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Posts: 175
Location: Tonka, MN | Has anyone switched over from left handed reels to right handed before? If so, did it take long to get use to? Any tips?
The reason I ask is that I have been looking for a new reel for a couple months now and cannot find the perfect one (price, gear ratio, levelwind, etc.). I have a couple reels in mind but of course they dont make it in a left handed model. Not really looking for reel ideas, just if anyone has undergone this change... |
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Posts: 2361
| I have done the opposite, but never got comfortable with it, and finally gave up on it, and recently gave my other wrong handed reel away. Odd, because it has always seemed natural to reel my spinning stuff with my left hand.
I have a friend that started out with left handed and never was comfortable with right hand reeling, and we are both right handers. |
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Posts: 60
Location: st. croix county, wisconsin | I have a right and left handed reel that I use. It took a couple of casts to get use to the lefty reel, but now they seem the same to me. |
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Posts: 512
| should be able to do it.. i use a right handed bait cast set up, but a left handed (hold rod in right hand) spinning reel..
I have been thinking about trying it just for fatigue. might help your body to mix it up.
Dave |
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| I used to cast with my right arm and do the mid-air switch so I could reel with the right hand. A few years ago I read an article by Bucher that talked about learning to cast with the opposite arm, and decided to try it. You have to be committed to doing it, as when you start your accuracy will suffer. I just kept at it and if I was casting in some real tight spots I would go back to the right arm for awhile. It basically took a season for me to get real comfortable, and now it feels awkward to cast right handed. I do feel it was very much worth it. Less motions and more efficient, right out of the 8 to cast again with no switching.
pmv |
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Posts: 175
Location: Tonka, MN | I figure it will come with practice. My brother is a righty so I have tried it multiple times. Just feels extremely akward. |
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Posts: 126
| What type of reel are you looking for? You only mentioned switching based on not finding the right reel. If that is the case I would think it would be easier to find a reel than switch over.
I'm right handed and used the left to reel on spinning reels. When I started musky fishing a few years ago I used left handed baitcasters from the start. |
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| I use both. At the age of 62 my hands and shoulders are not what they used to be and can't take hours of casting. To relieve the strain, I throw my blade baits right handed and retrieve left handed, for jerk and twitch baits, I cast left handed and reel right handed. That way I relieve the strain but also don't have to switch over to reel.
Getting used to it will be different for everyone. I am lucky to be a little ambidextrous so the adjustment was easy. Before you invest any money in a new reel, try out someone else's to see how hard it might be.
Bill
huskiemuskie.ca |
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Posts: 17
| Go for it. Don't base your decision on someone else's experience. As you can see, they are not all the same. I bought a left handed reel and wished I had done it sooner. Very nice to be able to switch when your hand get tired from reeling. It will seem strange when you start but will feel better by the end of the day. If you should decide to give it up, there's plenty of people willing to buy a right handed reel!
BTW...I now own more left handed reels than right.
Kevin |
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Posts: 727
| I use both hands, its takes alittle while to get used to but with some time you can use either. |
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| I too use both left and right handed reels - it really cuts down on fatigue - I'm not very athletic or ambidexterous and I had no problems at all.
The other thing I'm working on which is taking more work is learning to trown over my right shoulder (right hand forward left hand back) when in the front of the boat and over my left shoulder (left hand forward right hand back) when in back. |
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Posts: 158
| I just wish they'd make every style of reel in a left handed option. I've had this discussion with a few guys....most guys that I know grew up with spinning reels and reeled with the left hand (and are right handed). Then these same guys got into muskies and most of the bait casters have the right handed crank and tell me "that's just the way it is....spinning reels with left, baitcasters with right"...hogwash I say. 
