I can pitch lefty and it’s arguably BETTER than me using my dominant right hand. 
 

casting?  I’m okay. 70% 

 

if I get tired and accuracy isn’t super important I’ll let it rip lefty style. 

I'm left handed and if  I try to cast with my right I would probably lose the rod ..........it's not a pretty sight .....

What if you fish with your off hand I'm right handed but fish with my left 

I have done it just for fun. If I was a serious tournament angler I would learn it. I just dont see the need   as a recreational angler.

Don’t think you all know what dominate eye means! 
Your dominate eye see’s where thing actually are locates. If you are right eye dominate and cast using your left hand the true position of your target is the left several feet casting over 30’ distance with both eyes open.

Easy to test eye dominance. Very lap your hands making a triangular opening with your thumbs and index fingers. Extend your arms looking through the triangular opening place a distant object in the opening. Now close your right eye, then without moving the hands close the left eye. If the object disappears with the right eye you are left eye dominate, if it doesn’t disappear you are right eye dominate.  Being right handed and left eye dominate or visa versa the actual target is to one side. You will never over come being opposite hand vs eye dominate unless you learn to use the same hand as eye dominate.

Tom

1 hour ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Don’t think you all know what dominate eye means! 
Your dominate eye see’s where thing actually are locates. If you are right eye dominate and cast using your left hand the true position of your target is the left several feet casting over 30’ distance with both eyes open.

Easy to test eye dominance. Very lap your hands making a triangular opening with your thumbs and index fingers. Extend your arms looking through the triangular opening place a distant object in the opening. Now close your right eye, then without moving the hands close the left eye. If the object disappears with the right eye you are left eye dominate, if it doesn’t disappear you are right eye dominate.  Being right handed and left eye dominate or visa versa the actual target is to one side. You will never over come being opposite hand vs eye dominate unless you learn to use the same hand as eye dominate.

Tom

This isn't like firearms. Hopefully you're casting with both eyes open, lol. Eye dominance is important in shooting sports because you're trying to align your dominant eye with the sights/scope. I'm a cross-dominant shooter (right-handed, left-eye dominant). I've learned to shoot all my long guns left-handed, but I still shoot handguns with my dominant right hand to maintain superior dexterity, so I simply move the sights over to favour the left side of my face. None of this really applies to casting a rod in my opinion.

I was diagnosed as cross-dominate (left eye dominate,  right handed) as a child.  I've always felt it gave me a big advantage shooting a gun or bow.  It allows me to aim with my dominate eye and control the gun with the dominate hand.  

 

I agree it doesn't apply to casting.  I don't line anything up with either eye when I'm casting.  

2 hours ago, 4n2t0 said:

This isn't like firearms. Hopefully you're casting with both eyes open, lol. Eye dominance is important in shooting sports because you're trying to align your dominant eye with the sights/scope. I'm a cross-dominant shooter (right-handed, left-eye dominant). I've learned to shoot all my long guns left-handed, but I still shoot handguns with my dominant right hand to maintain superior dexterity, so I simply move the sights over to favour the left side of my face. None of this really applies to casting a rod in my opinion.

Or archery.  My eye dominance doesn’t feel like a factor 

25 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

 

 

…I don't line anything up with either eye when I'm casting.  

You may not perform something as precise as aiming but you definitely perform some version of lining it up. Unless, of course, you’re casting willy nilly and hoping for the best or dropshotting off the side of the boat.

28 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

You may not perform something as precise as aiming but you definitely perform some version of lining it up. Unless, of course, you’re casting willy nilly and hoping for the best or dropshotting off the side of the boat.

 

It just doesn't require that level of precision. You aren't aligning eye/sight/target, like with firearms. Think about all the sports, like tennis, basketball, baseball, football etc. which do not require matched dominance to deliver the ball accurately. I cast right-handed, but I'm left-eye dominant, and I have zero issues hitting very precise locations on the water.

