Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

This will sound like a self answering question but...
Why do reel manufactures always release thier new products in right hand only?
What about us leftys? Are sales that much more in favor of the rightys?
Come on buddys.......

it just means you are backwards

I'm a Righty but I use Lefty reels and I think some others are switching over too. I do this so I don't have to keep switching the rod back and forth from one hand to the other.

No doubt there's a bigger market for righty reels but luckily for those who use lefty reels, the ones that are offered are usually top of the line models.

Personally, I use mostly Shimano and they offer several high quality lefty reels that suit my needs just fine.

I think it is tradition with level wind and bait casting reels.

I am very right handed (messed up the Left arm years ago...was ambidexterious then) and have used left handled reels for almost 7 years. It is called "Powerhanded Fishing". Keep the rod in your powerhand for setting the hook!

I have always wondered why you cast, switch hands and then reel. Also setting the hook with your left arm seems unatural, no power. Never made any sense to me. I am right handed but use left handed reels.

ripdlip wrote:I have always wondered why you cast, switch hands and then reel. Also setting the hook with your left arm seems unatural, no power. Never made any sense to me. I am right handed but use left handed reels.

i agree....it never made any sense to me to use right handed reels for this reason. i am still trying to figure out why most spinning reels in stores are set up for left handed retrieve, while baitcasting reels are mostly righties.

Shimano gives equal time to the lefty. I am right handed and use the Left Handed reels, however for swimbaits and crankin I use the right handed (im funny dat way)

The powerhand method was introduced to Bass Guys by Rich Forhan he explains that the right handed reels are from saltwater level wind where you need wenching power, in bass fishing we need lure control and strength in our rod hand, not in wenching in 2lb fish.

The ability to flip N pitch without changing hands is HUGE for me and I have tought myself to switch it up as well.

Granted this technique takes some time to retrain - it took me two trips, but Brian D just couldnt wrap his bleach blonde hair around it...HAR!

I'm with you Jonathan, but the only reason I use the righty's is I've either won them or they still work really well and I won't let them go.

I was so glad to see left handed reels. It does seem that Shimano is leading the way, but I also have a Abu Garcia and a Quantum KVD special as well.

It works a whole better for me without switching hands.

Jared,

I too am a right hander that uses left hand reels for all of the reasons Gary and everyone else stated earlier. I asked this question of a guy who frequents tackle shows and he said you would be amazed how in the last 5 years, how many left hand reels he gets requests for compared to before that time. He said the industry buzz is these tackle companys are going to be forced into manufacturing left hand reels soon or their sales would fall faster than one legged man on the tilt-a-whirl.

Back in the day, I used to buy strictly Shimano reels because they had a good selection of left hand reels for a modest price. My favorite was the "Bantam Mag" and the "Speedmaster" which went for about $50.00-$75.00 in the past and would go forever. They quit making both models so i had to switch to the Curado. But then, when the Curado recently went from a $110.00 reel to a $180.00, I knew I had to find another reel (well...that, and I now have to buy gear for my 14 yr old son who is hooked on bass fishing as well so I needed something a little cheaper in price with having to get two of everything).

I just started using Daiwa reels and so far I really like them. I bought a few of the Procasters from Basspro for under $50.00 and they have been a great reel so far. I wouldn't throw heavy swimbaits on them but I have thrown almost everything else and they have held up well. They also have the "twitching bar" on the Viento ($225.00) and just put that feature on a lower priced reel as well that I am anxious to try.

I expect you and I and the rest of the weirdo's out here will soon have a much bigger selection to choose from in the near future.

Auggie Dog

I just bought one of those cheaper diawa reels too. Are they good reels or are they just cheap immatations that dont work?

Since Rich Forhan is one of the most thoughtful guys in fishing, I don't want to get caught here yelling at Mt. Rushmore....

However, since I also have pulled on lots of tuna in my career, I would say that for whatever you gain in a left-handed baitcaster, you may lose in some other department. It's not a good versus bad decision, though. It's a question of how much advantage it affords the angler--or how little disadvantage.

Spinning (for right-handers) is both seemless in motion and also offers full power of strength and coordination. But look closely. Where do you hold a spinning outfit?

At the fulcrum--indeed slightly forward of the balance point. That accentuates quickness and enhances the power stroke--if that's the way you set the hook.

But where do you hold a baitcaster? Behind the reel. Yes, it's in your strong arm (if you're a righty), but unless your sinews are stainless steel, you need to have your elbow "out" so you have some room for the stroke. Long rods, then, with long butts, serve the cast right/reel left stylist better.

