? about baitcaster

[Iceman12]

I am going to get a new Curado in a couple weeks and I am just wondering why most baitcasters have the reel on the right. I have mostly used spinning reels and I reel with my left hand. Seems weird to reel with right now. Is there a reason you would want to reel with your right hand while using a baitcaster? Thanks

[gspman]

You can get left handed baitcasters too. Look for a Curado 201.

[Ralph Wiggum]

As stated, you can get left-handers. I'm not sure of the reason, but after a while, you'll get used to it. I've always thought about getting a lefty, but figure that I'll just confuse myself having both.

[Iceman12]

I should have clarified that I did know you can get a lefty but I was just wondering if there was a reason that righty's were so popular? Or if there is a definite reason for having a righty? Is it a casting thing? Thanks for all the replies

[Ralph Wiggum]

I don't know about everyone else, but I cast with the same hand regardless of which side I reel on. I just have to switch hands to reel with the baitcaster. Truthfully, I've always wondered the same thing. Maybe one of the wise old sages on this site has an explanation.

[nthomps66]

It does seem like it would be more efficient to not switch hands after casting... But I'm with you Wiggum. I inherited my first ABU Garcia baitcaster from my Dad and it had the handle on the right. I just bought a new Curado and almost got the lefty to appease my curiosity though. That led me to think if I liked it I'd have to replace my other two baitcasters too. Wife no likey though.

[FishinBill]

I'd say look at both...put them on a rod and see what is more comfortable. I always used spinning growing up. Went to buy a musky outfit and was told baitcasters are the way to go. So I just went with a left handed reel. Boy was that wrong. I don't know if it is b/c the handle is closer to the reel or what, but I can't reel that well with my left hand on the baitcaster, even tougher with a fish pulling on me. Might want to go with a less expensive set up at first to see if you like left handed or right handed. Anyways...that's my $.02

[nthomps66]

Your off hand is usually less coordinated. It's strange though that you have no problem reeling in a fish with your left hand using a spinning reel but its tough with a baitcaster...

[delmuts]

i'm with fishinbill ! i tried a left hand baitcaster and just couldn't get used to it, even though i reel a spining reel that way. one thing i am doing this year is learning to cast with my left hand.it sure saves time by not having to switch and makes it easier when fishing both sides of the boat.

[andy j]

the thing with a baitcasting reel the cranking handle has a smaller radius then a spinning reel. I tried a lefty baitcasting Curado a few years back and it was amazing on how poorly I could crank with my left hand. I couldn't crank near as fast and as a result lost some fish. Your dominate hand is much more cordinated and will have no problem cranking faster. Also keep in mind your body and arm movements when you set the hook, This also plays into it.

[Dan Brelje]

I have been running into problems regarding left or right retrieve also. I like the feeling of setting the hook with my right but i reel better with my right as well (it is kind of a problem). I got a right handed last year and have adapted to it a little; this year i am going to try one of my dads lefty's before i make a decision on my next reel.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I would like to consider myself somewhat ambidextrious(sp)..I do many things both right handed and left handed.. I can pitch and flip with my left hand and my right hand.. I can cast both right and left handed... I reel with my right hand on a spinning reel.. HOWEVER, I have owned a couple of left hand baitcasters and have ended up selling them.. I just for the life of me cant get the hang of reeling in a fish with my left hand on a baitcaster,, spinning reel I am fine... anyway... I know I didn't help.. just adding whats happened to me!

[Superduty]

I guess it's just a personal preference thing. Use what works best for you. I switched to left handed baitcasters years ago and will never go back. I flip best with my right hand and was missing fish when switching hands with the rod. Just figured if I could do it with a spinning rod I could do it with a baitcaster. I wouldn't recommend fishing with both left and right hand baitcasters throughout your day. Things need to come natural when that all important strike occurs. I like to keep the things I can control constant. We all know there are too many things beyond our control that are always changing in the fishing world!

[poutpro]

I also bought a left handed baitcasting reel and loved it for comfort, but it was a no good reel. I then found a good one at a good price and they didn't have it in left so I had to get it in right. I have yet to get used to it, and find myself just going back to heavy spinning gear.

[scsavre]

The crank is on the right because the way that you use a bait caster you need to have more strenght and wrist action. Try reeling a lefty on a baitcaster it just doesn't feel right. I always used spinning reels that you reel with the left. And now that I have bait casters I have just taught myself how to cast with either hand.

[poutpro]

I'd rather have more strength on my rod hand for leverage to get fish out of cover. I would assume that right handed people have more power in their right hand.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'd like to learn to cast left-handed, but I can't because of an "incident" with a table saw There'd be a lot of rat's nests!

[LEECH21]

I once heard that baitcasters originlly were made for ocean fishing. They were all made right-handers because most people were right handed and most of the strength needed for baitcasters needs to come from the reel, not the rod. Sure, you need to set the hook and hang on to the rod, but the speed and power to get the fish in the boat is found in the reel(right-hand). When everything started switching over to fresh water they kept making them all righties. Now they are offered as both. Just what I heard.

[BAIT956]

I have thought about it lots of times (learning to cast with either hand)but when I'm on the water, it never seems to happen. I have come to realize at my age, it is not going to happen.

I would like to have an alternative in the event of some injury ( is worn out and tired an injury?) to my left arm.

If I were a parent or guardian of a kid just learning, I would encourage him/her to cast with either hand.

Like switch hitting in baseball, it would be a lot easier to learn early in life.

[HawgTide]

Hey, Dietz, I'm the same way. I sold my left handed curado becuase I just could not get the hang of it. No problem with a spinning reel. I learned to cast left handed with a baitcaster at an early age, but I cast with either and/or both today. Bad shoulders and wrist dictate how I do for the day.

[panolo]

I reel with my left. I figured I could save myself alot of time and effort getting comfortable with it rather than having to switch hands all the time. I probably will never own another right handed baitcaster again.

BTW just got 2 new Pflueger presidents.... my oh my sure are smooth!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Just started teaching myself to cast left handed as suggested on here. It's actually not as hard as I thought it would be!

[delmuts]

ralph! one thing i'm finding out with learning to cast left handed, the muscles in my forarm aren't as strong. i didn't notice it when casting over hand, but after a few min. in the back yard working on the left hand roll cast, my forarm got tired fast.( i just need more practice.) i've noticed to, that it is not as bad as i thought it would be.i still have a problem with educating the thumb at times!! it took me 35 min. to get out a big backlash yesturday.) my thumb came off the spool about half way into the cast! oh bother! hang in there.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yeah, I noticed that the left arm is weaker, too. I'll work on it, as well. I didn't have any backlashes, though!