I'm a righty and have been fishing over 50 years, typical in that I use a conventional with he handle on the right and spinning with the handle on the left.
My buddy (also a righty) mentioned today that he finds it easier to set the hook on bottom species like tautog using spinning gear than conventional. I thought about it and decide he's correct, the reason being you are using your dominant hand to lift the rod and set the hook.
Which is making me question why I am still using conventionals with the handle on the right. I am setting up a Jigstar Light overhead(conventional) jigging rod and I am tempted to use a left handed reel now that they are more readily available. I don't think there will be too much of an adjustment and since lifting the fish is more of the work than turning the handle I think it might be easier.
Anyone tried switching sides? How'd it work out?
I'm partially ambidextrous but cannot write with my right hand and cannot throw a ball with my left hand.
I never used a left hand conventional/baitcasting reel but it seemed like it would be the better way to go. Cast with the stronger right arm and then crank with the left hand. Seemed like it would be way better than changing hands before and after every cast. It would be just like using a spinning reel. Correct?
No, not correct. I tried fishing with a Calcutta 51; the left hand version of the Calcutta 50 that I fish with often. It was terrible. It was worse than the first time I ever used a right-hand fishing reel. It was worse than the first time I used a spinning reel with the handle on the left side. I had to concentrate just to make the handle go round and round and it still wanted to go in an oval or egg shape instead of a circle.
After about an hour it was not getting any easier so I put the left handed rig away and went back to the right handed rig. I'm still a bit dumbfounded and do not understand why it is that way.
-steve
As many fishermen in europe I use left-handed conventionals ( Tranx,Cardiff , 321 GTI ,....) ,and left-handed spinners .....It's a mystery to me why (in US among other countries ) cast ,then change hand to crank (as you said Steve) ,it seems not logical and counterproductive when you need a fast hook-up or cranking the lure as it touch the water (for example)
But I suppose everything can be learned !
I agree for rock-fishing , snappers & porgies often need to hook-up as the bait/lure hit the bottom , better for me to control the spool /rod with the right hand /arm and immédiatly crank with right hand .
I am fundamentally right handed and always use right handed conventional reels. I am sure I could use a left handed reel if I needed to, perhaps with a proviso depending on what I would be doing.
I have been totally ambidextrous when it comes to casting from about 1999. I used to fish at a spot where it was advantageous to cast left handed and decided to learn to do that. It took me 2 days.
I now cast left and or right depending on which arm is hurting the most, or sometimes depending on where the fish are, to the annoyance of the guys standing around me. :D
I am not aware that it makes any difference to anything else, it is just a simple automatic motion to cast, and retrieve the lure. Occasionally when I need to cast far and accurately I still tend to favour my right arm.
Down here we mostly use heavy tackle and don't cast single handed, so you always have 2 hands on the rod when casting and I don't see how a left or right handed reel would effect that.
I "write right", but would rather 'fish left".......most of my "lure" type fishing requires (do to shallow water, snags, etc.) that I make accurate casts(my right hand is more accurate for that), and start my retrieve *immediately *..if not sooner!...so "cranking with my left" answers that issue.
I'm not concerned with casting, mostly jigging and bottom fishing, so switching hands would not come into it.
Captain64-200, did you mean..."better for me to control the spool /rod with the right hand /arm and immediately crank with left hand"?
Quote from: Recoil Rob on September 22, 2019, 02:50:37 PM
I'm not concerned with casting, mostly jigging and bottom fishing, so switching hands would come into it.
Captain64-200, did you mean..."better for me to control the spool /rod with the right hand /arm and immediately crank with left hand"?
Yes Sir ! ;D
As a right handed, I prefer to cast with the right arm and reel with the left hand. Switching hands (when using a right handed reel) after casting seems like a wasted movement. Unfortunately left handed reels are more expensive than the more common right handed. Bill
Quote from: Bill B (Tarfu) on September 22, 2019, 06:14:37 PM
As a right handed, I prefer to cast with the right arm and reel with the left hand. Switching hands (when using a right handed reel) after casting seems like a wasted movement. Unfortunately left handed reels are more expensive than the more common right handed. Bill
...more expensive, maybe, but less common and in some models, unobtainable too, at least as far as bait casters and spin casters. If you like cranking with the right hand, then you get "shortchanged" on vintage spinning reels, many of which only came in left hand crank.
Frank
OK.... somebody explain why it feels natural to crank a spinning reel with the left hand and it feels natural to crank a baitcasting reel with the right hand.
-steve
I'd venture you're just used to it....
Quote from: Recoil Rob on September 23, 2019, 06:40:41 AM
I'd venture you're just used to it....
Agree, when I was a little younger I used a spinning reel for a while in the upright position and became perfectly comfortable with that.
I've always enjoyed the advantage of being a South Paw when it comes to overhand multipliers. It never made any sense to me to use a left hand retrive reel, thus my Mitchels that end with an odd number. It's also apropriate that I'm a little odd...
