Reels

[Reckless]

  Have used spinning reels all my life. Now a right handed usually uses his left hand to retrieve with. Atleast I do. Most casting reels seem to be the opposite.Retrieve with right hand.
I am probably saying this wrong. I have it in my head that a right hand spinning reel the crank is on the left. Does that apply to casting reels too?
 

[Hotrod]

Nope..  At least not for me

[mboy]

Nope, crank with right hand if righty with conventional, left hand crank with spinning for a righty.

[Luna Sea 5]

natta

[IrishAyes]

I could never figure out how you guys can do that.  I am a lefty and I use my right hand to crank with both spinning and conventional.

What makes it different on a spinning outfit that you use your opposite hand to crank?  You still need to control the rod the same and crank the same.

I have tried the spinning on the left side, only because "that's the way a leftie is SUPPOSED to do it".  I was so spastic that I couldn't get a smooth crank and the rod would be whipping all over the place.  Duhhhh    

[Reckless]

 With spinning when you cast I guess its better to use your right hand to hold line to cast. If you are right handed. I would prefer to have cranks for both on the left and I am right handed.
 bngh

[Hunter 2]

On conventional baitcasting reels the retrieve handle would be in your right hand.

[mboy]

Reel men use a conventional reel the right way 

[Bob]

I use both reels but find it uncomfortable to crank a small conventional with my left hand.  The geometry of the tight crank on a conventional is much different from the larger full circle crank on a spinning reel.  It just does not seem natural.  It is up to the individual as in todays market you can get a lot of conventional reels in both left and right handed models. Almost every spinning reel, except the price leaders, are switchable left to right so try it both ways and see what works best for you.

[mboy]

I think Young Gull knows someone who is a righty, bought an expensive left hand conventional thinking it would work better for him since he was used to spinning.

Think he wound up selling that reel at a loss and buying a right handed one.

[ped579]

Just to add a little whatever here.  On the spinning outfit when you are cranking with your left hand the eyes on the rod are facing down and when using a conventional outfit you are cranking with your right hand and the eyes of the rod are up.

Not that that means anything but it is just whatever you get use to using.  It is strange that that is that way but I have to say it works. 

I now have both I use for the surf and I have to say I enjoy using both. 

Paul

[mgm]

I got my first spinning reel in the 50's when they were produced with the left hand crank, and not adjustable.

Maybe it was just habit, but I love to crank a conventional reel with my left hand, so I purchase lefty models if they are available. I am not truly ambidextrous, but do a lot of things lefty that a righty does not do.

In most inshore fishing, the rod does most of the work, and for me, the dominant right hand is better working the rod for a hard running bluefish or striper than the reverse.

In the final analysis, it is personal preference, not a hard fast formula.

[ped579]

 

[Fishin Dude]

I'm with mgm. I'm right handed and use right handed spinning reels.  When it comes to conventionals, I prefer to use left handed ones. I sometimes will use a right hand conventional, due to the fact that left handed versions are not available in every model. <'((((><

[TurboDan]

Hmm, I honestly have never even noticed which hand I've been using.  I know on my conventionals, it's on the right.  But I really can't think of which side it's on on my spinning reels.

I use conventional a lot more, though, so I guess I'm used to it on the right.