Reeling Demographics... are you a righty or lefty

[Cagey]

No, I don't palm the reel. When I cast, my hand is behind the reel

[mhood]

No, I don't palm the reel. When I cast, my hand is behind the reel usually two fingers in front of the rod "trigger" and two behind it with my thumb on the spool. And that is where my hand stays all through the cast and when reeling.

You should try to learn to do it the "right" (sic) way. When you palm your reel, the whole combo is in much better balance.

[Cagey]

If palming the reel is the right way then why even put a handle on a rod? Just wire tie the reel to a rod and it will be so much lighter without the handle!

[mhood]

It's easy really. The handle is for holding in your right hand while casting. You palm with your left hand while reeling. Those of us with well developed stomachs can gain a little leverage with the butt of the rod in our belly button. You know where the butt of the rod is...that's where you are adding 5 oz. to your stick so it will balance while you hold in by the handle.

[Cagey]

But I tell you what, I will try to palm the reel again and see if it I can't get it right!

[Dark3]

One thing you should be cautious of; if you fish with aftermarket handles that have aluminum grip spindles, and are right handed/right reeling, when you set the hook be careful to not pull on the grip/handle with your dominant hand. I have bent grip spindles and have to continually work on my technique to build the necessary muscle memory to set the hook without trashing my handles in that moment of whoa whoa whoa SLAM!!. Once the spindles bend just a hair, if they are equipped with bearings instead of those crappy stock bushings (one more benefit of pimpin that reel) , you will lose the that nice grip free spin. Tight lines!!

[Bassfan22]

I'm right handed but want to learned how to pitch with a left hand reel. I hate switching hands.

[Basscatcher99]

I use right hand baitcasters and left hand spinning reels. Just how I learned. I do a lot of casting with my left hand so I don't have to switch hands on baitcasters. I also flip and pitch with the rod in my left hand. Just makes more sense to me then switching hands.

[hawkoath]

Naturally right handed. With both a bait casting reel and spinning reel left handed.

[Montanaro]

Right with baitcasting and left with spinning

[nickp]

Right hand reels left hand holds the rod, opposite for spinning. A freak I know

[Impreza619]

right with baitcasters, left with spinners. im weird

[slicksouthpaw]

i can see why pros cast right handed and reel with their right.

it makes alot of sense to cast over your right shoulder and the bait back to ur right side. may feel unnatural to most but that little extra pays off when working parrallel to the bank.

btw im left handed and cast with my right, reel with my left. when i cast my bait over my left shoulder and work it back towards my right side. i dont have the same control, cant pop the rod the same way, sweep hooksets feel odd going left to right.

[brian1967]

Right handed but reel left hand. I hate having to switch hands at one of the most key moments.

[SteveSchmelzle]

i truly wish we were able to drill down further into the selections.

i find, at our local shop, that the right handed anglers, who cast with their right, then switch hands and reel with their right, are of the old(er) generation.

when we sell left handed reels, the majority of the buyers are less than 35 years old (yes, a generalization, but still quite accurate).

I feel that the anglers who grew up fishing bait casters when there simply wasn't the left handed options learned to cast and reel with their right, effectively switching hands.

I further feel that younger anglers, ones who have the option from day one, don't see the need to switch hands, and start with what is comfortable for them.....

Just some rambles while staring out the window at 5' snow piles. Winter can't go fast enough!!