Been fishin' all my life and ALL my reels of every kind (spinning, bait cast, even spin cast; yes I still like them for certain situations) have all been right cast and left reel. I'm just not ambidextrous at fishin'.
I had a Normark, by Rapala, for years it served well. Probably because I didn't wear it on my belt. Hmmm... maybe I'll get another one.
Drifting for cod fish off RI. in the '90s on the 7Bs with a dozen fishermen aboard, something hit me hard and yanked my whole rig outta my hands and took it down at least 150 ft. The boat Capt. Rusty Benn, swung around for another drift. I offered 20 bucks to the guy that came up with it. Sure enough, some one snagged it and made the $20. The first mate took it inside, stripped the reel down, cleaned, lubed, and relined it and I was back fishing in just about an hour of lost time instead of lost rod and reel (a Shimano combo made for cod). Love that 7Bs crew!
Just thought I'd clock in on the fish ID question. In less than 60 seconds googling photos of drums and tilapia fishes; the fish in the above photo that's being held out for identification is unquestionably a tilapia. No drums come even close. Do the Google photos comparison and full see for sure: tilapia identical.
Follow up:
It helps to be familiar with the water you'll be night fishing so that you know where the structures and edges of things are, thereby avoiding snags. Also, be very familiar with the lures you will be using. Knowing how they should sound and feel as you present them is vital since there will be little light to see by.
That's the beauty of night fishing for bass. They move up the structures and edges to more shallow water to feed on batfish, insects, small crustaceouns, frogs, ect... It's the the food chain in action; it's the circle of life. Hakoona-Matatah this lunker boy!
As it crashes up and smashes your lure like a breaching sperm whale! You can barely see it but you can feel it on your gear and here the violence of it! Hope your insurance is paid up; it's heart attack city my friend! Savour every exciting second of it; there's nothing like night fishing for lunker Big-Mouths!
TOP WATER, top water, top water!
and in case I forget to mention, TOP WATER.