The Man
I'm a lefty and I fish everything with the handle on the right. Makes sense to have my stronger hand doing the rod management, the right just has to go around in circles.
The biggest thing I ever landed is a 33 lb chinook, so take what I say here with 33 lb grain of salt.
I am right handed, I played tennis for many years in high school and after and my right hand and and left hand looks like they are from different individuals,
I prefer to hold the rod with my right hand and reel with left, same for casting (which I not that great at).
My girls are mixed, one lefty and one right (was lefty but school made her switch). So nearly all my reels are Left handed expect for Okuma Makaira.
I feel I have more control and more strength holding the rod with my right.
boon, it is good to see that I am not the only one :-)
I use spinning most often, all left hand crank. Grew up that way, and its just natural for me. All of my conventional offshore stuff is right hand, which feels natural for winching in fish under heavy drag.
Where is gets interesting for me is small baitcasters. I have a left hand tatula 100 and a right hand lexa hd 300. The tatula I use like my light spinning reels, but the layout just doesnt feel as natural as my spinning reels. May have something to do with the rod/reel seat/grip, but I havent really dug into it. The lexa only feels a little akward because Im not used to working artificials with the rod in my left hand. I see that as being overcome with enough practice, but I dont necessarily feel the same way about the left hand tatula.
I just like keeping my best hand on my rod :o
Seriously, using your dominant hand(ARM!!!) for the rod should help you SHORT-TERM!!!
especially, for repeated cast/retrieve & control for up/down jigging
(long leisure fishing w/ plenty breaks is "short-term")
HOWEVER, if you're going hardcore for hours, switching it up may help spread out the fatigue
& avoid that one jabbing pain under that one shoulder blade (I'd rather have many smaller aches)...
most R/H Bass pros use R/H reels, but keep a few lefties for close-up finesse work &
quick-response situations when lures get hit as soon as they hit the water & switching hands looses fish
I had to drive in Japan and Malaysia and there the vehicles drive on the other side ;D
I took me a while to get used to get my left hand used to the stick.
Then the same when I would fly back to Nebraska.
Good point Phil, I need to reteach my right hand to reel again, holding the hold is not the issue. That is one of my angst with the Makaira reels, I need to fish with those.
i grew up using left-side spinning reels, casting right-handed. I used to use the shimano quick-fire trigger spinners.
While i've used right handed baitcasters and conventionals (and have a bunch of these hand-me-downs from my dad), a couple of weeks ago, i tried to switch my spinning reel to the right side and i was all sorts of awkward. it was HORRIBLE. my next purchases of conventional and baitcasters will be left hand retrieve. plus my left arm isn't as quick or strong as my right (which is also slow O.O ) for hook sets.
Here is how I see it:
From an ergonomic perspective, the greater difference in right vs left for most folks is in the hand/wrist vs. upper arm/shoulder. If you need to continually wind under heavy load, the dominant hand is more effective. But when casting, especially one handed, the dominant hand is much more effective as the casting hand, both for control and for the ability to wind right away without switching hands. If we take personal preferences and individual anatomical differences out of the picture, I believe it breaks down like this from a strictly ergonomic perspective:
Fly reel:
Best: handle on dominant side- not much winding going on unless you are playing a big fish and turning that silly little knob under load. But more importantly, the reel shields the knob from the shooting line during the cast, causing less tangles, especially if you twist the rod so that the knob is pointing a bit upward.
Most common configuration: handle on non-dominant side ???. If the handle is not facing away from your body, and it is not causing problems, it probably means that you don't have the need and/or ability to cast very far.
Spinning reel:
Best: handle on non-dominant side. Since spinning reels typically have a high retrieve rate, and since many have gears that are not capable of being wound under heavy load, there is no benefit to placing the handle on the dominant side.
Most common configuration: handle on non-dominant side.
Conventional casting:
Best: Handle on non-dominant side. Lots of casting going on, so better to have the dominant hand managing and working the rod on retrieve. Until you reach the point where you are thinking about using a fighting belt or railing the rod, winding with the non-dominant hand is not a burden for most folks.
Most common configuration: handle on dominant side. ( this lefty joins Ron in thanking y'all:) )
Conventional non casting (esp. bluewater):
Best: handle on dominant side. No casting happening, and may have to wind under load.
Most common configuration: handle on dominant side.
----
This is not to say that familiarity, anatomical differences and left vs. right availability (new reels and parts) does not come into play. With the exception of fly reels (get with the program folks!), personal preferences may still be be the most important factor. For example, left hand spinning reels are fine for me, but winding left hand conventional reels makes my brain hurt :) ).
---
Getting back to the original question: Yes, a left hand reel would probably be theoretically better if rapid hookset is important, but switching may be more difficult than you think. After three days of using a left hand wind conventional, I never got used to it and had to fight the urge to pitch it overboard, but we are all brain-wired differently.
