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[Knnn]

If you are right handed, you will probably prefer anything requiring a little dexterity to get done by your right hand.  I retrieve right handed, I cast with with my right hand, but I also cast with my left hand and cast both front or backhanded with either.  When arms/wrists get tired, turn rod upside down and retrieve left handed.

If you retrieve with your left hand, it will probably feel like someone else........

PS have you asked your local shop if they have a couple of loners so you can try either way before you buy.  Even 2 minuted chucking a weight in the local park would probably soon tell you which one feels most natural to you?

[clarki]

x2

the dominate hand should hold the rod for support and the weaker hand should be the one cranking on the retrieve...i find it silly too to see guys constantly switching back and forth.

Agreed. If you are right hand dominant, then train yourself to crank the reel with your left.

[bmynbr]

I cast right handed and reel left handed. Always have and feels totally natural.

[skaha]

--for baitcasters can't always get a left had retrieve and when you do some cost more than the right.

[Spawn Sack]

I think its silly to hold the rod in the right hand to cast, then switch it to thier left hand so they can reel in. Why not hold the rod in your dominate hand for casting and retrieving? Maybe then people will not be doing wild casts into trees and tangling with other anglers 

Agree 100% I don't get why most right handed people cast with their right hand, then switch the rod to their left hand to reel with their right I guess you need to go with what your brain likes/what feels natural.

I'm right handed and all my reels are left hand retrieve. I can reel right with no real issues if I'm on a boat trolling, but I can't river fish/cast this way as doing the cast, switching rod hands, reel with casting hand thing gives me a nose bleed Plus I prefer to set the hook and hold the rod with a fish on with my dominant/right hand.

One thing that sucks is some good reel are right hand retrieve only which really pisses me off  Like the Calcutta 400B - not available in left hand, wtf?! Or a lot of the big level winds used for sturgeon, etc. Right hand only. However like I said grabbing a rod out of a rod holder and reeling with my right hand is not a big deal.

I was at the tackle swap at Carmen United Church today. Saw LOTS of awesome level wind reels for sale (including a beauty brand new older 7000 Abu) but not a single one I looked at was LHR. Picked up a nice Ross fly reel and 8wt Lamiglass rod of a very friendly seller, can't wait to hammer some chum and coho on it!

[zap brannigan]

i cast and retreive right, dont care what anyone says about the way I fish.

[target]

I tried my new Abu Garcia 6501 C3 reel and Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod today. My feeling is OK for the first time using a baitcasting left handed reel.
Maybe I did something wrong when fighting with a big fish, the top part of my Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod ( bought last night) is broken. As fishtruck said, a Fenwick HMX  rod ($50 more at Army and navy) maybe more worth the money.

[Sr SQ]

I think its silly to hold the rod in the right hand to cast, then switch it to thier left hand so they can reel in. Why not hold the rod in your dominate hand for casting and retrieving? Maybe then people will not be doing wild casts into trees and tangling with other anglers 

Absolutely........
When I first started fishing with a level wind there were very few options for left hand reels so I fished right like everyone, never gave it a thought.
After blowing up my left elbow in 76 I had no choice to find a left handed reel to fish with as I never had enough strength after my surgery to hold the rod.
I'm all thumbs with my left hand but figured I could get away with it using a level wind as it really requires no dexterity to simply crank the handle, its not like you need to palm the reel like with a single action.
I was able to source a Shimano lefty and after the first cast I thought, why the hell dont all right handed people hold the rod with their dominant hand?
It all works, I have the power to hold the rod and the dexterity to thumb the drag and the left is just there to crank, win win.
I mean this is like the most natural thing to me, but people do not like change I guess so they stick with what they learned on?

[Sr SQ]

I tried my new Abu Garcia 6501 C3 reel and Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod today. My feeling is OK for the first time using a baitcasting left handed reel.
Maybe I did something wrong when fighting with a big fish, the top part of my Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod ( bought last night) is broken. As fishtruck said, a Fenwick HMX  rod ($50 more at Army and navy) maybe more worth the money.

One thing to remember when fighting a fish, as a general rule you never want to pull the rod back past your shoulder.
Once you go past 90* you start loading unloading the butt section and putting the load on the tip.

[zap brannigan]

I tried my new Abu Garcia 6501 C3 reel and Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod today. My feeling is OK for the first time using a baitcasting left handed reel.
Maybe I did something wrong when fighting with a big fish, the top part of my Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod ( bought last night) is broken. As fishtruck said, a Fenwick HMX  rod ($50 more at Army and navy) maybe more worth the money.

I got a Canadian methods 11ft and been pretty happy with it, can cast a spinner with no additional lead just as far as a guy with a spinning rod.

[brownmancheng]

One thing to remember when fighting a fish, as a general rule you never want to pull the rod back past your shoulder.
Once you go past 90* you start loading unloading the butt section and putting the load on the tip.

Never heard this but it makes sense. Thank you

[fishtruck]

I tried my new Abu Garcia 6501 C3 reel and Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod today. My feeling is OK for the first time using a baitcasting left handed reel.
Maybe I did something wrong when fighting with a big fish, the top part of my Fenwick Canadian Methods CMST 1062M  rod ( bought last night) is broken. As fishtruck said, a Fenwick HMX  rod ($50 more at Army and navy) maybe more worth the money.

Take the rod back, should be covered by warranty. Might be able to get a local tackle shop to match Berry's price on that rod if you're still interested. Pacific Angler did just that last year by matching Fred's price on a Convergence rod. Good-Luck

[Ian Forbes]

There is no correct way. It's all personal preference. I cast right and retrieve left with my spinning rod. I cast left with the baitcaster and retrieve right.

I agree with Fish Assassin. It's just a personal choice. I can do both but do 90% of my reeling right handed, unless I'm using my Spey reel or a spinning reel. Then I reel left handed.

[Spawn Sack]

Not such an issue for right handed reelers, but for people like me who reel left it's a good idea to be comfortable reeling right too. Why? I've found that if you going on a guided trip sturgeon or salmon fishing, fishing on your holidays in Mexico or wherever, ALL the level wind reels will be right handed. I don't find this too be a big of a deal if I'm fishing out of a boat  as there is no casting, but if I go on a guided trip where there will be casting now I always bring my own rod/reel as I can bet they will not have a single left handed baitcaster