Spinning Handle Side v Every Other Type

[sundancer]

Gents

Good afternoon

Wife and I are in the Outer Banks this week. I was out this AM just dinking around at the seawall tossing 1/8 oz jigheads as the winds were up a little bit to get out into the Sound and it occurred to me....

I use Conventionals (Penn) Reels almost exclusively and a Baitcaster periodically. The only time I use a Spinning Reel is when Surf Casting or, like this morning, tossing real small weights..

Wife is a left hander so her Handle is one the 'wrong side'.. 

Now the question. Conv, BC'ers, even my Alvey Reels (centerpin-style) all crank from the right. If I use hers, why does it feel weird to use a Spinning from the right side?

Why were right-handers taught to use Spinning from the left and all the others from the right??

Thoughts?
Steve

[MarkT]

You tend to hold the spinning rod in the stronger hand and crank with the weaker since the rod does the lifting while the reel just holds the line.  At least that's the theory.

[Crow]

    I always "cast with the right,and reel with the left"....my casting 'accuracy' is MUCH better , that way, even though I can "cast w/ the left hand. I'd "like" to always use "left hand" conventionals and baitcasters, but , they are harder to find used...and usually more pricey, when you do.  I know that most all my fishing "buddies" cast with the right, then pass the rod to the other hand. I know that, when I'm tossing spinner baits, or buzz baits, I can get them "working" a lot faster by "not switching hands" !

[boon]

I'm left handed and I fish all of my reels with the handle on the right. Better to have your nominally stronger hand on the rod?

[sundancer]

Mark/Crow

Those are kinda my point(s)..

Not counting the relatively new Spinning Reels, Conventional were made for heavier duty use, on the weaker arm than Spinners

Casting Conv's and BC's is on the right, then transferred to the left.

Just wondering why??  Seeing that Spinners came into use afterward as Reels and materials improved, why did they change the layout?

S

[wfjord]

It's probably because it's the way we first learned it from someone who knew how.  Ever go to the beach a see tourist on the pier holding a rented spinning rod & reel upside down and cranking backwards with their right hand?  What fisherman would have taught them to do it like that?

Some engineer at a reel mfg company probably discovered early on it was more comfortable to have the handle of a spinning reel on the opposite side relative to that of a baitcaster.

[CapeFish]

I reckon its to do with the way you are taught, here everyone fishes with spinning reels handle on right hand side, even me who is a lefty! I suppose one reason to have a spinning reel handle on the left is because with light spinning tackle one handed casting is often done and its easier to  fire off a quick cast with the right arm (right handed people) and no hand swapping hands to start winding in.

[Alto Mare]

I'm right handed, handle on the right on all my conventional and on the left on spinners.
The best answer would come from your personal gear, use what works best for you.

Sal

[philaroman]

I can reel fairly comfortably either hand, but work the rod better righty -- I likes to keep me best hand on me rod
don't like switching hands (esp., frequent/repeated casting);
keep my spinner handles on the left;
didn't like using baitcasters, 'til I tried L/H -- then, LOVED IT !
w/ conventionals, I pretty much use my entire body to work the rod & don't cast that often,
so it doesn't matter as much, which hand does what
the preference to reel R/H goes up, as reels/depths get bigger

[sundancer]

all great thoughts guys...

I am reading a book from '84 on fishing gear and the author does mention that spinning, constrained to 15# line (about max) was, and still is used primarily for light tackle.  That Spinning, with its undershot attachment, is much easier it handle esp over a long time fishing.

I love my cheapo Baitcaster but am constantly having to change hands. 

We have constant discussions regarding the castibility of Penn Reels, esp in regard to Levelwinds, for distance.

Now that Spiral Wrapped Rods are starting to be 'a thing' (I built a couple and like them), the Top or Bottom attachment may not be an issue.

This all doesn't address why a lump, weighing several Oz's to well past a Lb, balanced on the top of a narrow stick, was a good idea.  Seems if both where underslung, the only difference in the Rods would be the first or Stripper Guide.  We could, philosophically use both Reel types on the same Rod. 

Ah..  Maybe there's the answer - Marketing..  LOLOL - or maybe I should just go out and fish and stop thinking.....

Steve

[Nipper]

If it was only about winding it would not matter much but on a spinning reel (we usually call them fixed spools over here in the UK), the cast involves holding the line with the hand and then casting with the same hand and that casting feels miuch better with the dominant hand and there is probably less chance of error and equally greater chance of accuracy. Also, on a true lefty with only righthand wind the bale also works the opposite way around which works much better for left handers; that is not true for "ambidextrous" reels which are not truly ambidextrous at all as only the wind changes side thus many left-handers do not rate ambidextrous reels as high as true leftys.

[Ron Jones]

This was an engineering problem. Go into a hardware store and look around at "odd-ball" parts, you'll see things that look suspiciously like gear sleeves, drag washers and various other parts of a multiplier. Because most threads are cut right handed the gear sleeve needed to be on the right side. No one uses a cane pole with their weak hand.

Because of the way spinners work, you can build one with the stick hanging out either side and make it work, so they were made correctly for right handed people, the majority of the market.

I'm blessed with being a South Paw, so conventionals are set up for me. All of you who use the wrong hand to right with should "technically" be using left handed conventionals and then be happy with your Mitchell 300s while I have Fred make me 301s.

Most people hate it, and try to find some way around it, but at the end of the day the consumer gets whatever compromise is most profitable.

Ron Jones