left or right handed line retrieve
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Popper and Topwater Fishing
Forum Description: If you're into a bit of action on top, this is the forum for you
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=70801
Printed Date: 08 Jun 2026 at 5:53pm
Topic: left or right handed line retrieve
Posted By: accurate
Subject: left or right handed line retrieve
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 7:14pm
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Just been out playing with a few new poppers and stick baits and decided to change the handle from right to left. I thought it would be very awkward but didn't seem to make any difference to my retrieve ability. It may even be a little easier after a while due to having the rod in the dominant hand being right handed. It is quite convenient not having to change the rod over to the other hand after each cast especially on the heavier gear. What is the preferred retrieve/wind hand by the gurus of the surface lure ?? What is the general opinion.
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Replies:
Posted By: Fish Pimp
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 7:38pm
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You got it in one. |
Much easier to play the fish with your domanant arm only takes a couple of fingers to wind the handle. Left for me all the way.Posted By: Nomad
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 9:18pm
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Just as Colin has said, use your dominant arm to hold the rod and other to wind the reel, I am right handed but do everything left handed, so it's rod in left hand reel in right. ------------- Ben Pokaia <a href="http://www.nomadsportfishing.co.nz"> 
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Posted By: Saltiga
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 9:38pm
| Rod in left, reel in right im left handed tho so its all good |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 10:26pm
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same for me, rod in left, reel with right. But again, I'm a southpaw. Funny, it is pretty much a line across NZ, all those south of about Taupo with spin reels wind left, rod right, while taupo north, it is the opposite, most folks hold the rods in their left hand and wind with their right.... even when right handed. You have to wonder though why all overhead reels are made to be right hand wind? (yes, I know, apart from a very small minority of specialist left-hand drive overheads) |
Posted By: stellajigger
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 10:38pm
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yip southpaw too ------------- Live Bait , the Lance Armstrong of catching KINGFISH |
Posted By: PoppinTonga
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 9:58am
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What I like about winding with the left hand is that my right hand never leaves the rod. Don't have to switch hands after casting. Sometimes GTs strike soon as the lure lands, would hate be in mid-swap when a beast hit
 . When I was a kid the spinning reels that we had did not have changeable handles, they were all on the left side. (Mitchell, early Penn) Not sure if anyone else remembers that, or if it was just the brand of reels we used (early 60's). |
Posted By: FireBlade
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 10:25am
| Rod in the right hand and reel with the left for me too. |
Posted By: Aaron32987
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 10:58am
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Whatever suits / is comfortable, but I'm the same - reel with left as right hander.
Mates in the weekend complained about the handle on the left on my reel, to them it was akward, even though they were right handed
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Posted By: Legacy
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 11:00am
| Just learning to jig the same way too. |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 10:49pm
The theory is,you hold you your rod with the stronger arm and wind with your weaker arm(wrist)....well,you shouldnt have such a weak arm! I hold the rod with my left arm because its just as strong as my right arm and wind with my strong right arm too....just so happens i am used to it that way and it feels like, all over the place if i do it the other way plus during the fight...you can swap from one arm to the other during runs anyway....so there is nothing to be gained either way, if you do weights on BOTH arms! If you rely on one arm all the time,its not a good thing.If you use both arms through the day(under load),you wont get so fatigued.If one arm is a wimp...your in trouble. ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2011 at 10:53pm
I felt the same mate when i used your set up...sure if i gave it time i would get used to it but I am used to it the other way and cant be bothered to change now...plus although i am right handed...i do a few things with my left eg clean my teeth,pick my nose LOL...carry all the grocery bags in one hand,my left....Its good for the male brain apparently...to use the opposite side if you are right handed etc. Each to his own though.(so its good for your brain guys to do the oppo thing
)------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Aaron32987 wrote:Posted By: JW
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 1:55pm
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I read the original overheads were designed to be underslung and reeled with the left. Not sure if there's anything in it....for me I have always held the rod right handed - until I started sea fishing with overheads. Now I'm getting used to a left hand retrieve overhead and love it. I haven't noticed a difference at all in catch rates sea fishing with mates who fish with the rod in their left. Freshwater would be a different story i think - especially fly fishing. |
Posted By: bop strayliner
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 11:58am
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Yeah, rod right and crank with the left! ------------- Just one more cast!!! |
Posted By: Toni BG
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 4:47pm
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Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 7:35am
Go with whatever feels right for you NO right or wrong way
-------------  www.kavemantackle.co.nz
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Posted By: valleyboy
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 6:27pm
| real men do it with both hands on there ROD |
Posted By: letsgetem
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 6:35pm
| Yep I'm right handed, my right arm is the strongest - so naturally I hold the rod in my right hand, and reel with the left. Whoever invented the other way, should have been put down. |
Posted By: valleyboy
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 6:50pm
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SERIOUSLY IF ITS A DECENT FISH BOTH HANDS ARE ON THE ROD U AINT WINDING WHEN YOU ARE GETTING PEELED OUT THERE AINT NO RIGHT OR WRONG ITS WOT FEELS COMFORTABLE WHY CHANGE BECAUSE SOME KNOW ALL TELLS YOU U R DOING IT WRONG , WHOS GOING TO TELL YOICHI MOGI HES BEEN FISHING THE WRONG WAY ALL THESE YEARS ?????
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Posted By: Stefan
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 8:36pm
| I'm surprised there are so many right hand rod left hand reel, thats what I do and its a pain finding left hand overheads. Okuma and Avet is about your choice... |
Posted By: valleyboy
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 8:40pm
JM do a left handed version too
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