Reeling Demographics... are you a righty or lefty

[bronzefly]

Did I say "both"...

Why can't this be a choice

[cubfan]

I like reeling with my right so I can hold the rod in my left hand and take the fish out of the water with my right hand.

[Wraath]

Muskie fish with right, use my baitcaster with my left.

[belippy]

For casting I reel with my right hand, I feel weird when I reel with my left hand. Cos I'm right handed.
For spinning I reel with my left hand. I don't feel weird with my left hand on a spinning reel due to the inertia force on a spinning reel. It feels much smoother on a spinning reel than a casting reel.

[Bulbo]

Right handed but converted decades ago to left hand wind and now will only buy a baitcaster that offers a LH option.

I wish Tiagras came with a LH option

[rabidsquirrel]

I'm right handed. I fish with left handed reels and I love it. I use my dominant hand to cast / control / muscle the fishing rod. I have always done this. In fact, I've converted other right handed persons to using left handed reels. I have always been amazed that more right handed folks don't fish left handed reels for the reasons mentioned above. I'm pretty sure that this is more a function of the fact that they had access to right handed reels at first, and just got used to them.

When I teach right handed beginners how to fish, I start by putting a left handed reel in their hands for the first 20 casts or so. They usually find it easier if they've had little to no prior experience with right handed rigs...

[bladerunner]

I am right handed but got to reel with the left hand side which is much more comfortable since you have to use your stronger arm to control the rod.

A lot of people on here feel this way... I am one of them. But you don't reall need to explain that you are fight handed but reel lefty... heres why... You use your dominant hand to control the vital movement of the rod. You use your uncoordinated hand to turn a handle in a circle. Enough said. I love the idiots that cast righty then switch hands to reel righty... just get with the program already.

My 10 year son even realizes this fact. He is left handed, and any time I hand him one of my rods he says "No thanks, thats backwards for me." He realized at 8 that he can control a rod better with his dominant hand (his left) and leaves reeling duty to his right hand.

[tt350z]

I am right handed but got to reel with the left hand side which is much more comfortable since you have to use your stronger arm to control the rod.

A lot of people on here feel this way... I am one of them. But you don't reall need to explain that you are fight handed but reel lefty... heres why... You use your dominant hand to control the vital movement of the rod. You use your uncoordinated hand to turn a handle in a circle. Enough said. I love the idiots that cast righty then switch hands to reel righty... just get with the program already.

My 10 year son even realizes this fact. He is left handed, and any time I hand him one of my rods he says "No thanks, thats backwards for me." He realized at 8 that he can control a rod better with his dominant hand (his left) and leaves reeling duty to his right hand.

Same here. Left hand retrieve for me.

[frogman1963]

Righty

[Tennanah]

I am a righty, but reel both spinning and casting reels with my left hand. I had alays used spinning reels, and when it came time to try a baitcaster, I chose to go lefty, because it seemed to be faster than switching hands and because I could get left-hand retrieve reels cheaper on EBAY.

Since then, I have bought a number of baitcasting reels and have passed up on many, many models and brands because they only had right hand retrieves, especially in the slower ratios. There are very few choices for a left hand retrieve for small reels like the Curado 50/51 series and for cranking reels like the Revo Winch and some Lew's models.

[lil_man72]

I am right handed but got to reel with the left hand side which is much more comfortable since you have to use your stronger arm to control the rod.

A lot of people on here feel this way... I am one of them. But you don't reall need to explain that you are fight handed but reel lefty... heres why... You use your dominant hand to control the vital movement of the rod. You use your uncoordinated hand to turn a handle in a circle. Enough said. I love the idiots that cast righty then switch hands to reel righty... just get with the program already.

My 10 year son even realizes this fact. He is left handed, and any time I hand him one of my rods he says "No thanks, thats backwards for me." He realized at 8 that he can control a rod better with his dominant hand (his left) and leaves reeling duty to his right hand.

when you say idiots, does that include kvd? the program has more right handed reels on the market than left.
i cast and reel with my right hand. i also switch my spinning reels around to fish this way.
i feel that the reeling part is just as important as the casting part. i want my dominant hand controlling the speed of the retrieve and feel safer reeling with my right while fighting a fish. for example, a few years ago i was jerk bait fishing and snagged a 47 pound grass carp. when he took off i reached for the drag and loosened it a couple clicks to make sure he didn't break me off. i think i would have landed him either way, but having my dominant hand to do this makes me feel more secure than if i was reeling with my left.

[dragon1]

I am right handed but got to reel with the left hand side which is much more comfortable since you have to use your stronger arm to control the rod.

A lot of people on here feel this way... I am one of them. But you don't reall need to explain that you are fight handed but reel lefty... heres why... You use your dominant hand to control the vital movement of the rod. You use your uncoordinated hand to turn a handle in a circle. Enough said. I love the idiots that cast righty then switch hands to reel righty... just get with the program already.

My 10 year son even realizes this fact. He is left handed, and any time I hand him one of my rods he says "No thanks, thats backwards for me." He realized at 8 that he can control a rod better with his dominant hand (his left) and leaves reeling duty to his right hand.

This is not necessarily the "truth"...why do some fight weak hand lead, like in most traditional Western boxing doctrines, while Eastern thoughts and paradigms dictate strong hand forward?

Hmmm....

I fight right/power hand forward due to my art coming from sword and shield combative techniques...just like why some bat right or left, but throw opposite. I shoot a gun right handed, as well as a bow, but use a sling or slingshot "left handed" as well as strike with my right hand with a blade...

For those who can control a rod as well with their "secondary hand/arm" while achieving better cranking power with their dominant hand, what is "right" then? What if a right-handed fisher, can pitch left handed so that he/she never has to switch hands?

For those that switch mid-cast before their lure lands in the water, why does it matter here as to a faster transition to the cranking hand? If this is the case, why are there so many successful and dominating "Pros" that fish right hand reels, when they are right-handed - are still so successful?

There is no right or wrong...again, and again, and again. If you are ambidexterous, all the better, eh?

[GARRIGA]

Speaking ambidextrous. Although I crank with my left hand for freshwater bait aster I can tie the life of me thumb line on a saltwater conventional with my right hand so I must crank with my right hand. I guess years if being forced to only have right hand reels available conditioned me to that but if I had to I'm sure I can condition myself the otherwise. I too jab with my right and power punch with my left and yet I write with my right hand. Seems anything artistic is with my right and anything with raw power is with my left and yet cranking freshwater reels is opposite. I'm all messed up.

[dragon1]

Speaking ambidextrous. Although I crank with my left hand for freshwater bait aster I can tie the life of me thumb line on a saltwater conventional with my right hand so I must crank with my right hand. I guess years if being forced to only have right hand reels available conditioned me to that but if I had to I'm sure I can condition myself the otherwise. I too jab with my right and power punch with my left and yet I write with my right hand. Seems anything artistic is with my right and anything with raw power is with my left and yet cranking freshwater reels is opposite. I'm all messed up.

That is a little weird...seems your brain is "backwards"?

[Flathead]

I throw left handed and retrieve right ( i know i'm weird) that's why baitcasters are perfect.