Left Handed Concept Reels

13Fishing · Post by **13Fishing** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:42 am

Lefties are enthusiastically contacting us asking when will we have LH models available. We are currently engineering a tooling the LH model(s) and we should have them available in early 2015.

Keepinitreelfishing · Post by **Keepinitreelfishing** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:25 pm

Thank you for the proactive heads up on these. Man, that's just a tough timeframe in terms of waiting.

Thanks again and welcome.

Carl
***Edited by Moderator***

Bass1980 · Post by **Bass1980** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 3:08 pm

wheeewwww that's a long wait but at least you are thinking of us odd ones

Mcyl · Post by **Mcyl** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:23 pm

Bass1980 wrote:wheeewwww that's a long wait but at least you are thinking of us odd ones

Are we still the odd ones? For a right handed person isn't it my intuitive to pitch and flip LH reels and crank RH?

13Fishing · Post by **13Fishing** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:52 pm

MCYL,

unfortunately, the sales numbers disagree with you. Its a extremely expensive process to design, engineer and tool a fishing reel. Those costs have to be justified by potential sales. Manufacturers do their best to get some LH options. I hope in the future more guys think like that so that we can build more Left Handed Reels.

13 Fishing

SteveSchmelzle · Post by **SteveSchmelzle** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:46 am

I'm not sure how familiar you are with Ontario fishing stores but we have one store here, Sail, which is like the BPS of the north.

I have a friend who works there and has confirmed their left handed reel sales outsell their right handed reel sales.

going smaller, mom and pop shops, we have Fishing World and Bills Bait and Tackle, both local to Hamilton Ontario.

They too show sales greater with left handed reels over right handed reels.

I personally think its bunk that companies claim greater sales with right over left.

Of course when a product is more readily available with right handed reels that right handed sales are greater.

I'd like to have a company release a left handed reel THE SAME TIME as the right handed reel and see the sales.....

I don't think "Canadians" are different from the rest of the world. Left handed reels are just as popular, if not more so, than right handed reels.

To further this point, when anglers are getting into the sport, they cast with their dominant arm....which means reel with the opposite (the idea of changing hands with a rod is silly...and was only done when only right handed reels were available).

younger anglers are much more inclined to use left handed reels...but are being left out due to manufacturers unwillingness to produce left handed reels off the top.

Mcyl · Post by **Mcyl** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 9:09 am

13Fishing wrote:MCYL,

unfortunately, the sales numbers disagree with you. Its a extremely expensive process to design, engineer and tool a fishing reel. Those costs have to be justified by potential sales. Manufacturers do their best to get some LH options. I hope in the future more guys think like that so that we can build more Left Handed Reels.

13 Fishing

Haha damn! As well as an injury, I started fishing LH reels after following US bass fishing! Before that, like all Aussoes I was purely a RH user. Is it just Japan then?

And I fully understand about the tooling. Easy to mirror the draft paying for the die would have been frightening

13Fishing · Post by **13Fishing** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 9:16 am

Steve,

I agree with your assessment about Canadians using a much higher percentage of Left Handed Reels. Unfortunately we need more Canadian anglers to actually have this impact the global market. It is obvious the percentage of anglers using LH reels is growing, but sales are still small in comparison to RH models. 13 Fishing is already making big strides to impact the Canadian market. We currently sell to Sail, Fishing World, and Bill's on your list. We do recognize the need for LH reels and that is exactly why we are building them as we speak. We love the enthusiasm of the Left Handed anglers, and trust me we will reward your patience soon. Additionally Canadians use a higher percentage of 2 piece rods, still scratching our heads on that one...but we have those coming for you guys north of the border also.

13 Fishing

Re: Left Handed Concept Reels

Postby SteveSchmelzle » Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:46 am
I'm not sure how familiar you are with Ontario fishing stores but we have one store here, Sail, which is like the BPS of the north.

I have a friend who works there and has confirmed their left handed reel sales outsell their right handed reel sales.

going smaller, mom and pop shops, we have Fishing World and Bills Bait and Tackle, both local to Hamilton Ontario.

