Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

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Randingo
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Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Randingo » Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:14 pm

I’ll soon be buying my first BFS outfit. In my fishing life so far, I’ve always used right handed retrieve reels. I once briefly tried a left retrieve reel, but I didn’t like having to relearn active retrieves such as walking the dog and jerkbaits. I also like palming the reel on the retrieve, and I couldn’t find any smooth, quick way to switch from a casting position to palming when actually casting (I palm the reel when pitching). So I dumped the left retrieve and have never even considered it since. But BFS is a pretty different animal than conventional bass tackle, so I thought I’d ask. If I’m totally comfortable with RH retrieves on my other baitcasting setups, should I still seriously consider switching to LH retrieve for BFS, or just stay with what I’m comfortable with?

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by hoohoorjoo » Tue Jan 31, 2023 3:23 pm

I tried it lefty, but ultimately stayed with rh retrieve. I tried because I had always fished small lures with spinning gear, but it just didn't work out for me. On a side note, I do have 2 Abu 5501C that I use for cut-and live bait for catfish and stripers. LH retrieve doesn't bother me in that scenario.
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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:03 pm

If you plan on fishing in streams or other short range casting that requires immediate retrieve, definitely making sure you aren't switching hands when casting. So often, fish hit right away and the need for immediate line control is crucial. If doing open water like bass fishing and such, stuck with what you know.
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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Just_Bass » Tue Jan 31, 2023 7:24 pm

I’ve fish right hand baitcaster for over 30 years. I started using left hand retrieve in 2018 and now I’m hook. This is just not BFS but for bass in general. Using left hand reel I can move my rod with right hand with more precise and more finesse. Right hand is also perfect for walking dog, jerkbait and twisting fluke. I palm the reel when cast so no need to do any adjustments. Now I use both left and right hand for pretty much same or similar technique from slow swimming to finesse weightless plastic.
Now I have 5 lefties, 4 with BFS spool.
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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by tincanary » Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:26 am

Since all of my reels are RH, I taught myself to cast with my left when I first got into BFS. It only took a few outings before I became nearly as proficient and these days I'm pretty ambidextrous which is a bigger advantage than anything else. No longer do I have to reposition my body to hit a certain target, switch hands and have at it. It came natural to me since I drive with my left, years of owning vehicles with a manual transmission.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by jvelth74 » Wed Feb 01, 2023 8:14 am

I think same as Hobie. In stream fishing it's important to be right away ready to reel.

But anything is possible. You can learn to change to palming during cast (keeping your gear with both hands for a little time) and then you are ready for anything. Also you can learn to ambidextrous, which I don't have made me to learn, but it would be huge advantage at least in stream fishing.

Also I fished ~30 years practically only with RH baitcasters. LH Baitcasters felt just awful when I tried those. But luckily I found that sturdier palming grip made LH reels feel much better, and palming grip has several other advantages. Currently I use only LH baitcasters in UL & Light aplications, and all my heavy baitcasters are RH. Small baitcasters are more comfortable to cast because crank does not disrupt grip.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Slary » Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:32 am

It is very simple, you have options:
- learn retrieving with left
- learn throwing with left
:lol:

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Just_Bass » Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:42 am

I can cast with left and right. Right hand no problem whatsoever but left hand 😔😔😔back hand is pretty accurate but no distance, over head and side arm, good distance but no where near I want it to be.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by 2por » Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:26 pm

Randingo wrote:
Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:14 pm
I also like palming the reel on the retrieve, and I couldn’t find any smooth, quick way to switch from a casting position to palming when actually casting (I palm the reel when pitching).
I have always used left handed reels, and I cast with my right hand. On BFS gear, I can transition from casting to retrieving without ever having to reposition my hand. My right hand is always palming the reel. Personally, I can ONLY do this comfortably on BFS gear.

On bass gear, I find it uncomfortable casting without repositioning my right hand (for palming) when transitioning from cast to retrieve, and I always have to cast two-handed (except when pitching/flipping). The way I palm the reel, I can't force a strong cast when using just one hand. Along with that, I think the size and weight of bass gear+lures just makes hard for me to cast single-handed (and I have small hands).

However, with all that said, BFS gear is generally super light, small, and comfortable to palm all day. With BFS gear, I can cast all day while palming the reel (without having to reposition).

You didn't say what you were intending to use BFS for. If you target bass and are only planning on getting BFS to bass fish, then I suggests just continuing with a right hand reel and continue doing what you normally do. BUT if you plan on using BFS for trout fishing and using it in streams/rivers (specifically, moving water situations), then I strongly suggest going with a left hand reel because being able to get the lure moving ASAP for stream fishing is pretty important. There is no point in hitting a target on the stream if your lure is already 2-3ft downstream of the target before you start reeling... The other option, of course, is learning how to cast with your left hand, which may take you longer to get the hang of.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by LowRange » Fri Feb 03, 2023 1:56 pm

Randingo wrote:
Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:14 pm
I’ll soon be buying my first BFS outfit. In my fishing life so far, I’ve always used right handed retrieve reels. I once briefly tried a left retrieve reel, but I didn’t like having to relearn active retrieves such as walking the dog and jerkbaits. I also like palming the reel on the retrieve, and I couldn’t find any smooth, quick way to switch from a casting position to palming when actually casting (I palm the reel when pitching). So I dumped the left retrieve and have never even considered it since. But BFS is a pretty different animal than conventional bass tackle, so I thought I’d ask. If I’m totally comfortable with RH retrieves on my other baitcasting setups, should I still seriously consider switching to LH retrieve for BFS, or just stay with what I’m comfortable with?
Get a cheap lefty aliexpress BFS reel. Play with it off the rod like a fidget spinner to retrain your left hand after work while on the couch. When mounting it to a rod and using it as a fidget spinner I would recommend training your right hand to palm the reel in a "split grip" where two finger are in front of the trigger and two behind. With this grip you can make short accurate casts while palming the reel using your thumb pad rather than tip to thumb the spool. For the bomb casts I would still cast normal then switch to palming.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Randingo » Fri Feb 03, 2023 2:08 pm

Thank you for all the thoughtful responses. I will be using BFS primarily in moving water, at least to begin with. With conventional bass tackle, I’ve always pitched with my left hand (unless the angle is better using my right), and I’m almost equally proficient casting with either hand, and yes, I palm the reel when casting or pitching with my left. The catch is that I almost always cast with two hands. I don’t expect that to be the case with BFS, particularly if I end up with a shorter rod.

There’s probably no clear answer in my case, but I’m leaning towards staying with right handed retrieve since I’m already decently proficient with my left hand, and because it seems unlikely that I’ll do a wholesale swap from right to left retrieve reels in my other gear. But there’s still time to change my mind for BFS…

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Just_Bass » Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:05 pm

Randingo wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 2:08 pm
There’s probably no clear answer in my case, but I’m leaning towards staying with right handed retrieve since I’m already decently proficient with my left hand, and because it seems unlikely that I’ll do a wholesale swap from right to left retrieve reels in my other gear. But there’s still time to change my mind for BFS…
I might as well say, smart decision. The only benefit for me now using both hand reels is that I can switch hand when one get tired. I use a lot of left hand for golf swing and it gets tired quick. The problem I have had, a lot of my good collection are in right hand. If I want to buy a new reel, I can’t decide which hand I should get. Often time I end up both hand reels which is really unnecessary.

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Re: Should I switch to left handed retrieve for BFS?

Post by Smalleyez » Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:59 pm

I recently ordered my first lefty. I will be designated for stream trout.
RRR (Round Reels Rule!)

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