Reel handle Right or Left??
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Soft Bait Fishing
Forum Description: Anything to do with this latest and greatest way of catching our favourite species
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18945
Printed Date: 11 Jun 2026 at 10:17pm
Topic: Reel handle Right or Left??
Posted By: Mahiman
Subject: Reel handle Right or Left??
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2007 at 9:29pm
| What do you all think about having reel handle on the left or the right(spinning reels). It is a personal choice I understand. If your right handed normally we fish with handle in right hand. When I was in florida flicking around a lot of soft plastics for bass I was adviced to fish with handle in left hand. Once I was used to it, i felt it was the better option as I could use my right hand to twitch the rod easier than my left hand. I have noticed some of the Aussie "pros" fishing this way too. It feels awkward at the start but in my opinion it makes a lot of sense....... |
Replies:
Posted By: JK
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2007 at 9:35pm
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Yeah it does feel mighty awkward at first but after a while you get use to it. And it does make sense to wind with the left if you are right handed as you dont need to change hands all the time when you are casting alot. Just keep the rod in the right hand at all times.
Having said that I still prefer right hand wind as its what I've always done
------------- LedgeNZ LBG |
Posted By: Fishb8
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2007 at 9:49pm
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It makes sense for the dominant hand to hold the rod and to wind with the other. I'm rh but always wind my spinning reels lh. I was taught that way as a boy and never knew any difference. I can wind rh without turning the reel upside down, which my mate did when he used my spinning outfit, and wound the handle off, when he was bringing in an albacore. Panic!!
Not too easy to get a good selection of lh reels. Doesn't make any difference gamefishing when you use a harness.
Makes me laugh when I watch a fly fisher casting rh, then having to change the rod to the lf so they can wind their reel. ------------- Be yourself; everyone else is already taken |
Posted By: Uncle
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2007 at 9:53pm
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Here's some stuff from the archives Mahiman.
I'm a great fan of converting people early in their soft bait careers, just so they can do it "proper".
 http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=5160&KW=Left+hand+wind+reels - http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=5160&KW=Left+hand+wind+reels
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Posted By: mozz
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2007 at 10:24pm
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Uncle convinced me to wind Left handed when I first met him and I still do it for snaps but kings I prefer RH to get the lure going really fast(still to unco LH)
it makes a whol lot of sense though
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Posted By: MtBadfish
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 12:04am
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I didn't really know anyone else did this!
I'm still kinda unco winding but I'm much more co-ordinated while working the lure, so it pays off. I'm yet to get a kingi on my spinning reel so we'll see how that goes,,,,, hopefully. |
Posted By: Kezza
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 7:10am
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hahahahaha...this old chesnut! I agree in theory but just can't do it...grew up spinning for trout winding right-handed....anyhoo it doesn't seem to effect the amount or size of fish I catch when fishing side-by-side with guys that wind them all "proper" like....4 righthanded winders managed around 60 kings to 20kg recently using their reels the "wrong way" around...in fact one left-handed winder (Matt) changed his reel over just so he could get more crank/speed imparted on his softbait after not getting the surface bites the others where getting. Most of the softbaiting I do is on the drift so casting as such isn't really part of the equation.....yes I have to swap hands once the fish is struck, but I can live with that....not exactly an energy taxing procedure. bottom line? do whatever works for you or whatever it is you are used to....both work...  |
Posted By: Young Yakker
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 10:01am
| I'm pretty lucky there. I'm left handed but grew up fishing with dads right handed rods so it's natural to wind in with my right hand. It feels awkward with left hand. And yeh i reckon it helps having the favoured hand on the rod. |
Posted By: Finatic
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 10:34am
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Uncle hauled Mozz and I up at the same time and asked why it was we were using our SP gear with the handle on the right hand side?
Switched over from that point in time and have never looked back (being ambidextrous helped I guess  ). Was an awkward feeling at first... reaching for the handle and it not being there.
I like it when casting as it gives a much quicker response time if the lure is hit early than having to juggle the rod between hands when you get a strike. ------------- What's the cheapest type of meat? Dear balls. They're under a buck. |
Posted By: snap
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 11:37am
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What Kezza said - but why swap hands? I wind right handed and work the rod with my left. Last night I was getting them on the drop (overhead reel). I was in free spool with the lefthand thumbing the spool till the fish strike then simply hook up and wind. |
Posted By: Na Fianna
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 12:20pm
| I am RH and was brought up with rod in the right and crank with the left. My son is left handed and instictivly does it the other way round so fortuneatly we do not have to change things around as we use the same gear. I have been caught out fumbling a few times when you have to grab somene elses rod when they have a strike. Especially with OH reals not so much with spinning reels. |
Posted By: whalerider
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 1:28pm
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lol what Kezza said!! I have fished rh for 30 years but my father has fished lh for at least the same period ;o) enough to say that if he had an unattended strike I would be left fumbling with his reel trying to support the rod upright while making a complete eedjit of myself clumsily and almost hopelessly trying to keep tight lines lmao. Since taking up SB's I have wanted desperately to be able to wind left handed BUT have found it easier to learn to work the rod and lure with my left hand!!! lol.
------------- I HATE MISANTHROPISTS!! |
Posted By: aharvnz
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 1:50pm
| I am right handed and also hold the rod in the right hand and wind with my left. I thought I was normal as I thought you hold the rod with your stongest hand. it wasn't until I bought a casting rod with a low profile baitcaster that I found out I was cack-handed. I found it tricky with that rod at first because I would cast with my right hand and then have to switch the rod to my left hand to wind with my right. arrgggghhhh..... anyway I can now switch ok from one to another but still prefer to wind with my left hand |
Posted By: wingo
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2007 at 12:18am
| I am right handed but don't have a rh..........guess what I do? |