kiwicraig Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Just wondering how other raiders set up their reels because according to my friend I am goofy. In surfing or snowboarding "goofy" is when you have your dominate foot forward. He was talking about how I have my reels set up. I do a lot of my fishing with light flick sticks that I mostly cast one handed. I'm right handed so while I can and sometimes do cast with my left I am much more accurate casting with my right. I figure any hand can wind, but all the control for casting and working the fish should be on my stronger hand. As such I have set up my reels to have the handle on left. With this set-up I can cast one handed with my dominant hand and then start working it straight away without having to change grip or anything. It makes perfect sense to me - but other people often see this and assume I am left handed. How do other raiders do it? Do you have your reel handles on the dominant hand? If so do you cast with your off hand? Or do you cast with your stronger hand and then swap hands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsy91 Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Just wanted to clarify that "goofy" thing...I'm a snowboard instructor myself and goofy is not putting your dominant foot forward. ..you will always put whatever foot is dominant forward, if this is your left foot you are natural if it is your right you are goofy... The Americans all generally fish with the opposite hands to you which I only found out last year but to be honest I am with you and it works better for me this way!! Maybe one day I will persevere and train myself to cast and reel with the opposite hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dacosta74 Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Hi there, I'm the same as you. I have more control with my dominant hand (right), so i cast and play fish with that one, and reel with the left. I took a charter once and the guy had to change all the reels round for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsy91 Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 Hi there, I'm the same as you. I have more control with my dominant hand (right), so i cast and play fish with that one, and reel with the left. I took a charter once and the guy had to change all the reels round for me! This is the way the Americans fish and is apparently the "correct way"....i cast with my right then pass it back to my left for the retrieve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattfinn Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 I think it depends on what you're doing. Bait fishing I can't imagine it mattering much but lure fishing then yeah I understand the logic behind it and no matter how many times I've tried to give it a go I'm just not that coordinated. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass assassin Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I use my dominant hand (right) to cast and manipulate lure movement, and wind with the left hand. My reason for doing it 'correctly' is casting surface lures for Bass. Sometimes a Bass will crash a lure as soon as it lands. The time it takes to change hands and start winding to engage the bail arm, the fish has already got you bricked!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witha Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) Yup I'm the same. Dominant hand does the casting and lure control / fights the fish (right hand) and left just winds her in. Been called weird but I think it's more weird for someone to cast with their right then have to swap the rod to their left hand.... Also works perfectly with my hobie as the rudder control is on the left so I can change course mid fight without changing rod hands. "Goofy" supremacy Edited January 3, 2016 by Witha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ojay Samson Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) I use both. I am right handed and when I am fishing with lures I hold the rod with right hand and reel in with left. Just much more control when fighting fish as previously mentioned, and eliminates an unesessry step when casting. With my bait outfits I have the handle on the right, just because I don't need to constantly be casting and retrieving so that extra step of swapping rod from my one hand to the other is no big deal. I have taught my gf this same way even though she to is right handed and if for nothing else, it makes you proficient in retrieving with either hand in case life throws you one of its little curve balls (using someone else's rod who is opposite to what you primarily know). That being said I play ice hockey as a left handed person and when using firearms I am left eye dominant... Go figure lol. Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk Edited January 3, 2016 by Ojay Samson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adsy91 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I'm interested to know whether you all started out fishing this way or just made a commitment to switch. I had no idea there was a right or wrong way as a kid but when I got into lure fishing I definitely started to realise the error of my ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwicraig Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Hmmm interesting. I have always been this way - but while I only properly got into fishing as an adult some of my earliest fishing experiences were in the US, fishing with our neighbor for striped bass. Perhaps I picked this up from him and didn't even know it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucho hucho Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I am right handed person and I have set up all my reels to have the handle on the left. In my opinion it is more natural. It was the only way in seventies, spinning reels didn't have option to choose side for the handle. It is clearly visible on 2 Shakespeare and one Daiwa reels inherited from my father. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golf_fish Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I'm right handed, and I reckon if I had to reel a fish in with my left hand I'd never get one in the boat!! I've tried it a couple of times and feel like such a gumby doing it I change it back as quick as I can..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davemmm Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I spent my whole life fishing with the reel on the right. about 8-9 yrs ago I took some advice and started using my left hand for lures. Once i started it just felt natural. I dont lure fish that regularly but every reel is now used with my left hand. It just makes sense to strike with your dominant hand. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzell Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I'm English and was surprised that the norm here seems to be to have the winding part on the right hand side... Would make sense to me for left-handed folks, but the need to change hands after casting would annoy me. Each to their own though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I'm English and was surprised that the norm here seems to be to have the winding part on the right hand side... Would make sense to me for left-handed folks, but the need to change hands after casting would annoy me. Each to their own though. I am right handed. My spinning reels are set for winding with my left hand when bait fishing. I also have several baitcaster reels which (usually) are right hand wind. This isn't a problem when using lures or spinnerbaits because I cast right handed, then either let the lure sit on the surface (while I change hands) or let the spinnerbait sink (while I change hands) prior to winding with my right hand. HOWEVER, my preferred baitcaster outfit has a reel which is wound by the left hand...this is much better for controlling retrieve and bringing fish in. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer1979 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I am right handed in everything I do. But I cast with my left hand and wind with my right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinfisher 4.9 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I have tried, I really have but I'm right handed and when using lures or fighting fish, with a left hand wind, it simple doesn't work for me Yes I may lack some co-ordination which I accept, so I still continue to change hands after casting, which doesn't make any sense especially if fighting a big fish, your stronger hand should be on the rod.......but I It's the best I can do! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cargo05 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Back in the day, unless specifically ordered, spinning reels were right hand crank. For many this meant casting with their dominate arm, and then swopping to wind with their right hand. It wasn’t until I read an article explaining the benefits of casting with one hand and then cranking with the other that it all made sense. I ordered a left hand crank Mitchell 300 reel and have never looked back. Generally Baitcasters still need to be ordered if left hand crank is required, but for me it is definitely worthwhile for flicking lures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonedpirate Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 I have often wondered about this. In the end, i figured that striking is such a simple motion that we can all do it with our left or right hands whereas winding has a little more coordination required and it feels unnatural to right handers to do it with their left so that must be why the majority of right handers prefer to wind with their right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campr Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Hi. I'm pushing 70 and made a concious effort to change to winding with my left hand when about 12 after reading an article in a magazine. Definately an advantage to be able to start winding and close bail as soon as a lure hits the water when chasing bass or pelagics like tuna. I also fish ANSA comps using light lines and also find it's an advantage to be using your strongest hand/arm for a prolonged fight. An old trick for those wanting to switch and having trouble is to put a reel on your rod (bottom half of 2 piecer will do) and just wind reel while watching TV until it becomes more natural. Keep winding with left, it's definately the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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