Lefty Righty Baitcaster Poll

This question has popped up twice already and it seems to me that the only people who chime in are those right-handed people who like to use left-handed baitcasters but have a hard time finding them.  Or maybe I'm wrong and there are really just a lot of you out there.  So to that end, I thought I'd start a poll and see how many are out there in each category.

For those that aren't sure which type of reel they use...

Handedness is based on which hand use use to do the reeling and is opposite of which hand holds the rod while you reel. 

This is a right-handed baitcaster..


and this would be a left-handed baitcaster..

At least one of those photos looks doctored to me.

You don't moonlight for Reuters, do you Steve?   

Randy,

Yeah, I linked to a photo on tackletour (http://www.tackletour.com I hope they don't mind) and then made a mirrored copy for the other.

By the way, tackletour is a great site for those who haven't seen it.

-Brian

How about "switch hitter" as an option for your poll?

For big game I can reel faster with my right hand so I use a right handed reel (same with a fly reel).  For steelhead or b*ss fishing that requires constant cast and retrieve I prefer a lefty so I don't have to switch hands (I cast better spooling with my right thumb although I have practiced lefty for tight quarters).

Chris.

Chris,

I added that option for you if you haven't voted yet.

Brian

I'm right handed and use a lefty reel and have set up my yak accordingly.

The rudder (hobie) is operated by my left as well as my FF (mounted in the cupholder). The rod is in my right hand on my right side. My right hand is more powerful, which helps pumping the rod with a big fish on.

Why would you want to switch hands after casting?

There is much debate about this....

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=4912.0
and
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/index.php?topic=3235.0

My personal reasons for switching hands is as follows.... it feels better for me to have my right hand above my left hand.  For a baitcaster that means I reel with my right and hold the rod with my left.  For spinning reels that means I hold my rod with my right and reel with my left.   

Another reason I don't mind switching is that it actually means one less switch for me.  I cast with my right hand, pass the rod over to my left where I usually palm the reel and reel in with my right hand.   If I were to use a left handed reel I would have to cast with my right hand, grab the rod with my left so that I could pass it back to my right and get a palming grip on the reel.


Here's an outsider's view on the matter...
http://www.sea-ex.com/recreational1/images/leftisright.htm

DIFFERENT STROKES

When we move to other styles of tackle, the picture changes somewhat. Take baitcasters or plug reels, for example. Whether used on a pistol grip or a straight butt, the preferred casting grip sees the angler's dominant hand wrapped around the rod just behind the reel, with the dominant thumb in the correct position to depress the free spool button or bar and trap the spool before the lure or sinker drops to the ground.

Look closely at this baitcaster or plug reel casting grip. It is definitely not the best way to hold such an outfit while retrieving line, striking or playing a fish. Some people do hold their baitcasters this way for those operations, but most of them are relatively inexperienced or have never encountered big, strong fish on this style of tackle. The fact is, this "pistol-style" casting grip is far too weak and inefficient for serious hook setting and fish fighting. If you don't believe that, go out in the backyard right now, tie a line to something solid and try pulling on a plug outfit (especially a single-handed one) using that grip...

The grip most of us prefer when retrieving line or working a lure with a baitcaster is the so-called "palming" grip; with a hand wrapped around the non-handle end plate of the reel and several fingers extending forward, under the foregrip. This is a comfortable, effective and reasonably powerful grip. However, in true heavyweight applications - such as when targeting extra powerful fish like big barramundi, heavyweight Murray cod or Papuan black bass - it might be necessary to go for an even stronger grip, by wrapping the non-reeling hand right around the foregrip itself, in front of the reel.

Regardless which of these options you choose - the "palming" grip or the "power" hold - it's obvious that a change in grip is necessary after each cast with a baitcaster... And the best way to quickly and efficiently achieve this shift is to smoothly pass the outfit from one hand to the other.

There, in a nutshell, lies the reason why a vast majority of experienced right-handed anglers prefer left-handed threadlines and right-handed overheads. We can summarise it in two simple sentences:

 

If the optimum fish-fighting grip with any outfit is exactly the same as the optimum casting grip, it is more efficient to crank the reel with your non-dominant hand. By contrast, if the optimum fish-fighting grip is different in any way to the optimum casting grip, it makes better sense to swap hands and crank with your dominant hand.

Re-read those two sentences a couple of times and think hard about them. Try applying them to various forms of gear you use. What about sidecasts? Or closed-face reels? You might even find that you don't necessarily agree with my observations - at least, not in every situation - and that is certainly your prerogative. The fact is, there are few hard and fast "rules" in fishing. In the end, you need to do what feels right and works for you. However, I've studied a lot of anglers over many years, and I'm personally convinced that the answers to the left-versus-right debate do lie in those two sentences.

I bait-cast righty and spin-cast lefty. Go figure.

CHEERS!

I cast with two hands and already have my hand in the palming position.  I also cast one handed in the palming position.

My palming position is probably a finger further back than most.

MolBasser

When you are right handed and you use a left hand reel your rod is in your right hand do you  switch hands to net or gaff a fish?
I have used both and I feel more comfortable landing a fish when my rod is in my left hand and not having to switch when a fish is getting crazy along side the boat. If the fish takes a run when he sees the net or gaff I can't just drop the gaff and reel in I have to switch the rod to my other hand to reel in.

Rod stays in the right hand, everything else is done with the left. I cast and thumb the reel with my right, rele in with my left. Doesn't matter if I am spin fishing, baitcasting, or fly fishing, same hand position on all.

I wonder why reel manfacturers don't make more left-handed reels.  According to my poll, more right-handed people use left-handed reels.  Okay, it's a small sample size and a bit biased towards people who think it's cool to fish off of a 50 lb plastic tube in the North Pacific.  I wonder what the results would be of a similar poll on the Coastside forum.

IMO: right handed reels (baitcasting) are old school. More fishermen are either converting or because they now have the OPTION of buying the Lefty reels. In my early days of fishing I never bought or used the right hand reels (RHR) because it simply did not make sense to me. I was stricktly a spin caster. Then, I later learned that Shimano and Abu's were starting  to make LHR available - that's when I started using the baitcasters. LHR were hard to come by.

Well, there is some solid science that says people like to have their dominant hand higher than their less dominant hand.

However, it only takes a trip or two to get over it......

MolBasser

I'm a lefty and like to fish a right handed reel.  I cast lefty and get more power from my left arm and better thumb control.  Right hand is good for winding, gaffing and netting, not too much else that requires coordination.