Also, if you consider the motion of the pitch (underhand or backhand) to strike motion on the same cast, it seems to me you don't have full range of stroke, compared to the vertical motion of hook-setting with the left or off hand.

As for the other most common argument, where you make the cross-over (hand change) can virtually eliminate the sense of wasted motion. Gary Klein, himself a disciple of Forhan, taught me years ago: Make your right-handed pitch and as the bait is settling over the landing spot, pinch the spool with your left thumb as you prepare for your bait to fall or commence your retrieve.

Your right hand (and the most coordinated one, for most of us) now has the crank, while your left grasps at the trigger on a long-handled rod, or slides to the foregrip of a pistol grip--in front of the reel or at least at the fulcrum point--similar to that speed and power position found in spinning.

Of course, there is that old adage: Whatever works for you....

GKramer wrote: Spinning (for right-handers) is both seemless in motion and also offers full power of strength and coordination. But look closely. Where do you hold a spinning outfit?

At the fulcrum--indeed slightly forward of the balance point. That accentuates quickness and enhances the power stroke--if that's the way you set the hook.

But where do you hold a baitcaster? Behind the reel. Yes, it's in your strong arm (if you're a righty), but unless your sinews are stainless steel, you need to have your elbow "out" so you have some room for the stroke. Long rods, then, with long butts, serve the cast right/reel left stylist better.

I palm my baitcasting reel and power set with the right hand... I am right handed and like many, I only fish with left handled reels. I started with a spinning rod when I was 4 years old. It was several years before I tried a bait caster, it was a righty and felt horrible in my hands.. so I stuck out the spinning until I got a left handed shimano bantam mag back in the 80s.. It felt perfect and was an awesome reel. I still have a couple of bantams that work perfectly.

I personally send a message to reel manufacturers every time I buy a reel. I simply will not buy a right handed baitcasting reel. To this day I can't stand them... And since I palm the reel, the physics of my power hook set is right at the fulcrum... I also don't fish with rods that have the bulky long cork handles as they tend to get in the way.

I notice that there are a ton of guys that palm the reel, both right and left handed. It lets you finger the line when you are trying to detect a light bight and feels comfortable.

Just my 2 cents...

Good Fishing,

-Paul-

Love those left handed low profile reels they have been coming out with.....great for palming. I too remember the days when there were just a few left handed reels, and the performance always seemed to be lackluster at best........

Paul, your methodology would seem to remedy the problems I have seen in the cast right/reel left method. However, those who seem to be proponents are generally shallow water anglers (the realm of power fishing) and that's a small part of California fishing scene--if you look at sales figures.

And considering your original question--it's all about numbers. Even if
that method were actually proven to be the best angling method ever --if the consumers don't want it, you'll never sell enough to stay in business.

If lefty reel sales get to 20 percent nationally, (in our lifetimes) it will be a huge surprise to me.

Parker,

I now have 8 of the Daiwa Procasters and 2 of the Procaster 6 + 1s and have only had a problem with one after about 1 year. I have had 4 of them and my son 2 for over 18 months and they are still going strong. I have 2 of the Magforce with twitching bar on order so I will see how that works next.

Sometimes you gotta try new things.....you never know when you might hit on something good.

Auggie Dog

i am left handed also and pflueger has made the trion and president for lefties(right side handle) for a number of years...great reels....jack

This is what I am talking about. I went in and looked at this reel, would have bought it on the spot but guess what...NO LEFT HAND.
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage ... SCOCR.html

I'm a Daiwa guy, and have been going back for 20 years (on the salt).

The Advantage is a great line, still affordable but very well-made. If you like the Procaster or Megaforce, you'll love the Advantage reels. They just enhanced the line, and they are getting very similar to the Zillion (which is my favorite line) class...

Regarding going lefty - I've recently bought several left-handed Daiwa reels myself, as I find that I can now miraculously walk the dog where I was unable to previously, just by switching to the left-handed reel. I don't think I'll convert everything (bass fishing-wise), but will certainly use left-handed reels for topwater and pitching.

Roger

LOOK AT ALL THE NEWER REELS FROM GARCIA (PURE FISHING, THEY HAVE A LOT OF LEFT HAND RETRIEVE REELS. AND AM ALSO A LEFT HAND RETRIEVE REEL FISHERMAN. I HAVE BEEN SINCE THE FIRST GARCIA 5001C IN THE 70'S THEN THE FIRST SHIMANO 201

SO THERE ARE ALOT OF THEM OUT THERE AND GOOD ONES ....FOR LESS THAN $100.00 EVEN BASS PRO SHOPS HAS SOME GOOD ONES ..

