a simple answer but it still baffles me. Fishing with my dad I used to always switch handle sides. Maybe they are used to it but I dont know.
Maico1 reply :
My question is " What does it Matter" . If you are out on the water fishing and enjoying yourself does it matter what hand you use . At the end of the day what ever hand you use it what is right for you so is there really an issue here because there is no wrong answer.....
Jrob78 reply :
On 5/20/2014 at 11:44 PM, aavery2 said:I can use either hand to a degree for fishing and a few other things but ultimately my right hand is more dominant. When I started buying baitcasting equipment for myself in the early 80's there was almost no selection at most retailers for left hand reels, it is better today, but there are still some major mfg's that are slow to produce or do not produce left hand reels in certain models. My Brother and Son are both left handed, and I have watched both of them cast at length. the casting grip and retrieving grip are both different, and to switch from one to the other requires the off hand to be brought to the reel to support it while the hand is adjusted. It happens so naturally I don't think a lot of people even realize that they do it, much like right handed people who switch hands after the cast, it is a natural motion and happens with not thinking required. Ultimately fishing is about fun for most of us, you should do whatever creates the least amount of stress and offers the greatest amount of enjoyment, there are few rules in fishing, and even those can be broken.
I agree with you. I gave left handed reels a try and came to the same conclusion. If you palm a baitcaster you still have to move from a casting grip to a reeling grip, even if you don't switch hands. It's just as easy to switch hands as it is to adjust your grip and not switch hands.
FrankW reply :
What works is correct. For pitching with a bait caster I hold the reel with a palm hold that allows me to cast and set the hook if I get a on their noggin hit. I cast both right and left handed according to what setup I pick up. If I am casting for distance there is plenty of time to change hands and get ready if I pick up a right handed reel. There are way too many Elite members who change hands while casting to say that one way or the other is wrong. Each person needs to find their own way.
Frank
lmbfisherman reply :
I'm left handed BUT!!
For baitcasters the handle is on the right.
For Spinning the handle is on the left.
Of course this isn't the only sport I do the opposite for my dominant hand.
Baseball - I can bat left and right - Make better contact right though.
Golf - I play on the right side
Badminton/Tennis..etc - Right Side
dam0007 reply :
A lot of companies don't make certain gear ratios for lefties on certain models.
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