Left Handed Baitcasting anyone?

[ClarkIR]

I just got my Xmas present for myself. Went to a local bass shop in the area and they had the last generation of curado in there (a 201DPV) for $138 and it was left handed, which i was going to look for in a baitcaster. So I got that and a KVD Tour Grade Quantam rod to fit it with... This is my first big purchase for a rod and reel and I have to say Im amazed by how much more of an improvement you get from the intermediate outfit I had before.

Digressing a bit there, but I got left handed because I feel like I can control everything more with my right and needless to say I couldnt of been more right(no pun intended)... After breaking the "Funny feeling" of reeling left handed with the baitcaster i think its going to be a lot less stress on my arms than trying to do motions with my left arm that just felt foreign to me.

Pitching is light years better without switching hands just from practicing with it.

Does anyone else on here use lefty baitcasters or on the fence considering it?

[lroberts]

I have the KVD rod in the Crankbait model (7'11)......man can I throw a Sexy Shad 6XD a mile!!!! I pair it with a pro qualifier or a johnny morris edition reel and love the combo....always right handed for me tho.

[Arauthator]

I use both RH and LH reels. Flipping and Pitching is easier with LH like you said. But I find ripping through grass much more pleasent with RH reels. I'm Right Handed, so if it's a bait that would require fast action I use RH reels, if it's more finesse and precision that is required, I use LH reels. The LH reel forces me to slow down. I don't know why, but it just does. To make it simple, Topwaters, Jerk Baits, Jigs I put on a RH reel. All else goes to a LH reel.

[BassMasterMikeD]

My buddy bought a left handed Diawa reel from someone just because he got it for $50.00 (I not sure of the model but a nice one). He is right handed but every since he has been using it, he wants to change all his reels to left handed now. I can see where it would be alot easier to not switch hands every cast but I haven't used one enough to get over the awkwardness.

[ClarkIR]

This could just be coincedence but someone Im sure knows the answer.

Is the slower gear ratio= larger diameter on the reel handles... Like this DPV I just got is a nice wide rotation, not as big as a spinning reel rotation, but much greater than the rotation i have with my BPS baitcaster. I think that has helped make it a bit more normal for me.

Im going to get a veritas rod to match with the RH BPS baitcaster So I will still be going back and forth from left to right. But I will probably use lefty for Frogs and any baits that require lots of jerking action, As well as jigs.

Probably use righty for burning baits (Like you said you can reel faster with the right hand and its also a 6.4 to 1 as opposed to my 5.0 to 1 Lefty..)

[JustinM]

I wish more of you righties would use left handed reels. Then maybe they would make left handed in every model for me! I should sue for discrimination against lefties!

[ClarkIR]

its such a weird complex... dont the majority of right handed fishermen with a spinning rod for example control the pole with the right and reel with the left? Why do we switch that all of a sudden for baitcasting?

And by that logic shouldnt you be using a RH retrieve anyways JM?

[JustinM]

Nope. Pole in the right hand, reel with left. All you people who switch back and forth or have left and right hand reels make me laugh.

[Arauthator]

Nope. Pole in the right hand, reel with left. All you people who switch back and forth or have left and right hand reels make me laugh.

Well that tells me you are easily amused.

That's ok, because I am too. LoLs.

I learned the trick of switching back and forth by having tendinitis in my elbow from casting one way during tournaments. Once I switched to both reels, that problem went away. So for me, yeah, there are some good advantages like I've shown in this thread, but the main reason I switch back and forth is so I can use my arms after a full day of fishing. I never was able to play sports for very long as a kid because of this problem, and my brothers used to pull my arms out of socket all the time, on accident of course, because the tendons in my arms and legs never fully developed. I once even threw my arm out of socket by being a pitcher in baseball and throwing the ball to the batter.

In the Marine Corps, I barely made it out of boot camp because my knees would swell up as big as basketballs almost from the tendons not performing like they are suppose too. The pain was excruciating, but I did my best, held back the pain, and made it through in those 20 mile humps, and 5 mile runs.

So when you put it that way, I pretty much take it as making fun of my handicap.

[ClarkIR]

So when you put it that way, I pretty much take it as making fun of my handicap.

Most people on this forum dont know personal details about one another. I dont think in any way he was trying to insult anyone maliciously(assuming he doesnt know that about you).

You have a good concept going though about getting more miles out of your body by evening out the stress during a long day... I thought of that myself. This will definately help out with that.

[Arauthator]

Most people on this forum dont know personal details about one another. I dont think in any way he was trying to insult anyone maliciously(assuming he doesnt know that about you).

You have a good concept going though about getting more miles out of your body by evening out the stress during a long day... I thought of that myself. This will definitely help out with that.

Yeah, I agree Clark, my intent wasn't really one that was of an accusation, but more of one letting everyone know, there are people on forums with handicaps, most of us wouldn't make fun of those handicaps to a person to their face, well, on a forum, it's the same. You just never know what people are going through, or what a person has to contend with in life. Common courtesy should be practiced here too, it's a public place.

It's more of an etiquette thing....the point I was wanting to make.

Most of the time, not always, but most of the time when a person does something, like switch reals, there is a very intent purpose.

[stratosjoe]

Not that much experiance with it I bought a new quantum in left a few years back I stuck about a three pound fish and found myself holding the reel handle with my left hand and retrieving the rod with the right. needless to say that did not come out to well so back to the right hand I went and gave the reel away. Ford ,chevy toyota know what I mean