right or left handed

[blue igloo]

My Dad started me fishing using a baitcaster reel. The handle on those were always on the RHS when you held it properly with the reel on top. It wasn't until 20 years had past before I got my first spinning reel. So naturally, I would always put the handle on the RHS 

Problem for me is when a buddy passes or lends me his fishing combo and the handle ALWAYS seem to be on the LHS.    I've seen people use a spinning rod & reel upside down but that's something I don't do  (mostly kids)

I wonder what the percentage of people out there use their spinning reels with the handle on the RHS 
All those people that use the handle on the LHS, are you naturally left handed 

I am naturally right handed btw 
Guess the same holds true with hockey sticks.......a lot of right handed people use left handed sticks 
What's your take on this 

Yeah, you're right.......it must be a slow fishing day....doh 
Blue Igloo 

[DasRottweiler]

Softwater, I use left-handed baitcasters-I cast with my right arm and reel with my left. Lotsa guys using RH Baitcasters cast with thier right and switch the rod to the left hand after thumbing the lure to splashdown, so they can reel with thier right hand as well. Lotsa debate amongst tourney guys on this. I setup all my spinning rods the same way, reel handle on the left, cast with right arm. This has transfered over to hardwater as well. all handles on the left. To answer the left-handed (no pun) question. I am considered ambidextrous in that I can throw equally well with either arm and play some sports lefthanded and others right handed. Strangely, I write with  my right hand. And yes , I am stuck in the house today as well!

[jasond7mm]

I'm right-handed, I use spincast with the reel handle on the left. I do this because i feel i can manipulate the rod better with my right hand than i can my left... cranking in the reel can be done easily by either hand, but using the rod to your advantage IMO can only be done with your dominant hand. this goes for hard and soft water for me. But i play golf and hockey the opposite, lol

[dkozyra15]

I reel on the right hand side am right handed but play hockey baseball and golf left. When it comes to reeling right hand feels natural for me.

[hunter-of-lunkers]

I am right handed , I hold my spin, and bait cast rod in my right, and handle in my left, Its hard drinking beer with my left hand, and always spill. I think I need on of those beer hats with the 2 cans on top. 

[firefighter]

Spinning equipment left hand, baitcaster right hand. I'm right handed.
FF

[Santo180]

I'm lefty.  Spin and baitcaster handle is on the right.

[Pork]

My story's the same as yours blue igloo.
Just grew up reeling right w/ the baitcasters & never got comfortable enough to switch to reeling with the left.
Summer spinning rods, I cast with my right & switch the rod to my left hand as I'm flipping the bale & reel with the right.
I like being different. 

[HighlandGlen Guide]

Reel with the right, pretty much everything with the right...my left hand is pretty useless for some reason...except for lifting those eyes up!

[Thane]

If you cast with the right then you should always be holding the rod in that hand and then reel with the left or visa/versa for left handers.  The dominant hand should be for holding the rod and the other for reeling.  What ever hand you would throw a baseball with should be the dominant hand.  I cast with my right and all the spinning reel handles I own have the handle on the left. 

Mostly go with what ever feels comfortable.

[Loudmouth879]

I'm naturally right handed... every sport right handed or right footed...I have it set up so i reel with my right hand... but I do play hockey lefty 

[lukeh]

im right handed, spinning sets ups reel on the left baitcaster reel on the right, this is what feels natural to me when i fish with either type of equipment. dont know how guys use a left handed bait caster feels very awkward for me even though it feels natural to have my reel on the left with a spinning set up. I play golf hockey baseball all left handed and throw a football or baseball and write with my right hand. I am exactly like my dad. Personnally i think most of it has to do with what way you were taught from the start of your fishing life. Thats what ultimatley just becomes comfortable and feels natural. However, I know guys who use spinning reels on there left and then bought there first baitcaster and assumed they would use their left hand for that but were surprised in how awkward it felt when they first tried it. I let them try a right hand side baitcaster and they are amazed at how natural it felt. Most of them were too stubborn to admit that they bought the wrong handed baitcaster and still use their left handed one lol makes me laugh when i watch them cause now thye are forcing themselves to use the reel that way. And i know it feels uncomfortable for them and I can tell by watching them fish lol.

[NanookofN-MN]

I am right handed but reel with my left.  I feel it is better to fight a fish with you dominant hand and reel with you weak hand.  Reeling is the easy part fighting the fish with the rod is how you really land a fish.

[sled-in]

I find it strange that most reels have the handle on the right, it seems backward to me, I'm right handed and crank with my left hand.

Maybe the manufacturers make reels with the handle on the wrong side so you can quickly size up a fellow angler, if the crank is on the right you know they don't know what they're doing. 

[lukeh]

I find it strange that most reels have the handle on the right, it seems backward to me, I'm right handed and crank with my left hand.

