Right hand or left handed reel?
I have never understood why most people who use baitcasters in north America have a right handed reel. In Norway , where I'm from, the majority of people use left handed reels?
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by ant165234
I’ve tried the left handed reel to be able to hold the rod in my right hand (strong hand) and I simply can’t get used to it. I’m sure with practice I’d get better but dang it’s tough.
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by massbrandon
I wonder the the same thing. I am a right handed VA resident and only own left-handed baitcasters.
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by danintheriver
Same for me. I grew up as a kid with spincast and spinning, always reeling with my left hand. Got into B/C reels and have always used lefty reels. I’m right handed.
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by montanabob68
It feels more natural to cast and crank with my right hand. I've tried a left hand reel and it felt weird to me. As long as you're out there fishing is all that matters
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by BearDogBBQ
I wonder the same thing. Right-hand retrieve is objectively worse for right handed people, but not a huge deal. I'm guessing all of those people just started using right-hand retrieve for some reason and are too used to it to move to left. Maybe just because the right-hand retrieve reels were just more common?
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by aayyyyyyyyyyyy
Daiwa or Shimano, Apple or Android, left or right. Do what feels comfortable. I write left handed, play golf right handed, shoot right in hockey, with my spinning or casting rod I cast left handed and retrieve right handed. If I want distance I might cast with my right arm. All my buddies are left hand spinning rod or right hand casting with only 1 as the exception who does both left handed. Different strokes for different folks. Canada
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by Dangerfield85
American here use lefty reels, dont understand it either
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by realmendrinkmead
Bought my first baitcaster right handed after advice of everyone online. Have bought nothing but left hand retrieve since.
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by Gref
I am right handed I cast with my right then switch the rod to my left hand to reel with my right too idk why just the most comfortable for me
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by Greyhound45
Somewhere I read that when bait casters were first released, they were only available in RH retrieval. Not sure if that is true or not but that’s what I’ll go with for now. I use LH. Friend gave me a RH and I use it it’s definitely not as good for me.
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by mjjohnson86
Right handed and use left handed reels. Whatever feels comfortable to you.
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by Captain905
I'm right handed. I cast a spinning reel on my right side and reel with my left. When I learned to use a bait caster I taught myself casting with my right and reeling with my right. The only reason is more selection in reels. It seems completely counter-intuitive!
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by boatsntattoos
Agreed. I use a LH baitcaster and spinning reel, although I am RH dominant.
Using a LH reel stops the need of switching the rod from hand to hand with each cast and allows the dominant arm to fight the fish - the arm with most strength. This allows a few more casts at the end of the day and in theory a higher chance of catching more fish.
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by delongpike
I use right handed reels, and I was in a tournament and bass were biting topwater, and so I grabbed one of his reels and it was left handed. It messed me up. If I remember correctly, he has and uses both right and left handed reels; that is something I could not get used too. I guess I use right hand retrieve reels because I'm dominant right hand, and it's most comfortable for me. I just had a tad more dexterity in my right hand. I also cast with my right hand, and switch the rod to my left hand to reel with my right. I'm working on casting with my left, but it tanks my accuracy.
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by MichaelRast13
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