Are you and your baitcaster....?

[DICER]

After being a right-handed caster and winder in Australia (both shimano baitcaster and overhead), I'm now challenged with being a right-handed caster and left-handed winder [smiley=freak.gif]

It seems that most baitcaster and spinning outfits in Europe are sold >90% left-handed wind. People all chant the Rex mantra - cast with your right and wind with your left (Rex still runs two times a day and in the 5.30pm prime time slot on Discovery channel). The fishing reps have tried to convince me here!

What do you do?
What have you bought? - LH or RH wind baitcaster models

[agnes_jack]

Dicer
The right-right thing, seems to be an australian bad habit!
I get a lot of backpackers in the shop from Europe, they all think we are very strange doing the right-right thing. Anytime I sell a reel to Europeans, the first thing they ask is if the handle can be changed to left hand wind. Often when reels from overseas turn up in the shop, handles are on the left side. I then change them all to right for the aussies. It's got to be easier winding left hand if you can get used to it, buggered if it works for me though, guess it's how you were taught as a kid.

Regards, Tony

[Jeremy]

lucky me. Cast left handed and wind right. Pity the rest of you ;D

Jeremy

[szopen]

I have grown up in Europe and that is true that vast majority of reels both spinning and baitcasting there are for left hand winding.

As a matter of fact when I was young some spinning reels were build for left hand winding onle and you could not move the handle to the other side.

This is one of the reasons that baitcasters have never really been popular therem now with left hand retrieve ones available they can be seen from time to time.

As for the reasons.
It is just simpler you cast with your dominant hand (right for most of us) than simply start retrieve with the other hand, no need to switch the rod from one hand to the other and you get a better feeling when you hold the rod in the dominant hand.

Baitcasting reels have been made for right hand winding when they apeared and than people just accepted that they have to perform all the acrobatics when using them. Sort of force of custom.

I have two big right hand wind baitcasters which I bought long time ago because nothing else was available and to me they are a bit of pain in the .... to use.

Bought another smaller one with left hand retrieve and love it.
Would not buy a right hand retrieve reel.

[basserman]

same as jeremy cast left wind right however i can also cast right and wind left but it does fell kinda funky

[NeilD]

If I cast with the hand that I hold the rod with I would then have to still move my hand into the position I use to retrieve(ie reel cupped in left hand). I feel this would be more trouble than its worth ???.
I played around with left hand wind threadlines but alway felt uncomfortable compared to what I was used to.

Neil

[Jeremy87]

Usually cast right handed, but will sometimes cast with both hands using a baitcaster or swap hands over depending on the cast with a spin stick, i wind right handed but can wind left handed if so inclined (say if i swap rods with a mate).

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

i cast right-handed then unpick the birdsnest with both hands, my armpit & my teeth then wind in right handed ....

might be why i use an alvey so much !

seriously i can cast off both arms but my right can go all day, my left gets very sore in the wrist after about 50 casts ( an operation to remove a ganglion; same reason I detest deepsea overheads, feels like my wrist is breaking)

[HigherGround]

That's because your're using an overhead!!

[szopen]

Just looking at the poll results I seem to be the only one who casts right hand and winds with the left.

Peculiar.

[landbasedtossa]

Don't know about anyone else but after casting right-handed I pass the rod to my left hand whilst the lure is still in flight and can start cranking as soon as the lure hits the water.

[DICER]

thanks for the replies! so they say here in Holland, it just doesn't make sense for right-right. I've now been through many shops and I would say more than >95% now would be left-handed. I like to crank with my right and boy does it feel wierd to use the left.

landbasedtossa - that's what I use to do.

szopen - I'm now about to join you in casting right and winding left. Unless I use the force and become a Jedi fighter.

Tony I wish I had consulted you before I had bought the new baitcaster! DOH!

[szopen]

The bast way to get used to this.

If you have no other choice you will learn fast.

[james_noosa]

i bought my first baitcaster about a year ago and it hasn't steared me wrong yet, i have an abu ambassedeur eon with left hand wind.
countless people think i'm messed up from the way i fish from security guards, tourists and even my mates but i'd never buy a right hand wind reel because it is just too awkward to use poppers and other lures.
i bought my left handed baitcaster because that was how i was brought up due to my parents being english and also i wanted to learn how to use one seeing i was 15.
since then i've bought two more left hand wind overheads and both have been worth every penny.
james from the sunny coast

[Chuong]

I have always been right-right, but now mainly fish with lures and have changed to right-left. I won't go back and have wondered why it took so long to figure out. It's a pain to keep changing hands, but I guess you cast alot more with lure fishing compared to bait fishing, where you can put your rod down for a while.

[SquareBear]

Dexterity and me have never met! ;D

Cast ambidextrous but ALWAYS wind right. Any other way and there's a fair chance i'll drop the rod, or fish, or bl@@dy both! ;D ;D

Have a 17 yo son who I am teaching left hand cast right hand wind, and an 11 month old son who holds his bottle with his right, so guess he's gonna have to be a lefty!

SquareBear 8)

[Brett_Hoskin]

I use right hand wind for everythingexcept when flyfishing. don't know why...just the way it is..........

[Dodgy_Back]

I'm a right lefter and think it makes sence to wind with your left , no changing hands or fumbling about.
Went for a fish with a guide once , had to get him to change the handles on the reels I used . I couldn't possibly cast right and wind right , that would be just plain CRAZY !!!!
Mick

[Fishin_Dan]

I find if I try to use a reel with the handle on the left, the reel is held still by my right hand, and I wind in the rod with my right!!!

Just too weird for my liking! (Plus I look like a d$#k with the rod shaking everywhere!!!) ;D ;D ;D

[Brett_Hoskin]

I find if I try to use a reel with the handle on the left, the reel is held still by my right hand, and I wind in the rod with my right!!!



Good one...I could see myself doing that.