Using reels the "wrong way"

[Kirtley Howe]

Does anyone else do this?  I am left handed by nature.  If I cast with my left hand, I reel with my right.  I have taught myself to cast with my right hand also, and when I do that, I reel with my left hand.  This saves me from having to switch the rod from one hand to the other between casting and reeling. It also prevents the problem of being unprepared when a fish strikes the moment the lure touches down.  At first blush, you would not think casting with one hand and reeling with the other would save much time, but over the course of a day, it can really add up.

Is doing this a common technique? What are your thoughts on this?

[J Francho]

The only wrong way to do things:

 

[dgkasper58]

24 minutes ago, J Francho said:

The only wrong way to do things:

 

I notice this in every commercial/movie ever... So annoying...

[Fat Ika]

28 minutes ago, Kirt Howe said:

Does anyone else do this?  I am left handed by nature.  If I cast with my left hand, I reel with my right.  I have taught myself to cast with my right hand also, and when I do that, I reel with my left hand.  This saves me from having to switch the rod from one hand to the other between casting and reeling. It also prevents the problem of being unprepared when a fish strikes the moment the lure touches down.  At first blush, you would not think casting with one hand and reeling with the other would save much time, but over the course of a day, it can really add up.

Is doing this a common technique? What are your thoughts on this?

I'm personally in your camp. IMO, the main reason we've seen right handed baitcasters as more prevalent with right handed people, is due to being forced to used right handed reels during the former days of not as many left baitcasters being in production. I think some right handed people just stick with right handers based on habit or preference from years of right hand reels. I used right handed casters from 1995-2010. Since 2010, it's been all left handed casters for me......cuz I'm right handed. I prefer not to switch hands after casting, but more importantly I like my dominant hand controlling the rod for bait control and dominant hand on rod/reel palmed for hooksetting. I've definitely noticed in the past couple years, left handed casting reels being out of stock more often over right handers.............relative to years prior. I'm sure recent supply chain issues play a role, but I think we will continue to see more people adopt or start with non-dominant hand reeling. 

[billmac]

When I bought my first baitcaster in the late 70s, (Daiwa Millionaire), it took me a long time to learn to cast it with my right (dominant) hand.  Surprisingly, after that it took very little time to learn to cast with my left hand.  That said, although I am a decent left handed caster, I'm still better and usually cast with my right hand.

[GreenPig]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

The only wrong way to do things:

 

This is actually correct if you put your spinning reel on a cast rod. Right? I mean with the trigger on the rod below the rod.?

[J Francho]

Yes.

[Kenny Yi]

i use RH baitcasters, i cast both on my right and left sides, it's about my body's angle to the target

 

the idea is definitely common, especially considering most left hand reeling baitcasters are used by right handed anglers who also cast with their right hand

[WRB]

Been casting right handed, switch the rod to left with effortless motion for over 60 years. My mussel memory is beyond changing. I can cast left handed if needed but it’s not my normal casting hand, it’s my normal holding the casting rod hand. Spinning I cast right handed and feel left handed.

Ani’t gonna change.

Tom

[DitchPanda]

I also am in the camp of cast with my right hand, switch to my left and reel right camp. Kinda funny I saw a video of Skeet Reese one time freaking out saying that people who do that are wrong. Funny because I saw KVD doing that very thing..know what else he was doing? Dominating Skeet Reese for like 15 years in bassmasters... Imagine how well he would do if he knew the "right" way to cast.

[Aaron_H]

I cast and reel with my left hand, swapping hands is just effortless muscle memory at this point. Never had an issue handling fish that hit the lure right when it hits the water, personally. Props to the ambidextrous among us, though, definitely a nice skill to have.

[Bird]

Spinning reels are all right handed. 

Baitcasters are right and left handed and do fine with either. 

[scbassin]

My spinning reels are all left handed, as all my bait casters are. I cast with my right hand.

[FryDog62]

Muscle memory is a funny thing ~

 

I grew up using primarily spinning rods - cast and hold the rod with right hand and do the easy part and reel with my left. That's a "Right-handed" spinning set up. 

 

As I got older into my 20's - I picked up on using baitcasting equipment. Still the same - cast and hold the rod with my right hand and hold reel with my left. Why switch? Leverage the use of your dominant hand. Crazy but that was now considered a "left-handed" bait caster. 

 

I read something about 10 years ago that said most right handed people have only about 80% strength and dexterity in their left hand. So why would I change to a right-handed baitcasting set up? After the switch, I enjoyed being labeled a Southpaw - even though I was primarily using my right hand for the dominant part of my fishing mechanics. Go figure ~

 

About 7 years ago - after several hand/wrist surgeries, I could no longer be a right-handed spinning guy. I tried switching to left-handed spinning but felt like an old granny throwing a baseball. 

 

So, I switched to 100% "right-handed" baitcasting (Yes, holding the rod in my left-hand) - for power fishing, finesse, everything. The advent of BFS has helped me with some of the finer motor skill fishing techniques - Ned, drop-shot, etc. 