JIGS

ripdlip wrote:This is what I am talking about. I went in and looked at this reel, would have bought it on the spot but guess what...NO LEFT HAND.
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage ... SCOCR.html

Shimano expects to release the Core in left hand retrieve at the beginning of 2008.

If you cannot wait that long, and really want to sample this reel in left hand retrieve, you can venture to the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) reels. The Calais 100a and Calcutta 100DC are also available in left hand retrieve via this route. Their respective names are the Antares AR and Conquest 101DC.

Of course, if you go this route, you give up warranty support. Not a huge deal if you service your own reels or send them out to folks like Connie who will accept the reels no matter which market they were intended for. A lot of the parts are interchangeable between the USDM and JDM counterparts as well.

The wider availability of left hand retrieve reels is what drove me over to the JDM market reels to begin with.

I grew up using spinning and fly rods, so i always reel with my left hand. Saves time, I know when the jig bite is on if I am changing hands when the bait hits the shore line I would miss the fish. Heck I engage the reel at plop and with a 7 to one burning it. sometimes I cant catch up until the fish is under the boat. But for tuna, sturgeon, ling. Big fish I use a right handed to winch them in. But I am not presenting a lure that needs to be fast and accurate then. Except wahoo but thats a different story ( every had a fish smack a lure at 60 mph) it pulls your arms loose.

ripdlip wrote:This will sound like a self answering question but...
Why do reel manufactures always release thier new products in right hand only?
What about us leftys? Are sales that much more in favor of the rightys?
Come on buddys.......

I've done a search but wasn't able to find out much but I believe the inventor of level wind reels was most likely Left Handed ( cast with left hand reel with right) When I see a baseball player throwing right handed and wearing his glove on his right hand, I'll change to right hand retrieve! I battle fish with my dominant arm with a spinning reel, why wouldn't I do that with my bait caster! Bought my first left hand retrieve reel in 1978; they HAVE been around for a while. It's human nature to 'follow the herd' and the herd did just that.

When I started bass fishing in the early eighties left hand retrieve reels were just hitting the market. One of the few reel makers that offered the left hand retrieve was Shimano. Does anyone remember the BMP 251 model?

monte300 wrote:When I started bass fishing in the early eighties left hand retrieve reels were just hitting the market. One of the few reel makers that offered the left hand retrieve was Shimano. Does anyone remember the BMP 251 model?

Shimano's Speed Master was my second reel in left hand retrieve. It had a handy little "door" to aid in back lash removal. Bought it around '85. It's gone but I still have my Abu Garcia, it needs a pin replaced though.

There was back play in the reel handle in those days on all reels but they were state of the art at the time.

I work at Turners Outdoorsman in Modesto and I believe I sell more left hand Baitcasters then right. Problem
is, I never have enough left handed reels

As a pure trout fisherman for 30 years, I solely used spinning reels. Using “lefty” baitcasters made the learning curve less steep! Didn’t realize companies omitted “L” when introducing new models…

ripdlip wrote:I have always wondered why you cast, switch hands and then reel. Also setting the hook with your left arm seems unatural, no power. Never made any sense to me. I am right handed but use left handed reels.

Yup

talking about zombie posts - this one is from 2007 that someone resurectted

This topic alway cracks me up. It's like a weird obsession with the right handed guys reeling with left reels. It's almost like a cult following. Does it really matter why? I'll explain. When I started fishing back in the early 80's K mart didn't carry lefty reels. So I bought righty's. It's what I learned. I palm my reel when reeling or working a bait. When I cast I use the pistol. Except if I backhand. But most of the time I cast with the pistol. So if I had a lefty reel I would still need to regrip after the cast. When I flip I use my left hand to flip. I can flip with both hands. Doesn't matter to me. That all being said if I was just starting out I would probably start with lefty's. But I'm not about to start switching out at my age. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

ash wrote:talking about zombie posts - this one is from 2007 that someone resurectted

Right!!!?? 14 year old post! LOL

Believe it or not there are more right hand reels sold than left hand! Right hand reels n left hand reels use different jigs when made like two different reels!

Alan Fong
Fisherman's Warehouse Sacramento
(916) 362-1200