Reeling Demographics... are you a righty or lefty

[Jnkoepp]

Rh

[RustyHook]

I understand those who started in the 70s even 80s going right cast right reeel but anyone that started from 2k on why would you purposely be 1/3 as efficient switching hands 2x per cast retrieve cycle?.

Not to mention something like 90% anglers today cut their teeth on spinnners thus are already casting with dominate retrieving with off hand.

I started on BC and later a spinner.. It took getting use to retrieving with left hand.. Now I very much prefer to run both reels the same.. Right cast left retrieve.. After all I work fish with the rod (correct way) no winching the reel.. Dominate arm should be working the rod not the low power work of the reel.

[Oktayne the Red]

OK, so lefties have it. Then why is it so hard to find NOS right hand reels available, and lefties are a dime a dozen? (Looking at YOU, Daiwa Ryoga Shrapnel.)

[Sterfry26]

Right hand dominant with right hand reel. Combine that with left eye dominance and fly fishing in the right hand. Its a nightmare

[MeatHead]

Right handed, reel with my left.

[anteman]

Interesting, there is a lot of opinions and statements here "why would any one do X or Y?" or common sense dictates that..." etc.

I'm right handed, I reel right hand with BC and left with spinning... why?
Well my first spinning reel, a Cardinal, had like all (most?) at that time as I recall, a fixed left handle, my first BC, an Ambassadeur was right hand only and so you learn..?
How is it that I throw a ball or a javelin with my left and hold a bow in my right? No one told me to, i guess it just came natural... It might be wrong but not to me.

An overhead cast is made over my right side with the right hand at the reel and hence I have to flip the rod to left hand to reel the BC with my right hand, second nature to me even if it intails additional steps, decades of training I guess.

However it wouldn't hurt to be able to do an overhand or side cast with a BC from the left side with the left hand at the reel... versatality in various situations and conditions can never be a shortage! I have tried, still do on occasion, it eeh... sort of works to a limited degree, but it sure feels awkward

[eklikewhoa]

BC, I reel with my right, usually do the cast and switch hands thing but can cast both hands.

Spinning I usually reel with my left for jigging, big stuff but UL I prefer reeling with my right

[Cracker]

Don’t recall, if I already wrote in this thread, anyway, I can reel with any hand, however, I always hold my rod or cast with my dominant and most accurate hand, which is right, because of that - I reel with my left, I’m not going to switch a rod between hands, which is stupid, because sometimes fish bites when a lure just hits a water.

[J_Source28]

Reel with my right hand, ever since I learned on the Zebco 33 when I was four years old. I never thought it was a big deal that I also cast with my right hand to thumb the spool, and have to switch hands once my cast is complete. Now that I'm pitching more, I see it's time to learn how to pitch with my left hand, so I don't miss some of those quick bites on the drop.

[SteveSchmelzle]

you will find you'll learn quicker to pitch with your dominant arm (right it sounds like) and learn to reel with your left.

I can reel and cast with both hands/arms, and it took the longest to learn how to cast, work a jerk bait, and especially set the hook with my non dominant arm.

after 8 years I'm still only 50% ability compared to dominant arm. (mainly hook setting. Casting and working jerk baits are at about 80% of dominant arm)

[RayneStorm]

Contact baits I reel with my left so my dominant hand is controlling the rod.

Burning baits, I reel with my right hand, so my dominant is controlling the reel

[MardukFIN]

Fluently both hands. Casting also. No need to switch hand for cast/reel.

[Texas_bullet]

I am a lefty, but as a boy no LH reels were available in my family (Dad was LH too). So what's wrong with casting LH and reeling RH? Kind of the opposite of some TT staff. I also switch my spinning reels handles to the right side. Just feels natural to me.

[freelancer27]

Left hand retrieve. I am right handed.

Reeling with your dominant hand rather than holding the rod with your dominant hand is one of these things that dont make sense to me.

While i have been living in the USA for the last 12 years I have come to accept that there a re a lot of things that dont make any sense...

[SteveSchmelzle]

tradition is the only answer.

try to find an angler who started fishing AFTER left hand reels were made available, who doesn't' use their dominant hand to hold the rod.

anyone who is using the rod switch hands technique, or uses their dominant hand on the reel instead of rod, generally started fishing when left handed BC's weren't popular or available.