I wish I could use a left handed reel, especially on short pitch work. It just feels so odd to me on a baitcaster. I think I just need to work on the left handed pitch instead. 

Interesting discussion. I am right handed and right eye dominant.

 

I don't see how it could be a factor at all for casting. The reason is that a right handed, left eye dominant shooter can shoot a handgun just as well as a right handed right eye dominant shooter.

 

The only time that it becomes a factor is with rifle or shotgun shooting, where one must force the use of either the non dominant hand or non dominant eye.

18 minutes ago, 4n2t0 said:

 

It just doesn't require that level of precision. You aren't aligning eye/sight/target, like with firearms. Think about all the sports, like tennis, basketball, baseball, football etc. which do not require matched dominance to deliver the ball accurately. I cast right-handed, but I'm left-eye dominant, and I have zero issues hitting very precise locations on the water.

I think I said it wasn’t as precise as aiming, as in a firearm.  But there is definitely some sort of lining it up involved.  Try casting with your eyes closed.  

12 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Interesting discussion. I am right handed and right eye dominant.

 

I don't see how it could be a factor at all for casting. The reason is that a right handed, left eye dominant shooter can shoot a handgun just as well as a right handed right eye dominant shooter.

 

The only time that it becomes a factor is with rifle or shotgun shooting, where one must force the use of either the non dominant hand or non dominant eye.

How eye dominance can affect various visual perceptions is actually pretty interesting, and can reach a complexity that I don’t care or need to fully understand.  But what can’t be denied is the fact that our brain processes visual information from the dominate eye differently than information from the non-dominant eye.  The good news, not there is any bad news, is that we are pretty good at compensating for the differences, especially when it comes to repetitive behavior. Casting, shooting, reading a putt, hitting a baseball, etc., I think, would fall into this category.

You line up the sights of the gun on the target when you aim a gun unless you just "shoot from the hip" like the gun slingers do in the old westerns.  You aim with one eye.  When you shoot from the hip you look at the target with both eyes.  The only time I aim (line something up) when casting would be when I'm flipping or shooting with a spinning rod.  I do both with my left (dominate) eye.

 

Using both eyes gives you depth perception which is important in casting and hitting a ball. 

Using both eyes you see where the dominate is focused using both eyes you have depth perception. Casting at a small target the target is still where your dominate eye see’s it. Being left eye dominate my trained brain tries to compensate  by adding wind age or aiming to one side. My 1st cast are usually off to one side then automatically adjust to off set and be more accurate. I my case it make a difference in accuracy not distance using both eyes casting right handed and being left eye dominate. 
Tom

I cast with both hands on the rod.  That is why I do not like the old style pistol grip handles.  I don't see why a person will use both hands on a pistol, baseball bat, golf club, tennis racket etc. and not use both hands while casting a fishing rod.  I do use one hand casting fly rods, but have been intrigued with two handed spey models.  I use both hands while casting, but consider myself a right handed caster.  I always have my left hand on the bottom of the handle, and my right hand on top, with both spinning gear and bait casters.  The key for me on long casts is to make sure I get the most out of my left hand, by pulling the bottom of the rod towards my body while going forward  with my right hand on the upper part of the handle.  If I am not trying for distance my left hand is only used to steady the rod during the cast.

47 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I cast with both hands on the rod.  That is why I do not like the old style pistol grip handles.  I don't see why a person will use both hands on a pistol, baseball bat, golf club, tennis racket etc. and not use both hands while casting a fishing rod.  I do use one hand casting fly rods, but have been intrigued with two handed spey models.  I use both hands while casting, but consider myself a right handed caster.  I always have my left hand on the bottom of the handle, and my right hand on top, with both spinning gear and bait casters.  The key for me on long casts is to make sure I get the most out of my left hand, by pulling the bottom of the rod towards my body while going forward  with my right hand on the upper part of the handle.  If I am not trying for distance my left hand is only used to steady the rod during the cast.

I always use both hands when casting, as you describe. It's helped me greatly with accuracy and with lessening fatigue.