Maybe the manufacturers make reels with the handle on the wrong side so you can quickly size up a fellow angler, if the crank is on the right you know they don't know what they're doing.

lol i have always looked that way toward guys who are reeling right handed on a spinning set up, clearly i use my left for spinning. but like i said before no way can i reel a baitcaster left handed just feels silly. I notice you see very few professionals reeling in big largies with their left hands on baitcasters most pros are right handed when it comes to baitcasters at least from what i have seen. seems more amateur fishermen tend to use left handed baitcasters. just my opinion. You read this thread and its a completely mixed bag it seems

[fishinfirefighter]

I am left handed.
Set up all my reels left handed.
Shoot left playing hockey,
Throw with my left hand.
But when I am playing goal in hockey I wear my trapper on my left hand.
Go figure.
Also I am right eye dominant so I shoot rifle with the the rifle on my right shoulder not my left.

[specialized]

I right hand reel as well.  I am right handed.  I pull a bow string with my left hand and shoot a gun with a left trigger finger.  Not to sure why but I think it is the way I grew up holding a hockey stick and just feel more comfortable that way.  Most of the guys I fish with as well use a right hand reel and only one of four of us are left handed.

[sped28]

rod in right hand use the left for reeling them in

[mjmeyer]

I was born left-handed, but much of that was "corrected" early in life. I now eat and write right-handed, but still throw left. I can do many things with either hand including throw. Way back when I got my first spinning reel they were all left-handed cranked. I had a Mitchell 300 in the late 50's. So I still crank left-handed and have a hard time switching when my wife hands me her rod. Baitcasters, I buy left-handed and will not buy one if it doesn't have a left-handed model. My fly reels are switchable and rigged left-handed.

[blue igloo]

My story's the same as yours blue igloo.
Just grew up reeling right w/ the baitcasters & never got comfortable enough to switch to reeling with the left.
Summer spinning rods, I cast with my right & switch the rod to my left hand as I'm flipping the bale & reel with the right.
I like being different. 

You're not different.....cuz you're just like me   
Blue Igloo 

[Madpuppy]

I'm right handed and use the reel with the handle on the left side, but I also golf and bat left handed and throw right handed. The reason for that was back in my baseball days it was easier to hit a curve ball off a right handed pitcher hitting lefty.

[blue igloo]

WOW....looks like it runs the whole gamut......one way or another.....we can all hook and land fish. 

Maybe the manufacturers make reels with the handle on the wrong side so you can quickly size up a fellow angler, if the crank is on the right you know they don't know what they're doing. 

IMO.....the above comment was uncalled for and disrespectful to all the above that use their right hand to reel 
Blue Igloo 

[useddirt4sale]

another leftie!!!!
hold with left hand, reel in with right hand!!

[Master Angler]

I'm right handed, but as a kid learned on the cheap spincast reels with cranks on the right side.  When I switched to spinning and baitcasters I found I could only reel on the right.  I've tried many times to use the left side on spinning reels but it just doesn't work for me, feels real awkward, real slow, and I've even had buddies laugh at me when they see me try to reel with my left hand its that bad, (this has usually happened when I've had to reel in their line or something, sometimes with a fish), it just doesn't work very good, lol, I'm way more efficient reeling with my right, handicapped with my left big time. 

[tailhunter]

 I am also right handed, and do all my reeling, shooting, writing, sports (esp hockey) right handed. My left is just awkward and weak, but still easy strong enough for playing all the big cats and pike.
 And yes, I do know what I am doing,lol.

[Svengalli]

Baitcast: hold with my left, reel with my right.
Spincast: same as above.
Throwing Sport: throw right.
Goaltending: either hand for either duty.
Hockey/Golf: right handed.
Writing: lefty preffered but can do right handed without looking like chicken scratch.
Eating: lefty preffered but can do right handed without impaleing an eyeball.
Hunting bow: draw with my right

Figure that out ^^.

[JAMOKIN]

Right handed but only use left hand for reeling.

If you do any backtrolling with a tiller you shift and steer with lefthand-you have to use righthand to hold rod.
Althought i have a freind that uses his right hand to shift and steer his tiller-it looks fricken funny when you see it because he is facing the back of boat.

[HighlandGlen Guide]

Baitcast: hold with my left, reel with my right.
Spincast: same as above.
Throwing Sport: throw right.
Goaltending: either hand for either duty.
Hockey/Golf: right handed.
Writing: lefty preffered but can do right handed without looking like chicken scratch.
Eating: lefty preffered but can do right handed without impaleing an eyeball.
Hunting bow: draw with my right

Figure that out ^^.

i knew you were a little different!
that is a little odd

[Svengalli]

i knew you were a little different!
that is a little odd

  It is unique isn't it??  Normal is so...normal.   

[Fish Camp 24-7]

Started fishing with spining reels on the left. Got my 1st baitcaster in early teens which came right handed! After a season with that reel, everyone of my other set ups were on the right!