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Baitcaster

2K views 58 replies 28 participants last post by  streamstalker 
#1 ·
I'm looking to purchase my first baitcaster, but I've gotten hung up on this left or right hand crank question. As I understand it, lots of folks who otherwise crank with their left hand with a spinning reel, crank with their right with a baitcaster. (FYI - I am right handed but crank with my left.). So I was down at BPS last Saturday trying out baitcasters and cranking with my right felt extremely odd, so I ended up not making a purchase. I've done a lot of research this week (including on the forum), but I'm still nowhere near an answer. Should I find a reel with a left hand crank, or switch? I have to admit the idea of casting with my right and switching hands in order to crank with my right doesn't sound quite right, but what do I know? Any advice, especially from guys who crank with their left on both types of reel, would be helpful. Thanks!!!
 
#33 ·
I was curious so I looked up a few pros... Although I looked at a few of them, the ones I looked up all crank right handed with bait casters. If they do it, there must be something to it.

Just a thought.
 
#35 ·
If you watch the pros fish most of them cast left handed a few do switch after every cast but most of them Learn to cast left-handed because they did not make many left-hand retrieve a casters years ago. Some of them pitch and flip left-handed and cast right-handed. But with all the left-hand retrieve bait casters available today it is easier to just start left-handed.
 
#36 ·
Deazl, Bass BassHunter is right. The baitcaster is far better than a spinning reel for specific tactics. It is also a staple in every pro fisherman's boat. So those pro's were getting the best equipment they could but before they were pro's they were limited by what was available. So they had to go to a RH baitcaster to get the specific type of reel or ratio they wanted or needed. However, in just the last few years many baitcasters are coming with RH or LH retrieve. You will still see models that only come in RH as well. I bet in 10 years or so we'll see a lot more pro's using LH baitcasters because they were available when they were coming up.

Like many things in this great sport it comes down to a matter of preference not good and better. I can use a RH baitcaster but I am far more comfortable using my LH baitcasters.

Whatever you choose, make sure you get a rod built to be retrieved on the same side. That should help you cut down on the birdsnests! ;)
 
#41 ·
If that's what he's referring to, that's not the best way to switch hands with your cast. Reason being is that you often need to feather your thumb on the spool to avoid backlash in wind or if your lure hits something unintended, and especially right before it hits the water so it doesn't backlash on contact if its not tuned just right. You should only switch after the lure has hit the water and then move your right thumb off the spool, and as you switch, put your left thumb on the spool and begin reeling with your right hand.
 
#49 ·
Sort of...back when I was a hand switcher, I'd feather it down with my right, but I'd be passing it over to the left hand simultaneously. By the time the spinnerbait was in the water, I'd have it in my left hand with the thumb on the spool and drawing the rod back to get the blades going until I could get the right hand cranking as you just explained. Of course all that happens in fractions of a second. On bigger water without obstructions, I could feather it down and complete the switch before it hit the water, but you've seen what I fish...I don't get that too often.

When I switched to LH, it took me a few hours to adapt and feel comfortable. For a few trips, I'd still flub a cast every so often until I retrained the muscle memory. It really is much more seamless and eliminates those casts where you don't get a great presentation because of the switch.

But yeah, keep that thumb on the spool! It only takes one tiny twig to get the lash. I seem to hit them a lot more frequently when the leaves are off the trees too!
 
#43 ·
No doubt Glock...I agree with that. I use Chronarchs and fine tuning them is a must between the brakes and tension knob. Once you get it down, its great. I remember learning though- ha, a 1oz sinker probably wouldn't have taken an inch of line even if it was freespooled.
 
#44 ·
I'm left handed, am 64, and have been fishing since I was 3. Back when I started, all reels except for spinning reels were right hand retrieve. So most of the time I was using a Zebco 33. When I was about 9 or 10 I got a used bait caster and learned to cast with that. That was before reels had "free spooling". I had to put about an ounce of weight on it to cast, and it screamed like hell. But I learned to cast it pretty well, eventually. I tried my brother's spinning reel, but of course it was a left hand retrieve, and I couldn't get used to it. When I was 16 I bought a Mitchell 301 spinning reel, which was a right hand retrieve Model 300. And, even though 95% of my fishing (mostly for bass or muskie) is with a bait caster, I still use my spinning rod on occasion. And I still use the Mitchell 301 I bought almost 50 years ago. I still have the old bait casters too, but I only use them for trolling or bank fishing for carp and catfish. My theory is to stick with whatever is most comfortable to you. The fish won't know the difference.
 
#45 · (Edited)
The great debate !!! My guess is that it's something that happens somewhere on this site, every year. At least it's happened every year since I've been a member, and it's always the same basic responses.

For the record, I'm right handed. I cast right handed with both spinning and casting gear. I reel with my left hand when using spinning gear, and my right hand when using casting gear.