No man or beast is safe, including myself, if I try to cast left handed. The only ones that safe are the fish

I'm curious if any of you consider the old cast with the right hand and fish with the left hand switchover is a technical mistake since it involves extra muscle effort and time to do that is not necessary?

 

I am a firm believer of keeping the rod and reel in the hand that does the casting. If a person can train themself to use both is great.

 

I bring this up because I have done work with kids over the years to get them into fishing and I try and teach them to keep the rod and reel in the hand they use to cast. I won't teach kids how to do the switch hitting thing at all. If I did that I would think I was teaching them wrong.

 

Its kind of funny when I watch pro bass fishermen do this all the time on TV getting on camera telling us all how to fish while they stand there and mindlessly make this "technical mistake" with each cast. How can I give them full credibility to know what they are doing when they can't even cast right! (As I see it)

 

Fishermen can lose fish in the time it takes to be switch hitter. Hey Joe, you had a hit! I know, but I was changing hands and fish was GONE before I could set the hook! So some fishermen have resorted to casting with their right hand and switching to the left BEFORE the lure ever hits the water. A compensation if I ever saw one!

 

I got caught up in this as well being as old as I am, I grew up with reels with handles only on the right. But it was my spinning reels that set me straight.

 

The internet has made people overthink very simple things. It's fishing, not rocket science. There is no "right" way to cast a fishing rod. If you think pros are mindlessly making technical mistakes, that probably says more about you than it does about them.

I agree with you. I like your quote so much I added part of it as my profile signature and gave you credit for the quote.

 

My comment does reflect more about me than them. I agree with you in that as long as the mission is accomplished, then there is no wrong way to cast- even if one way is more work and takes longer.

 

But, for me- like you said "more about me than them" there will always be a wrong way to cast because I overcame it myself and "corrected" it while watching others mindlessly ignore it and never correct it.

 

If I am watching any pro bass fishermen try and tell me how to fish, and he mindlessly casts with his right hand and switches it over to his left hand, I am changing the channel. Click. Let me see if I can find a pro who knows how to cast- the right way!

 

Maybe I made a mistake in posting this comment here when it should have been placed in the "pet peeves" thread.

I’m pretty good with either one. I forced myself to learn how to pitch left handed to be more efficient. As long as it’s not a super tight window, I can get it there. If it’s a tricky one, I have to switch to my right hand though.

Whether it's a right hand retrieve casting rod or a left hand retrieve spinning rod, I cast from my right side. My right hand controls the line and my left hand is down at the butt end of the rod.

 

Pitching and flipping is one handed, again on the right side.

 

I can back hand cast from the left or even turn the rod and do a bit of a roll cast from the left, but that's when I'm likely to bird's nest if I don't crank up the tension or add brakes a little bit.

9 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

I agree with you. I like your quote so much I added part of it as my profile signature and gave you credit for the quote.

 

My comment does reflect more about me than them. I agree with you in that as long as the mission is accomplished, then there is no wrong way to cast- even if one way is more work and takes longer.

 

But, for me- like you said "more about me than them" there will always be a wrong way to cast because I overcame it myself and "corrected" it while watching others mindlessly ignore it and never correct it.

 

If I am watching any pro bass fishermen try and tell me how to fish, and he mindlessly casts with his right hand and switches it over to his left hand, I am changing the channel. Click. Let me see if I can find a pro who knows how to cast- the right way!

 

Maybe I made a mistake in posting this comment here when it should have been placed in the "pet peeves" thread.

I think it's safe to say that most pros are "efficient", at least the ones that end up above the cut line. They have to be in order to get as many casts throughout the day as possible.

 

Sure, it might be more efficient to not switch hands during casting, but not doing so doesn't negate their skill level or knowledge in other areas. And, if you'd notice, they make a huge number of casts in a short time. What they lose in efficiency by switching hands, they more than make up for by being efficient with their other movements, boat positioning, and preparedness.