Ok so I'm in the market for a bait caster but I want to be straight on something. When reels are referred to right handed or left handed is that talking about which side of the reel the reeler is on? I prefer casting with my right hand and I can reel with either hand, though reeling with my left hand would make sense as I do not have to switch hands. So a reel with the reeler on the left would be considered left handed or right handed?

Left-handed would have the crank left side. As for which one is better and why; use the search feature and you will probably find numerous posts over the years.

I prefer lefty myself.

A right handed reel is a reel with the crank on the right side.  It's on the left side for a left handed reel.

Doesn't much matter which way you go, bass ain't tuna so you don't need to use your "strong arm" to crank.  A lot of right handed people use left handed reels for the very reason you mentioned.   Go with the way it feels most comfortable.

I'm right handed and use right handed baitcasters.  However, with certain techniques, like working a jerbait, I like to hold the rod in my right hand.  So a left hand reel would probably be better for me for that technique.  

It's pretty much just preference.  As to not switching after a cast, I have found that even though you are casting with your right and retrieving with the left, you still change your hand position from cast to retrieve so I never really understood the worry that some have about switching hands.  

If you have no preference you might want to go with Right handed reels. Many manufacturers dont offer all models in Left hand retrieve versions >.

Me.....well, I learned to reel lefty on my open face when I was a little tyke so I just stayed with it. I will teach my son left so that he can use my stuff and not have to buy new everything! Best of luck.

Joe

It's pretty much just preference. As to not switching after a cast, I have found that even though you are casting with your right and retrieving with the left, you still change your hand position from cast to retrieve so I never really understood the worry that some have about switching hands.

Yup, for casting it makes no real difference! But, for flippin'/pitchin with your right hand, a left hand retrieve reel is ideal. Sometimes the strike comes immediately after the lure hits the water.

Absolutely in correct in 1770 British reel maker Onesimus Ustonson advertises the first multiplying reels, forerunners of todays bait casters.

Onesimus was left handed which is why he put the handle on the right so he cast with his left hand and turns the handle with his right.

If you fish "power hand" and are right handed, you want left handed reels. If memory serves me correctly, the concept is you cast right handed and never loose a beat because you're not switching hands - lure hits the water and you can start reeling immediately.

Rich Forhan's "Power Hand Baitcasting" (I think that's the book title} goes into great detail about the technique and maximizing the cast and all.

Most guys I know hate to reel left handed and they cast right and switch hands. I do the same. Like Dink said, for flippin/pitchin, I just learned how to cast left handed so I didn't need a dedicated reel.

I understand this is totally based on preference, but I just find it weird how right-handed anglers would use their dominate hand/arm to just basically cast/reel and use their less dominate hand/arm to do the majority of the work.

If right-handed guys are using right handed casting reelswouldn't it be alot easier to also use right handed spinning reels? I've noticed the majority of right-handed anglers who uses right handed casting reels, uses left-handed spinning reels.

The design was to allow your dominate hand/arm to cast, set hook and fight the fish

I keep a post by George Welcome in my "Favorites":

Let's get technical, as there are in fact reasons, not just some

lame holdover from days past that put the handles where they

are.

What will move the fish during retrieval is placed to the strong hand!

A baitcast is designed to be used as a winch, so it is the reel that

retrieves the fish. Hence if you are right handed the handle is in

your right hand.

A spinning reel is designed to pick up unloaded or loose line,

not retrieve the fish. Hence it is the rod that does the retrieval,

so it is the rod that is in your strong hand. If you are right

handed then the pole goes to the right hand.

George Welcome

Sebastian Florida

Today's reels are referred to are right or left hand retrieve, not right or left handed. That's 99% of the confusion.

A baitcast is designed to be used as a winch, so it is the reel that retrieves the fish. Hence if you are right handed the handle is in your right hand.

I wasn't there when the BC was designed so I can't say that's not true... but it's important to make the distinction that regardless of the original design, the rod most often does the heavy moving and the reel is for taking up line. Which is why people advocate using the dominant hand to cast/hold the rod.

Catt's explanation is what I always heard... that a lefty designed the original BC reel.

Onesimus was left handed which is why he put the handle on the right so he cast with his left hand and turns the handle with his right.

Makes perfect sense to me and being right handed I prefer to crank with my left hand and control the rod with my right.

As far as this winch theory that I've read numerous times, I just don't buy it. Spinning or b/c the rod handles the fish, both types of reels employ drags and retrieve line.  When handling a larger fish I pump up reel down with spinning or conventional.

What if a spinning reel was designed where the spool was mounted like a b/c, would that be a winch?

Absolutely in correct in 1770 British reel maker Onesimus Ustonson advertises the first multiplying reels, forerunners of todays bait casters.

Onesimus was left handed which is why he put the handle on the right so he cast with his left hand and turns the handle with his right.

Thanks Catt for that info never know that but makes sense

Left hand handle on left side of reel

It's pretty much just preference. As to not switching after a cast, I have found that even though you are casting with your right and retrieving with the left, you still change your hand position from cast to retrieve so I never really understood the worry that some have about switching hands.

Yup, for casting it makes no real difference! But, for flippin'/pitchin with your right hand, a left hand retrieve reel is ideal. Sometimes the strike comes immediately after the lure hits the water.

It's easy to learn to pitch and flip lefty, so you dont have to switch hands.  I taught myself and it is quite a blessing, because I can't retrieve left-handed for the life of me.

I recently went to a left handed reel for my new pitching set up and I love it. The first few trips were awkward but now it's second nature. I played a ton of basketball as a kid so I trained my left hand to be pretty strong. I think this has really helped my change over and the biggest issue was the hookset. Most of it is just muscle memory and building those muscles that aren't used to being used. So if you fish a lot like myself in no time it fills natural. While on the other hand if you only go out 3 times a month it might take a long time to get used to.