Why left hand wind on spinners and right hand wind on casters?

[JeffB]

The majority of bait casters are righties and that's what you learn on, so it just feels natural. But technically speaking, a right handed person should use a left handed reel and vise versa for a lefty. If you think about it, which arm would you rather set a hook with, your stronger dominate arm, or your weaker arm? Everyone I know that uses a right handed bait cast uses a left hand spinner, why, because that's what the side they grew up fishing on. It's funny bc I use righties for all my reels. I never used a spinner growing when I grew up, so once I bought my first one it only felt natural to move it to the right. All it is is that most bait shops only carry right handed reels for the most part. Usually what you learn with is what you stick too. I've tried switching, but doesn't feel right. It's like jerking it with the other hand, doesn't feel natural to the other arm and your buddy feels like he found a new friend! I can't think of any other way to put it?

[Necron 99]

I'm a lefty and have always reeled with my right hand. I switch my spinning reels to right handed ones. I never could figure out what you weird right handers were doing reeling with your dominant hand.

[mrJB]

Right handed but fish left handed conventional reels. There is a limited selection of left handed reels however - Avet, Calcutta's, etc. Makes it a little more difficult on the gaffing, but I get by...

[CheapPelican]

Originally Posted by JeffB

I've tried switching, but doesn't feel right. It's like jerking it with the other hand, doesn't feel natural to the other arm and your buddy feels like he found a new friend! I can't think of any other way to put it?

Wow. Never thought of it that way but

[YakMedic]

I'm right handed and only fish lefty conventional and baitcasters. After I had shoulder surgery on my left shoulder I was fighting a bigger model fish on a right handed reel and noticed how stupid it was that I was using my dominant arm to reel while all the rod fight was with my weak arm and bad shoulder.

I switched everything to left handed and love it. There isn't as much selection for lefty reels but I liked Avet in the first place.

[Amish Ed]

I'm sorta ambidextrous and fish with right handed baitcasters. I cast with either arm depending on my mood. I cast with both arms together a lot too, so I just automatically pass the rod to my left hand as I cast. Usually, when I cast with my right hand... as the rod hits the apex of its arc I switch it to my left hand, right hand goes to the handle. No fiddling with switching hands vwhen the bait is in the water. Tried a lefty reel and it just feels weird. On the rare occasions where I use a spinning reel (read trout fishing every 10yrs or so) I cast with my right arm and wind with my left, tried it the other way and just can't do that either. I learned it that way and that's it.

Same with scissors though. I was forced in school to use my right hand even though it felt wrong, now I can never cut with my left. When I played soccer, either foot worked as well as the other. I write with my left hand and draw, but I paint with both. Why all this background you ask? Just to say, do what feels natural and adjust from there.

[roadx]

right handed but will only buy left handed bait casters from here on out.
stops the jugging from hand to hand, and after awhile it just seems natural and the rights feel wrong.

[RockyRaab]

Yup, long time way back ago when I fished bass tournaments, there were no left-wind casting reels. So to avoid that hand switch, I taught myself to cast left-handed. For most casts, it was accurate enough, and soon became almost natural feeling.

Casting reels were invented long before spinning, and I suppose nobody thought it out as well as they might have so they put the handles on the right side. Kinda bassackward, as we now know.

[BrokeLoser]

Originally Posted by JeffB

It's like jerking it with the other hand, doesn't feel natural to the other arm and your buddy feels like he found a new friend! I can't think of any other way to put it?

I have no idea what you're talking about...I would never try such a despicable act! hahaha

[BrokeLoser]

Seems to me their is no real science to it either way. Now that I'm thinking about it; it does seem more reasonable to think that you would want to use your dominate or most coordinate hand to control the rod more so than the reel. Teaching your least coordinated hand to wind a reel seems more brainless than teaching it to hook set, jig a rod, pump a rod, thumb a spool and possibly cast.

[Biggameaddict]

Im right hand in baitcast and left in spinning. Thats how i always used them growing up and thats how im used to it.

[maui jim]

Originally Posted by Biggameaddict

Im right hand in baitcast and left in spinning. Thats how i always used them growing up and thats how im used to it.

X-2.... I also surf goofey foot, but love lefts on those surf breaks

Tried the other methods, but just dont feel right.

[taggermike]

I have wondered about this as well. I am right handed and reel a baitcaster with my right and a spinner with my left. Thats just how I learned. To have to switch the rod from right to left after the cast is just rediculuous though. I can cast with my left hand but it looks like the special olympics. When my dad retired and started to do mostly bass fishing he taught himself to cast with the left. Maybe I should work at it too. Mike

[fishsouthcounty]

Originally Posted by taggermike

I have wondered about this as well. I am right handed and reel a baitcaster with my right and a spinner with my left. Thats just how I learned.

same shit here....after i started fishing only saltwater though i stopped using spinners. When i was 21 and living in Monterey i decided to buy a big spinning outfit to fish off the rocks locally. Literally got confused at the store seeing the left handed retrieve on the spinners and had to consult with an attendant if a right hander cranks lefty. Good topic.