I have tried using a left hand retrieve casting reel, not because I think it would allow me to be more efficient, more accurate, or start my retrieve earlier, but because my dad (he's right handed) uses all left hand retrieve reels, and I sometimes need to free a bait from a snag for him that he can't get to from his position in the boat. I've tried casting and reeling one in just for laughs, and I can't do it, nor would I want to learn to. Why? Because there are no advantages to it.

I can hear it now..... right handed anglers that use left hand retrieve reels are saying that not having to switch hands is an advantage, that switching hands is wasted motion. Well ..... you guys move your non casting hand to the reel handle, right? That's the same amount of motion I use to move the rod to my non casting hand. If there is any wasted motion in my way of doing it versus your way of doing it, it is in that I need to move my casting hand to the reel handle. So I need to move my casting hand 1" to the handle on the trade off. Wow !!!

You might say that since you don't have to switch hands, that if you want to, you can start your retrieve the instant your bait hits the water. So can I. Despite what some members may say about not switching hands before the bait has hit the water, I do it routinely, and I dare say that I, and others, have just as much control of where and how quietly the bait enters the water, as anyone that waits until the bait hits the water, to switch hands.

We're talking about low spool speeds as your bait approaches the water. I find it very easy to control the spool with my left thumb at low spool speeds. I do it routinely when I pitch, because when I pitch, I hold the rod in my left hand. Which brings us to the only advantage that a left hand retrieve reel would give a right handed person who pitches and flips with the rod in their right hand. Then, and only then would I say that switching hands can be a disadvantage. And even then, I'd offer that a right handed person who switches the rod to their left hand and reels with their right, has an advantage over a right handed person reeling with their left hand.

I know as a right handed person, that I can apply more power reeling with my right hand, than I can with my left.

I could easily go on with other real world advantages versus perceived disadvantages of switching hands after a cast, but it would all be for not. People are going to believe what they believe. If you as a right handed person, feel that using a left hand retrieve reel gives you advantage, that's fine. For you it may. But I and others can assure you that it doesn't for them.

The main difference between a right handed person that uses a right hand retrieve bait casting reel, and a right handed person that uses a left hand retrieve bait casting reel is that the right/right guy doesn't tell the right/left guy that he's doing it wrong. We're a live and let live kind of people ...... that is until someone tells us we're doing it wrong.

Oh and finally ....... for those that are trying to sell this whole thing about the right handed pros using right hand retrieve reels because that's what they grew up using thing?

Do you seriously think that a person that depends on fishing efficiently to make a living, wouldn't or couldn't switch the type of reel they use just because they grew up fishing a different kind of reel?

Come on man .......
 
#46 ·
BBM, you're doing it wrong, ha! Here we go again! Not really though....

You're right. The pros that are right/right could easily change to right/left if they wanted to, and I could change from a right/left to a right/right. However, it would make sense to me that if some makes a few hundred thousand casts over a career they are most likely used to, and prefer, to stay with what they know, right?

So when bait asters were becoming popular and nearly all of them were right hand retrieve that leaves little choice for the Angler to choose what they learn with. But, easily enough they did learn, gained confidence in, and eventually made money with these reels. So why change at that point?

Now, look at the reels today. There are many more reels available in left retrieve than say 10 years ago, right? I am not aware of a population explosion of left handed people, who all fish, that could single handedly (ha ha) drive that market. So it makes sense to me that more people who start out using a left handed retrieve will stick with it when they start using baitcasters.

Bottom line is, right/right = right/left, and what you are comfortable with is much more important than what the Pro's do. If you switch hands or not doesn't actually matter either. I'm not sure anyone was debating either of those two things seriously.

Personally, my post was specific to Deazl because I know him well and he is a bit OCD and at times a perfectionist. He is hard on himself. I was suggesting he stick with a right hand cast and left hand retrieve because that is what he is used to. He posted about researching pro's and noticed many are cast/retrieve opposite of him and he figured there might be something to it. I've been trying to get that guy to try a baitcaster for 2 years and he finally had an interest, so when he posted that I was trying g to let him know that what pro's do doesn't matter for him. That way he would stick with, and learn to use, a baitcaster faster and easier than if he tried getting used to casting and retrieving with the opposite hands on top of using the baitcaster.
 
#47 ·
Deazl666, please keep this in mind - only 10% of the population is left handed. While most mean well 90% are biased. We are not pro fisherman - given all of our equipment for free! Stuff cost money. If it feels good reeling left why would you switch cause KVD reels right? Some interesting points in this topic by others, and if it works for them - great. Just do what works best for you.
 