 

Now after 50+ years of fishing I use my left hand to hold the rod and work the bait. Yes, I was probably 80% or less the strength of my right hand when I switched 7 years ago - but with "Muscle & Brain" training, feel like I'm closer to 90-100% now.

 

When I made the switch my dad said it was good training and recovery for my first stroke and learning to use both and your brain and muscles differently. Hope he's wrong, it hasn't happened yet to test his theory - but it does prove you can improve muscle memory even in middle-aged guys.

 

Adapt or die!  ~

 

[WRB]

The only issue could be eye dominance. If you are left eye dominate and cast right handed the target will be off to the left side several feet. You either add windage to compensate or never become accurate casting.

Tom

[LrgmouthShad]

33 minutes ago, WRB said:

The only issue could be eye dominance. If you are left eye dominate and cast right handed the target will be off to the left side several feet.

Woah. That’s worrisome. That is my case

[volzfan59]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

The only wrong way to do things:

 

I worked with a guy in Nashville that used a spinning reel just like that. Drove me doggone nuts, but whatever ever works I guess.

[Log Catcher]

It doesn't matter if I'm using a baitcaster or spinning setup. I cast right handed and switch the rod to my left hand and reel right handed. I have been doing that way for so long I'm not about to change now.

[soflabasser]

You are fishing the ''correct'' way the moment you are satisfied with what you are catching and you are having fun. 

[Jaderose]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

Been casting right handed, switch the rod to left with effortless motion for over 60 years. My mussel memory is beyond changing. I can cast left handed if needed but it’s not my normal casting hand, it’s my normal holding the casting rod hand. Spinning I cast right handed and feel left handed.

Ani’t gonna change.

Tom

This.  I'm a hand changer with both types of reels.  I can cast left handed and do but most of the time I am casting RH, switching hands, reeling RH.  The move from one hand to another is effortless and part of the cast.  The switch happens before the lure hits the water and I don't think I've ever lost a fish because I changed hands.  No desire to change as it's not something I even think about.

[mcipinkie]

I cast with either (both, sometimes) hand.  Didn't learn to cast with my left hand until I was around 60 years old.  One of the best things I ever did.  I use right handed reels (rod in left hand).  Started to go the other way, but I couldn't afford to sell everything and start over.

 

Realistically, it doesn't matter.  Put the right lure in the right place and the rest of it is just details.  I watch a lot of the big name pros fish, have for a long time.  I don't see how some of them fish the way they hold their rod.

 

I'm typically a short range flipper/pitcher.  Being able to cast with either hand makes it so much easier.  I've done it so long, I never think about which hand I'm using.  The rod always knows which hand to get in. 

 

I strongly recommend that anyone that wants to be a serious (or at least, better) fisherman learn to cast with either hand. 

[Bluebasser86]

I switch while my bait is still in the air. A fish hitting at splash down is still getting stuck. 

[bulldog1935]

There were no conventions in the old days - there were no spinning reels, either. 

Baitcasters were used above the rod, below the rod, in front of the cork grip, and behind the cork grip.  Likewise, fly reels were wound both "rings up" and "rings down". 

Clearly with the baitcast reel in back, you thumb with your "other" hand, which will also likely be your winding hand. 

Many antique reels get mis-identified as LHW, but they were actually bench-made on order for winding on the other side of the rod from what we would consider normal, today. 

Outside magazine 1917

 

In 1881, Book of the Black Bass, Doc Henshall recommended casting with the reel on top - for obvious spool thumbing - and winding with the reel under the rod for the natural weight shift - - this also prevents torsional loading of the rod that results from fighting fish with guides on top, and fully eliminates rod breakage.

He didn't care whether the reel was in front or back of the grip. 

Consider in the 19th century, every piece of tackle was bench-made, most by mail correspondence, and catalogs were more rare than fishermen.  Rods were often made at home - from wood. 

 

Even through WWII, owning one rod was the norm, and the one rod was used for multiple techniques, casting, mooching, trotting (steelheading), trolling.  If you lived near trout, your one rod was probably a fly rod, but be sure Theodore Gordon dunked a worm or two. 

Colorado reels were invented for spin-fishing newfangled mono on your fly rod.

 

I grew up fishing tackle the way it came off the shelf; for spinning tackle cast right and reel left; for bait tackle, cast left and reel right. 

This is still Normal for me. 

 

 

I mostly cast fly rod left and reel right, but may switch hands, or more often switch front and back to cast across my chest.  What most people don't recognize about loading a fly rod - your line hand is more important than your rod hand. 

 

[new2BC4bass]

19 hours ago, J Francho said:

The only wrong way to do things:

 

We laugh, but I have seen this many times. 

[bulldog1935]

I know two people who catch fish like crazy that way.

It isn't an unconscious choice, but fishing what tackle is at hand the only way they can crank RH. 

Lou still does this all the time when he's swapping rods with Susie. 

I've seen him match spinning reel with trigger casting rod because he liked the rod action, and vice-versa - though I think there must be a bit of perversity involved. 

The strange people are the ones who get peeved over it. 

Look at this guy, he's incompetent at having fun.