Right or left handed? Dumb question.

Ive always fished with spinning reels or spin cast. I got a baitcast as hand me down and never got to liking it. Resently a coworker took me bass fishing and showed me a few things about bait casters and Im getting better. But which side should the crank be on if I cast with right hand? All my spinning reels have crank on left but zebcos are on right. The bait caster I have has the crank on right side, same as casting hand. What do yall prefer?

Its all preference, whatever you feep most comfortable with. Personally I like righty.

I like a left retrieve, I can't cast with my left hand so I think it's more efficient to wind with my left hand. My spinning, baitcasting, and fly reels are all left retrieve. I'm sure I could wind faster with my right hand but that's not typically an issue, I know I can set better with my right so I keep the rod there.

I have both, left on spinning and right on baitcasters

It is a preference thing.

Personally...the handle has to be on the left. Just like my spinning reels.

I can't see why anyone would want to cast the rod with their right hand, then switch hands to reel with their right. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Additionally...I want the rod in my dominant hand. Both for manipulating the bait and for powering fish.

As others have said... It's a preference thing.

I generally used all left-hand retrieves on my spinning reels and I use both left & right handed retreives on my baitcasters. A lot of the decision there, goes into what I am throwing.

Mattman said:

...I can't see why anyone would want to cast the rod with their right hand, then switch hands to reel with their right. It makes absolutely no sense to me...

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Right-hand spinning reels for me.

I cast with both hands on the rod, right hand is forward near the reel; once the casting is completed, the right hand automatically moves fwd, flips the bail closed with my right hand, then moves to the handle knob ready to retrieve.

Ive been in the yard, working on my cast. Ever since I can remember, non spinning reels where RH. My next baitcaster will be LH. Just seams like one less motion or action. Of course Im practicing with the reel I got Monday afternoon, thats what got me thinking about it to post my original ques. Thought I was being dumb for getting a second baitcaster with the crank on the wrong side. Little late to ask after I allready purchased.

I have to have spinning reel handles on the left, and casting reels on the right. I don't hold the rod when I cast the same way as I do when I retrieve it, so I am moving my hands either way. Switching the caster from the right to the left is more simple asn clean feeling to me than holding the rod and creeping my hand up into position. I have used both, but this way just feels better. I would find what is most comfortable and stick with it until it is second nature.

I'm right handed, and baitcasters are right-hand crank, spinning reels are left-hand. Reason being you're powering in larger fish with a baitcasting reel and you need your strong arm for that, smaller fish (spinning) are easier to control by the rod, not by the winch mounted on the rod.

ST

Lefty's on spinning and casting right for boat rods.
WFFF

i like spinnig left hand and baitcasters right

I crank on the left. I am fishing retarded when it comes to this. I have a few Baitcasters from when my grandpa passed away and one he gave me a few years back, and they are all Garcia's that would make some nice catfish reels, and I can't use them. I just can't crank on the right. I have to have the rod in my right hand.

The reels I use trolling for salmon are what I call conventional reels. They look like bait casters and I guess you could cast with them. Those all have the crank on the right. My spinning reels all have the crank on the left, which funny as it sounds make them righty's. Used to be they were made right hand and left hand (not swappable like today’s) and a righty had the crank on the left because you used your right hand to cat and fight the fish. I’ve been practicing with the Revo I won and it doesn’t seem un-natural to cast with the right hand and hand it off to the left to crank to me. As soon as the Rage Tails from the photo contest get here I’ll be out working them with it.

All lefty for me. I grew up on spinning reels, then it became natural to cast and not have to swap hands, so I started getting lefty baitcasters. Now that I am into trolling for stripers, I have found a problem, as there are VERY FEW lefty trolling reels, especially those with line counters. I wanted the Diawa Accudepth 57lcs for umbrella rig trolling, but had to settle for an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6501 which doesn't have a line counter. I will probably get a 7001 for my second trolling reel, as it has even more line capacity, and then mark my line every 10 feet or so.

I use the Accudepth 47lc's for Salmon and got a 57lc for Christmas. I ended up taking it back because unlike the 47's it will not re-engage the spool when you crank it. With the 47 when you flip the spool release, it free spools out and give the handle a crank it flips the lever back and engages the spool. Small issue but I didn't like it.

flounderhead59 said:

I use the Accudepth 47lc's for Salmon and got a 57lc for Christmas. I ended up taking it back because unlike the 47's it will not re-engage the spool when you crank it. With the 47 when you flip the spool release, it free spools out and give the handle a crank it flips the lever back and engages the spool. Small issue but I didn't like it.

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Thats like my Shimano Tekota 600's to the 700's. The 600's re-engage but the 700's you have to do it manually. It doesn't really bother me.

Casting reels I crank with the right hand, and spinning I crank with my left. Its all personal preference.

Salmon_Slayer_2008_Lund said:

flounderhead59 said:

I use the Accudepth 47lc's for Salmon and got a 57lc for Christmas. I ended up taking it back because unlike the 47's it will not re-engage the spool when you crank it. With the 47 when you flip the spool release, it free spools out and give the handle a crank it flips the lever back and engages the spool. Small issue but I didn't like it.

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Thats like my Shimano Tekota 600's to the 700's. The 600's re-engage but the 700's you have to do it manually. It doesn't really bother me.

Casting reels I crank with the right hand, and spinning I crank with my left. Its all personal preference.

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It doesn't really bother me except I wanted consistancy. I was used to the 47's where all I had to do was give the handle a quick crank. I started out with the 47's and just go tused to them. Tried the 57 and would over shoot my depth because I would forget and turn the crank when I wanted to stop but it wouldn't.

Mattman said:

It is a preference thing.
I can't see why anyone would want to cast the rod with their right hand, then switch hands to reel with their right. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

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Agreed. Right-handed with lefty-bait casters here. Exception: my catfish rods do have right-retrieve, but those don't switch hands like a bass rod, cast > go in the rod holder > fish on! > out of the rod holder, so really no wasted motions like switching hands when bass fishing.

bhos said:

Mattman said:

It is a preference thing.
I can't see why anyone would want to cast the rod with their right hand, then switch hands to reel with their right. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Right-handed with lefty-bait casters here. Exception: my catfish rods do have right-retrieve, but those don't switch hands like a bass rod, cast > go in the rod holder > fish on! > out of the rod holder, so really no wasted motions like switching hands when bass fishing.

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I am glad you said that. I am thinking that I am still going to want a Linecounter reel for trolling, and lefty ones are next to impossible to find. I am hoping I can have the same experience as far as rods that drop in the rod holders go.