The best reel you ever owned...

Some like the cast, switch hands, reel method of fishing a baitcaster.  I'm not one.

Hard to pick just one for the best.  Long term the Curado 201e7 has been great.  The Stradic FL is my all time favorite spinner.  Not a ton of time on it, but the Scorpion DC might become an all time favorite.

It’s strange, I’ve started to notice people selling their personal reels where their baitcasters are right hand retrieve, but the spinning reels in the same photo are left-handed… what’s up with that?!

Fred “True” Trujillo

I cast and and reel baitcasters with either hand equally but can only use left handed spincasters. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you can find videos of bass anglers using early low-profile casting reels, the reel gets palmed in the non-dominant hand when the cast ends, and it was natural for us to use dominant hand to crank the reel - or, for me, cast righty, retrieve righty.  That doesn't work with spinning reels.

It’s strange, I’ve started to notice people selling their personal reels where their baitcasters are right hand retrieve, but the spinning reels in the same photo are left-handed… what’s up with that?!

Fred “True” Trujillo

If you can find videos of bass anglers using early low-profile casting reels, the reel gets palmed in the non-dominant hand when the cast ends, and it was natural for us to use dominant hand to crank the reel - or, for me, cast righty, retrieve righty.  That doesn't work with spinning reels.

It’s strange, I’ve started to notice people selling their personal reels where their baitcasters are right hand retrieve, but the spinning reels in the same photo are left-handed… what’s up with that?!

Fred “True” Trujillo

This is why I never enjoyed baitcasters until they came out with the left hand retrieve.....I'm right handed, but it makes more sense for me to reel with the left for both spinning and casting rods.  When skateboarding/snowboarding, I notice I'm what's called "goofy foot"...which is right foot forward and usually when you're right-hand dominant then left foot forward is "normal".  So, maybe there is a correlation.

I have to agree with BentRod.  I started fishing with spinning reels using my dominate hand (right) to cast with.  Never made sense to switch the rod to the other hand after every cast (didn't feel right) so when I started buying bait casting reels they have been left hand retrieve where possible. 

The cast and switch with left handed basscassters isn't all that bad when you are in a boat or on shore.  I dont want to say it feels completely natural (it still seems like a waste of effort to me), but its not toooooo bad.  In a kayak, especially my hobie where I only have steering on the left side, I want to keep the rod in my right hand and reel with my left.  The switch feels a bit more unnatural too, just a lot of shuffling in a small space.  It seems with the smaller (bass/freshwater) sized baitcasters you can find left hand ones pretty much in every model line/step.  The saltwater world (especially the level drag side of things) hasnt quite caught up.  Penn and Avet have a few, but they seem to be in limited models, and dont fully mirror the left hand models.

The cast and switch with left handed basscassters isn't all that bad when you are in a boat or on shore.  I dont want to say it feels completely natural (it still seems like a waste of effort to me), but its not toooooo bad.  In a kayak, especially my hobie where I only have steering on the left side, I want to keep the rod in my right hand and reel with my left.  The switch feels a bit more unnatural too, just a lot of shuffling in a small space.  It seems with the smaller (bass/freshwater) sized baitcasters you can find left hand ones pretty much in every model line/step.  The saltwater world (especially the level drag side of things) hasnt quite caught up.  Penn and Avet have a few, but they seem to be in limited models, and dont fully mirror the left hand models.

I don't mind the right hand retrieve reels for jigging and have Penn Fathom and Senator reels for the deep stuff.  Any casting however, I have left hand retrieves.  I have a Concept C 7.3 LH reel I am partial to.  It is the reel I learned how to cast without creating a birds nest every time......   

Daiwa Lexa 301s - also a Right handed goofy/southpaw/left-side reeler.

Beat them up in salt and fresh, jigging casting swimbaits as long as they are maintained have been good workhorses. 

Shimano calcuttas get honorable mention (the TE line were some of the best) but swapped from them due to hating their internal braking system eventually.

In a kayak, especially my hobie where I only have steering on the left side, I want to keep the rod in my right hand and reel with my left.

Finally!  Someone who admits it isn't "hands-free fishing"!   

Thank you.

I think reel makers have it backwards.  If you're right handed, you cast and control the rod with your right hand. Therefore you reel with the left. Same holds true for lefties. Control with the left, reel with the right.

So, why are so many reels set up for lefties from the factory, or rigt hand is the only option

You only need to look at a low-profile baitcasting reel to see they were designed to be held in your non-casting hand and cranked with your casting hand.  The shape is made for that.  You may be using them wrong differently, but they were designed to be held in the left hand (for righties) and cranked with the right hand.

Watch any YouTube video of folks fishing for bass to see how they're holding the reel - they don't even use the rod handle after they've made the cast.

Is that backwards?  That's an answer I leave to future philosophers to ponder.

I think reel makers have it backwards.  If you're right handed, you cast and control the rod with your right hand. Therefore you reel with the left. Same holds true for lefties. Control with the left, reel with the right.

So, why are so many reels set up for lefties from the factory, or rigt hand is the only option

Exactly my perspective! If you were going to wield a sword, swing a club or throw a javelin, which arm would you be doing that with? For me that's my right arm. And that point about steering your Hobie with your left arm? That right there. ALL of it unless anyone knows if Hobie reverses the steering set up on their kayaks?

Fred "True" Trujillo

Sorry Tinker, I don't agree with that perspective.  And leave it at that instead of blowing up the site.

Sorry Tinker, I don't agree with that perspective.  And leave it at that instead of blowing up the site.

X2

Yup, same here Yakhunter. I write with my left hand, but throw a baseball with my right so it always made sense to me. My dad prefers right hand retrieve, but he's able to switch. I can use either, but I like having my stronger arm to control the rod. A lot depends on your type of fishing though - deep sea with rod holders and I don't mind a right hand retrieve. At the end of the day, you can catch fish either way

I have to agree with BentRod.  I started fishing with spinning reels using my dominate hand (right) to cast with.  Never made sense to switch the rod to the other hand after every cast (didn't feel right) so when I started buying bait casting reels they have been left hand retrieve where possible.