Why Are Spinning Reels Left Handed The Handle Is On The Wrong Side!

Besides more power and endurance during a fight, holding the rod with your dominant hand provides for quicker hooksets as well. Most anyone will have a faster reaction time when using their dominant hand. Interestingly, this is the exact opposite to how most conventional baitcast reels ship from the factory. They almost always have the reel handle on the right side. Alternatively, you can pull out the spool shaft if necessary and pull out the old handle then screw in a new handle onto the old shaft if necessary.

Keep on reading and find out how the different configurations are set up on the different types and styles of rods. I tell both sides depending upon the reel and what I am fishing for. To avoid damaging your new line guide , make sure not to overtighten these screws.

About Cast & Spear

I don’t like transitioning the rod from one hand to the other; just another moving part to mess up. In this video we walk you through the steps in making that switch from left to right hand retrieve. I didn’t have anyone to teach me when I first started fishing. Like most, I started out with a push button Zebco reel.

Then, I graduated to a baitcaster, and worked my way through backlash school. Joshua is a husband, father, writer, and avid fly fisher who has a passion for sharing his fishing experiences, skills, and helpful tips with his global audience. He believes fishing should be fun and an opportunity to enjoy the serene outdoor life. It takes you to beautiful places and helps to build lifetime memories. You’ll frequently find him on lakeshores and river banks testing different types of rods, lures, hooks, and other fishing gear to find the best combination possible.

While anglers can use many different reels for various fishing styles, they are all the same. The simple answer is no, however, it all lies in the left-handed reel or right-handed reel attached to the rod. To make the switch, crank the handle in reverse to free it.

This also allows you to work top-water baits better as the moment the bait hits the water you can start reeling without switching hands. Back in the 70’s when I learned casting, there wasn’t any options for left or right-handed reels. So I was forced into an inefficient way of handling baitcasting gear. Luckily today, reel manufacturers offer reels with the crank handle on either side.

The lineup of inlines has me conflicted as to which to get. I’m pretty sure I’ll get the LH teardrop, reel with my left hand like a spinning reel. Some of the inlines, such as Frabill’s, are just like a fly reel. I reel a fly reel with my right hand, rod in the left.

How to Switch the Handle on a Lew’s Spinning Reel

As a lifelong right-handed caster and retriever, I am outraged that you have been subjected to this kind of abuse. Okay, maybe not outraged…perhaps mildly annoyed. You should reel however feels the most comfortable to you. You are not compromising any part of the fishing experience by using one hand or the other. I have heard a million times over the last 25 years that I shouldn’t reel right because (gasp!) I have to change hands on the rod every time I need to reel in. There is at least one advantage to casting a baitcaster with your dominant hand.

Usually, you’ll want to re-install your handle and make sure it’s located on your dominant side. This means if you’re right-handed, then install it on your left side and vice versa. Whichever side feels most comfortable for you, it only takes a minute or two to learn how to switch reels for a better experience. Now, if you’re using a right-handed reel, you have to be a little tricky and use your right hand while casting.

What hand should I reel with?

So a left-handed bait caster will have the reel handle on the left while the bait caster fishing reel handle for right-handers is on the right. It also happens that those who prefer baitcasting reels will, in most cases, also crank the reel with their dominant hand. So, I conformed long ago, to fishing a spinning reel as it normally ships out of the box.