The reason I started out with an Induron was I could find it with the left hand crank, but that reel failed and I was forced into buying a right hand crank....now I own 3 right hand crank reels and have 2 Indurons with the left crank....I still do not feel 100% comfortable reeling with my right and holding the rod with my left. I have much more control of the rod if I'm holding it with my right hand and reeling with my left and my figure 8's are a heckuva lot better as well. I guess it's fine now, I can use either, but it still just does not seem "normal" to me and would prefer all my reels to be left hand crank. |
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Posts: 157
Location: Wausau/Phillips WI | When I started fishing I used Zebco 33's and they all used the right hand to reel so I always cast with the left hand. Switching hands every time you cast didn't seem right. When I started using spinning reels I never saw one you couldn't change the handle over from left to right hand retrieve so it was easy to continue reeling with the right hand. |
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| if the model you are looking for is forcing you to switch hand then i highly suggest you to get another reel.
nobody need to use strongest hand for reeling.
its pretty simple strongest arm for better hookset and control period |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | pepsiboy - 8/17/2010 7:18 AM
nobody needs to use strongest hand for reeling.
its pretty simple strongest arm for better hookset and control period
Ah, the best words I've read on this subject. |
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
Everyone's opinion on this will be different. Some people just aren't capable of doing things equally well with either hand.
Don't listen to anyone that tell's you "this is the way it is" in regards to what hand to reel or hold your rod with.
What you are comfortable with is the right way.
JS
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Posts: 175
Location: Tonka, MN | pepsiboy - 8/17/2010 7:18 AM
if the model you are looking for is forcing you to switch hand then i highly suggest you to get another reel.
nobody need to use strongest hand for reeling.
its pretty simple strongest arm for better hookset and control period
Maybe I'm too picky. I am righty with everything but reeling. It is simple in respects to having your strongest arm for a better hookset but I would bet that a large percentage of right handed reelers strongest arm is their right. |
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| i think that's a old fashion,due to the lack of left handed reels years ago.......... |
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| most that do it have just always done it that way or are to stubborn to the fact that for most right handed pple its just plain better to reel with ur left hand
for 99% percent of right handed people they should be using "left" handed reels because it just makes sense... theres always people that are right handed and write left or can throw better left handed for some reason...but mostly just old school stubborn and grew up that way
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Posts: 375
| pepsiboy nailed it with the least amount of words and the most common sense ! |
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| I switch back and forth all the time between right and left depending on which side of the boat I am fishing on or which set up I am using. Most new things feel odd the first time done. Reeling with either hand can be done by all fishermen with the exception of maybe a physical handicap. I just think most do not take the time to learn, are too stuborn, or do not feel the need. A swollen wrist is what got me started switching from right to left years ago. That swollen wrist experience has allowed me to fish in comfort for long periods of time by being able to switch hands in order to avoid any type of fatigue. By getting comfortable in doing this I found that I prefer some set ups left handed verse right hand depending on the application. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | With No-Stretch lines and rods that are x-xxx heavy and sharp hooks I use my strong hand for reeling in DCG 10-13, and let my weaker arm the left for hooksets. |
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Posts: 797
Location: North Central IL USA | If anyone's having problems with hooksets because they're right hand reeling, maybe it's time to hit the weights a bit. There shouldn't be *that* much of a difference. Hell, when I use dumbbells I don't use less weight for the left arm. |
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| right handed you handle the rod with ur right hand reel with ur left... its not a strength issue, its control, your not stronger with one arm over the other if you are its in your mind or you just use that arm more... i have no idea why guys switch to cast then back over to reel it makes no sense and theres no reason for it other than thats how u were taught and its habit... |
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Posts: 797
Location: North Central IL USA | Guest - 5/28/2011 8:38 PM
i have no idea why guys switch to cast then back over to reel it makes no sense and theres no reason for it other than thats how u were taught and its habit...
It's about coordination. I'm more coordinated reeling with my dominant hand and I know I can feel faster with that hand. |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | Everyone is born right handed.... only the best over come it. 
I just find it natural not to switch hands after I cast. |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I could use both hands, but I use left-handed reels.
Why would someone want to begin transferring the rod from one hand to another after every cast?
If one is right-handed, then so be it. But given that you could fish without switching hands ...
Just my impressions.
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