One other thought: If you are also speed winding after the hookset, it may be that the difference in retrieve rate is the key. That heavy swing on the hook set feels powerful on the rod end, but in deeper water, the effect on the hook side is minimal (the resistance from the water must be overcome before the load gets to the hook), and it is the winding or the fish reacting to the initial sting that actually sets the hook. Don't know anything about tautog fishing, so not this may not be relevant in your situation.
-J
Well I bit the bullet and ordered a LH Siegler SGN, we'll see how it goes.
Now that you have bit the bullet and said that you just have to get used to it, you are not allowed to go back to your old equipment. :) :)
Recoil ,
I use both for everything .
Most conventionals I use righty but I will spin right or left and fly fish right or left.
For the large conventionals I fish them right but smaller reels I fish both right and lefty .
I just do what feels good. At least that's what Miss Mari says........
I guess I take a different approach than most. My primary concern is fighting the fish. I habitually prove those who believe that lifting the rod above your waist will break the rod wrong, I believe the term is high sticking and it is the only way I know to control a fish. I have more dexterity and strength in my left arm and so I must crank with my right hand.
The old man taught me over 40 years ago...
The rod brings the fish in, the reel holds the line.
The Man
Quote from: Ron Jones on October 04, 2019, 04:23:27 AM
I guess I take a different approach than most. My primary concern is fighting the fish. I habitually prove those who believe that lifting the rod above your waist will break the rod wrong, I believe the term is high sticking and it is the only way I know to control a fish. I have more dexterity and strength in my left arm and so I must crank with my right hand.
The old man taught me over 40 years ago...
The rod brings the fish in, the reel holds the line.
The Man
Especially with light tackle, you gotta keep the rod up to not lose fish. As long as your drag is set reasonably for the rod, you dont have to worry about breaking a decent quality rod.
Quote from: Ron Jones on October 04, 2019, 04:23:27 AM
I habitually prove those who believe that lifting the rod above your waist will break the rod wrong, I believe the term is high sticking and it is the only way I know to control a fish.
Semantics. There should be a dictionary for this stuff. I thought high-sticking means the rod is pointed straight up and the fish is straight down. When this the case, the tip is pulled down against itself and the power can not be transferred to the butt. This should be the only way to break a well-made rod.
If the rod is pointing straight up and the fish is perpendicular to the rod, then the power is transferred to the butt while the tip bends and is pointing at the fish. Since nobody is strong enough to break the thick butt section and the butt section is taking all the load, the rod cannot be broken. The same thing you are saying.
-steve
Back to the main topic I have fished conventional right handed and spinners left handed all my life and it works great. Recently a friend had a fish on a spinner with right handle. He handed it to me while he grabbed another spinner. I could not work that spinner right handed. It was simply too weird. The motion is entirely different from hard cranking on a conventional reel. I do not ever want to touch another right hand spinner.
High sticking will break a great rod. Fish don't break well made rods when the appropriate drag for the rod is used. Fishermen with poor skills break rods. They high stick or let the rod hit the side of the boat with a big fish on or line breaks and they slam the rod into the T top.
Dwight
Quote from: oc1 on October 05, 2019, 08:26:43 AM
Quote from: Ron Jones on October 04, 2019, 04:23:27 AM
I habitually prove those who believe that lifting the rod above your waist will break the rod wrong, I believe the term is high sticking and it is the only way I know to control a fish.
Semantics. There should be a dictionary for this stuff. I thought high-sticking means the rod is pointed straight up and the fish is straight down. When this the case, the tip is pulled down against itself and the power can not be transferred to the butt. This should be the only way to break a well-made rod.
If the rod is pointing straight up and the fish is perpendicular to the rod, then the power is transferred to the butt while the tip bends and is pointing at the fish. Since nobody is strong enough to break the thick butt section and the butt section is taking all the load, the rod cannot be broken. The same thing you are saying.
-steve
With the introduction of carbon fiber (AKA graphite) rods, the definition of high sticking seemed to get stretched to include any kind of bending that put excessive load on the tip section.
You can break the butt on a quality rod. It happens fairly frequently with lighter, thin walled carbon fiber rods. A common way that this happens: load up the rod at the lower end (good), and then lean back (bad). Extremely common with fly rods and big fish in saltwater, less common but not infrequent with carbon fiber conventional gear. It has happened more than once to this guy I know (ahem) - nearly always pilot error as Dwight pointed out. The thinner the rod wall and the stiffer the fibers, the lower the margin of error.
High angle/long stroke without much load on the reel has its place, but it is just one way to fish with today's more more advanced equipment. Low angle/short stroking keeps the fish heading toward you, and also decreases the leverage that the fish gets from the rod. This comes in handy if the fish/drag setting is large enough that angler strength and endurance becomes a factor. And of course there is railing the rod- where the reel does nearly all of the work. Horses for courses. I like to switch around based on the situation.
As noted before, my brain is not capable of switching winding hands on conventional reels- so this lefty sticks to right wind for all situations.
-J