They too show sales greater with left handed reels over right handed reels.

I personally think its bunk that companies claim greater sales with right over left.

Of course when a product is more readily available with right handed reels that right handed sales are greater.

I'd like to have a company release a left handed reel THE SAME TIME as the right handed reel and see the sales.....

I don't think "Canadians" are different from the rest of the world. Left handed reels are just as popular, if not more so, than right handed reels.

To further this point, when anglers are getting into the sport, they cast with their dominant arm....which means reel with the opposite (the idea of changing hands with a rod is silly...and was only done when only right handed reels were available).

younger anglers are much more inclined to use left handed reels...but are being left out due to manufacturers unwillingness to produce left handed reels off the top.

SteveSchmelzle · Post by **SteveSchmelzle** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:19 am

its funny you mention two piece rods.

because your observations are 100% same as mine.

I worked at Bills Bait for many years during my childhood. We sold as many two piece rods as one piece rods.

Today its not 50/50 like it once way, but I'd still wager to guess a 75/25 between one piece to two piece....25% of rod sales in two piece is still a substantial amount of rods....

I know a lot of friends who canoe and portage up north...they wouldn't ever consider purchasing a one piece rod....but they'll buy relatively high end (GL3 or Avid) two piece spinning rods. The 6'6" medium two piece GL3 spinning rod was the best selling rod at the shop I worked at.

13Fishing · Post by **13Fishing** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:43 am

Steve,

2 piece rods are definitely more popular in Australia and Canada, we have heard many theories. I think smaller cars is a factor...I grew up in Vermont(30 min from Canada) and I have spent some time visiting our team in Australia. Both Countries seem to have much smaller cars than the giant gas guzzling SUV crowd here in the states.

who knows.... some things we will never answer, like why does a LH baitcaster have the handle on the Left, but a LH spinning reel has the handle on the right?? Was that a Canadian thing too? I'm kidding, but seriously...lol.

Matt
13 Fishing

postby SteveSchmelzle » Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:19 pm
its funny you mention two piece rods.

because your observations are 100% same as mine.

I worked at Bills Bait for many years during my childhood. We sold as many two piece rods as one piece rods.

Today its not 50/50 like it once way, but I'd still wager to guess a 75/25 between one piece to two piece....25% of rod sales in two piece is still a substantial amount of rods....

I know a lot of friends who canoe and portage up north...they wouldn't ever consider purchasing a one piece rod....but they'll buy relatively high end (GL3 or Avid) two piece spinning rods. The 6'6" medium two piece GL3 spinning rod was the best selling rod at the shop I worked at.

natalex85 · Post by **natalex85** » Sat Nov 08, 2014 12:53 am

This is great news! I really enjoy the concept reels I have. I am a righty and will fish mostly with my right. However I want to flip and pitch with a lefty reel. Especially punching etc. I am accurate pitching with my left hand but I fatigue doing it all day. Thus I want to pitch with my right and reel with my left in those applications.

angry john · Post by **angry john** » Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:44 am

Small cars is just an excuse. I have many 7'6" and a few 8' rods i carry in my toyota corolla. The 8' do go out the window, but it is more convenient to have a 2 piece.

natalex85 · Post by **natalex85** » Wed Dec 31, 2014 7:23 am

Any updates on the lefties?

87tpita · Post by **87tpita** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 4:47 am

I was told January 2015 the lefties would be ready...... well Jan 1st has come and gone............ where are my reels!!!!! lol

13Fishing · Post by **13Fishing** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 12:28 am

The Left Handed Concept Reels are still on schedule for the early summer of 2015. Expect some images soon on our social media pages, as we ramp up the LH release. June or July is the Target date...be patient, we have a few upgrades for the LH models that we think anglers will really like.

Matt
13 Fishing

87tpita wrote:I was told January 2015 the lefties would be ready...... well Jan 1st has come and gone............ where are my reels!!!!! lol