Fishing left handed

[torvic]

I usually fish left handed as I find I've got better rod control with the right hand, however after I got my new Okuma efs 20 I'm kind of confused on how to switch the handle over. It can be done, right??

Its just that once you take the handle out there is still an inner section inside for the screw, am I missing something obvious here or is it permanently a right handed reel?

[Richo]

G`Day Torvic,

I have the same reeland made the same change 1 week before our first comp (Mand). And I found it makes a huge difference if holding the rod with your preferred hand, especially for jigging softies, as control and finesse is everything. Just unscrew it and you should be able to change it straight over. The first time I unscrewed it I thought the same thing when I looked at it, then once asking the Tackle shop, I tried again and the middle part came out ...... no drama`s. Give it a go, if it keeps failing Im sure one of the lads will give you the right way.....

Cheers

Richo:p

[torvic]

Hey Richo

Exactly its a big improvement holding the rod with your preferred hand, funny feeling though when you pick up a normal reel and find the handle's missing :p Anyway had another look around and abit of poking and prodding and the middle part seems to be in there quite solid. Guess mines abit more stubborn then yours.

Great to see you can always rely on quick replies within this breammin community.

[Richo]

You`ll get a genuine answer to questions here, its the best place to find any info your after for breamin. But swapping over is necessary, and I quite often pick some of my older rods and wonder what the hells wrong with it and then realise the handles on the other side. Any way Im sure someone will explain in greater detail what you need to do. Nice reel as well....:)

Cheers

Richo:p

[Dave W]

I've got the same reel, and mine was dead easy to swap over - if it's a bit stubborn try and push it out from the other side with the middle of a pen or something similar.

You guy's are right about using the dominant arm for everything - makes a big difference, and I reckon you get about 10 more casts in per hour, you don't have to change hands;)

[torvic]

Ahhh so easy. Thanks alot Dave I thought the middle section was an entire tube not just that tiny bit of plastic. Excellent.

Hey guys
I'm naturally left handed so i dont have any worries with changing reel handles and the likes.
Using the dominant hand is almost crucial with sportsfishing. You need to apply the correct amounts of pressure on the fish,control rod movements and be able to work the lures with a lot of finnesse.
Also, you try fighting a bonito with one hand on 4 or 6 pound line for a long time and see how tired you arm will become if you use your non dominant hand!!!:D

[LakeConjolaFish]

I have tried the dominant hand theory a lot of times over the last year, and I have to admit that I don't like it. I feel very unco-ordinated and when I go back to have the paddles in my right hand again, I'm home!!!

I can see the point that people make but I just must be one of the people that its never going to work for!

Jim

[Matt]

Its essentially the way you learn to fish which determines what feels right (abviously Matt:rolleyes: ) . My Father tought me to fish left Handed, with my dominant right hand doing all the rod work. BUT I learnt to use a baitcaster the other way as Left Hand wind baitcasters were hard to come by when I was learning and I cannot use them Left Hand? Bit quirky using threadlines one way and baitcasters the other:D

Cheers
Matt

[LakeConjolaFish]

Your right Matt its the way you learnt, could you imagine if someone told you the benefits of changing your knife and fork hand now (I'm 40) it wouldn't matter how much better it was, I don't think that I would ever do it!

I love my Chronarch and can see the benefits of not swapping hands after I cast, maybe I should teach myself to cast my little baitcaster in my left hand!

One lil' tidbit, my Dad was left handed and I was taught to tie on all my hooks left handed, part time fishing mates hate it when I try to show them as they don't know what the hell I'm talking about as its all arse about face to them!

Jim

[pw-bream]

I've used left-hand wind threadlines for over 20 years, it only took one trip to feel comfortable with it set up that way and it is so much better and faster, particularly when you are using lures and constantly casting and retrieving.

[LakeConjolaFish]

Dang it !! I'll have to give it another go.


Jim

[Evan]

yep i agree with pw.

when i first learnt to fish it was with the reel with the right hand. i went over to my cousins in america and they couldnt believe that i was fishing that way (they all fish left handed).

when i made the switch i felt real unco but after a couple of days constantly casting and retrieving it statrs to feel more natural and after a couple of fish you wont look back!!!

give it more of a go

[LakeConjolaFish]

Evan, I love that word UNCO

[pw-bream]

Not sure how bream spinning with it's alleged "finesse" and those big buck, high-modulus graphite rods will mix with "unco" :-)
Sounds like a recipe for disaster and bankruptcy.

[LakeConjolaFish]

Great name for lures though, "Unco Lures"

Has a catchy feel about it, huh?


Jim

[torvic]

It only took me a couple of sesssions to feel at home fishing left handed, although it did feel abit weird at first. However now I'm finding I use 2 grips when holding the rod, when standng to the right and - waving/pumping/whatever i dont know the proper term - the rod and then a different one when the rod is on my reverse side. Do other ppl use different grips also or is it just me?

The thing is tho after fishing left handed you can still fish with right-handed reels fine. I had to fish right handed with my old baitcaster but it felt that control of the rod noticable decreased than when fishing with your dominant arm. Have another go Jim as I feel it really is a must to go with your dominant arm

[Captain]

I first noticed this with Bushy and steve and decided to give it a go with my new spinning gear, (first one I picked up after years of baitcasters) and it really didn't work for me.

After this disappointment I went back to my old ways then one day found myself casting with my left, I would say my right hand is dominant but found it very comfortable and precise casting with my left hand, which meant no hand change over with the rod.

I bat left handed and can play golf left handed so I guess that helps.

Cheers
Captain

[chris_lemess]

Yeah I wind with my left and by preference would rather a LHW baitcaster.

Guys who do Sambo jigging often take an overhead combo and a large spinning combo, and seeing as most overheads are RHW, you can change when either arm gets tried from hauling in the 30kg+ sambos from the depths! This sounded like a great idea to me!

Chris

[torvic]

Yea I went fishing in an indonesian charter once (yes fishing with lines!) and all the reels were left handed. At that time I didt have a clue why and you could imagine what I was thinking..."are all these guys left handed? Is this a freak chance or is there something wrong with the water here"



:rolleyes:

[mangajack]

I reckon that if you cast naturally with your left hand and wind with your right its of no consequence changing over. I am right handed and i have no troubles whatsoever with casting left handed and i reckon the sensitivity is the same with both left and right hand for rod control. It's just how well practiced you are at your style of fishing.

Tony.