#48 ·
I am right-handed I made the switch several years ago to left-hand retrieve the reason I did it I first bought A couple of left hand retrieve so I could switch arms while cranking all day. I eventually figured out that holding the rod in my right hand my dominant hand I had more Control and strength while fighting a big bass and landing him. I spent money and time to make the switch because I thought it would make me a better angler And I will say that I have better hook sets and more control over big bass when the rod is in my right hand my dominant hand. It is definitely a personal preference thing but I do not agree that there is no advantage to having the rod in your dominant hand.
 
#50 ·
Mr A .... you know my stance on this subject well, and I also believe that you know it doesn't matter to me which type of reel a person uses. The only reason I posted in this thread is because I get tired of reading the same old responses when this topic has come up on OGF in the past.

As a statement not directed at anyone in particular .... what it comes down to is what others have already said. Do what you're most comfortable with. Just don't say what somebody who does it differently, can and cannot do. Because there are many of us hand switchers that can do what the non hand switchers do, and do it just as quickly, and just as well.

basshunter11 .... as you said, a lot of it comes down to personal preference. You stated you prefer the rod to be in your dominant hand when fighting a big fish, which I can understand. And if we were talking about spinning gear, I would completely agree. I'd agree because of the way a fish is fought and played with spinning gear, versus bait casting gear.

I, as well as I'd guess you, and other people that use bait casting gear, use the reel as a winch. I'm sure you and others have skiied fish, even pretty good sized fish, across the surface of the water, using just the reel. That's something that may not be impossible to do with spinning gear, but it is definitely something that is much more difficult to do with spinning gear. Especially when you start talking bigger fish. Spinning reels just don't have the power that a bait casting reel has.

That's why I prefer and feel that having the reel handle in your dominant hand when using a bait cast reel, is a decided advantage.

Oh well ..... it's been fun
 
#51 ·
it is not only,you are right handed and lefthanded,
how I said before 90% right handed hocky players,play with wright hand,
that is same in fishing you have right handed people who crank with right hand,and other crank with left hand.
that is same with left handed people,they crank with left or wright.
only one hand gives you the accuracy,not bouth.
put can on driway 30' and try to hit that with jig,that tells you what arm it is.
you have to find out where you belong.
there is no wright or wrong.
 
#52 ·
So I picked up the combo Wednesday night at Cabela's and got in an hour of practice yesterday casting in the yard, and it's quite obvious it's gonna take some time getting this down pat. I made several successful casts with the dial loose, but the backlashes were frequent. Two of them resulted in me having to cut and remove line. Which is fine as I'm gonna need to reline it anyway since the PowerPro is slipping on the arbor despite the mono backing...unless I'm a complete idiot and that's merely the drag?!? (Cabela's lined it, not me; I always use pipe thread tape to keep the line from slipping.). Anyway, once I figured out that a tighter brake meant fewer rats-nests (and a shorter cast), I tightened the dial and began loosening it a little bit at a time until I found a nice balance.
 
#53 ·
Practice is obviously your friend here, but the spool adjustment is a continuous work in progress too. As I got better at controlling the backlash, I would tweak the controls every so often, which brings a slight learning curve each time, but well worth in the end due to the longer casts.

One thing I did notice when I first switched is there is no indicator for when drag is peeling off (it doesn't make any noise)... This might be your slippage you're talking about? Not sure, but that's what it feels like to me when it happens.
 
#54 ·
I don't recommend braid on a bait caster at all it is so thin eventually it won't wrap up back right and it will bind up more. Then you have a 15$ dollar backlash start with 12 or 14 lb mono tighten your brake so when your bait hits the ground yor spool doesn't move any more then start with short casts and when you get the hang of that start backing off your brake la little at a time. Back lashes are always going to happen I don't recommend any line lighter than 10 lb on a bait caster
 
#57 ·
IMO the tension knob, which is located right behind the star drag, is your best friend in eliminating back lashes. You need to adjust the weight of your lure to the spool to get a good balanced set up. Hang your lure 1' below yout Rod tip then hit your free spool and let it drop to the floor. Your lure should drop slowly and continuously until it hits the floor and the spool stops without any overrun. You'll need to do this every time you change the weight of your lures. In windy conditions you'll need to tighten the tension a little more. The best presentations in most applications is casting upwind so the lure will have a natural movement coming downwind. I would also recommend to practice casting into the wind just to get a real feel for the baitcaster. Also learn to roll cast and sidearm cast into the wind. It keeps the lure low to the water and out of the main force of the wind. These are also the best techniques for making precise and accurate casts. Just my opinions.
 
#58 ·
I love power pro braid with a 6-8 ft. Leader of fluorocarbon. I use the 10/50 braid to get the right dia. line, braid has a flat profile that resists digging in to the spool and is easier to clear on backlashes.
The Pfluger supreme has a wiffle spool so I tye directly to the spool. New braid tends to be stiff but breaks in nicely. I also will wind line from one reel to another every spring so the whole spool wears evenly.
Everyone will have their own favorite, this is what works for me, choose your own poison.
 
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