Righty or Lefty?

[mr_jman]

Which hand do you use to reel with? I feel that I am an oddball because I am right handed and reel with my right hand and hold the rod with my left.

If you buy a new reel thats together, the reel is always set for the left hand.

Just interested to see if more people reel one way or the other. Do you use your dominant hand to reel or hold the rod?

I have always reeled like this which is similiar to how most right-handers play guitar strumming with the right and "holding" the neck with the left. My guess is, it is all about what feels natural...

[DaSwede]

I'm the same as you. Drives most of my fishing buddies crazy. Not sure why they care! I do have another buddy that does it as well, so I don't feel too bad.

[Swimbait2009]

I am a righty, and I hold the rod with my right and crank with my left. I recently bought a "left-handed" bait caster, with the crank on the left side, because I just can't get used to the traditional right handed crank of a bait caster.

[jwmiller33]

i reel with my left hand and hold the rod with my right

[HawgMan]

I'm right handed but reel with my left. It just seems more natural to me when using a baitcast reel. If you think about it, why cast with your right hand & then switch the rod to your left hand? my right arm is stronger than my left being right handed, so why not leave the rod in that hand all the time & simply use your weaker hand to basically turn the crank. There are advantages to this scenario also, many times a fish will strike the lure when it hits the water. I'm ready because I wasn't in the process of passing it to my left hand. The process is just natural for me, but maybe not for others, to each his own, just my opinion...

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[wplatehunter]

I'm right handed and reel with my left.

[My_Key]

Right handed, reel with my left.

[mr_jman]

I will agree with Hawgman on the switching the rod for example when trolling I hold the rod in my right, but I usually set the hook and then hold the rod in a set (tight line - rod up) position while I switch (Which takes only fractions of a second). This is the one thing I have noticed and have tried to switch to the reel with left hand, but it just feels awkward like I'm too clumsy to turn the reel properly! Besides I can't remember losing a fish on the hand switch.

Yes my right arm is stronger and when I set the hook trolling I am using the right arm. When vertical jigging or retrieving, it doesn't seem to make much difference setting the hook left handed vs right.

[LMITOUT]

Right handed but crank with the left. I've always fished like that, but now run a tiller which suits that style perfectly where I can hold onto the rod with my right hand and run the tiller with my left.

[MN Mike]

Right handed and I reel with my right, drives me NUTZ to reel with the left, can't stand it!

Mike

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

It's not a question of being right or left handed. It's whatever you get used to.

I cast with my right and reel with my left. I only use spinning reels.

[slammer]

Right handed and crank with the right, rod in the left. Dont care whats normal. Works for me.

[hoggs222]

I'm kind of an oddball. I'm left handed. Spinning rod, I cast with left, reel with left (I do the switchover). Casting rod, I cast with left, reel with right. (I guess I'd rather have my strong arm holding the rod, as I only use a casting rod for muskie/northern.)

Baseball, I throw left handed, bat right.

Here's the really odd part. I've beat people arm wrestling with my right (vs. right hander) and lost with my dominant left.

Like I said, I'm kind of an oddball in the left vs. right.

[muskielaw]

I am right handed and reel with my right hand with baitcasters and reel with my left hand spinning reels. I am surprised that I am the first to state this as the standard baitcaster comes with reel on right and the standard spinning reel is on left. Everyone in my family reels this way and my brother and dad are lefties. Go figure I guess.

[Brad B]

I'm right handed but I reel with my left hand. I thought that was odd until I read some of the other posts here. I guess I am not the only one. Now the reel companies just need to start to make more left handed verison of their bait casters. I have been using the abu garcia c3's in a left handed model and love them. I am also going to try a left handed abu black max model this year as a bass reel.

[Sherpa]

I can't stand using my right hand to reel. It just feels so unnatural to me. Whenever I use my friends musky rig I struggle. When I buy my own I will definitely be getting a left hand reel model.

[Nick Kuhn]

Cast Right reel left. Can't stand things the other way around. Left-handed baitcasters need to be more readily available.

[waterbound]

I always reel with my left hand, baitcaster or spinning. My dad has always reeled with his left hand in the summer but in the winter he gets mad at me when I switch his ice reels from right to left handed...always thought that was weird.

[squeeb27]

Right handed reel with my right.

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

I'm right handed and reel with my right hand. I have been called a little odd for this because of the hand switching dilemma. I really don't see the problem with switching hands because after awhile you don't even know that you are switching the rod from one hand to another. I have friends that use to reel with their left hands, but I had them try with their right and they liked it better. The amount of time it takes to switch hands is nearly nothing and can be done while the lure is still in the air.

[TDH]

I am right handed and always use my right hand to reel. I can cast baitcasters with either hand comfortably but spinning rods I only use my left hand.

[Esox_Magnum]

Spinning reel I crank with my left hand baitcaster with my right hand, I can't do either the other way around. I'm right handed but shoot lefthanded, I nail right use a drill/screwgun left. I can shoot a bow with either hand.

[Drail1313]

Think you guys are messed up...I am left handed, use my right eye to shoot with, so I had to teach myself to shoot a bow with my weak arm...I have to keep both right and left hand bait casters in the boat cause some days I can throw only one way, some days I can throw both! (Drives the wife crazy cause I have to buy a different set of rods and reels each time I want a new one. ) Only good part is that after learning to shoot a bow with my right I could hit both left and righthanded in softball/baseball!! Oddball indeed!!!

[Pleasant]

I am right handed... I cast right handed reel left just the way I was taught... more casts then switching hands

[paceman]

I am right handed and cast with the right and reel with the left.....