How Do You Hold Your Rod?

[chop]

Recently I learned to hold my rod in my right hand ( I am right handed) and reel with with my left.

It made perfect sense to me and it is now how I like to fish and I wish I knew this was the way it was supposed to be ages ago as It is so comfortable and I couldn't switch back.

I was watching some TV today (not really my thing) but they had that show " IFISH" on and they were all holding their rods in their left hand but casting with their right hands over left and switching to reeling with their right
Anyway it got me wondering how many people actually use their strong arm on their rod and reel with their weaker hand/arm.

I can't think of going back to reeling with my right hand.

[Yellowjack]

Yeh I hold my rod with my stronger arm (left) and reel with my weaker (right)

I think its the pro fisherman way sorry mate!

Cheers,
Jack

[chop]

Yeh I hold my rod with my stronger arm (left) and reel with my weaker (right)

I think its the pro fisherman way sorry mate!

Cheers,
Jack

What are you sorry for?

[Muddy Toes]

How a man holds his rod is HIS business and HIS business only.Not the thing we should be talking about on here.8-)

[FishHunter]

Right handed and hold my spin rods and baitcaster in right hand and wind with left. Overheads I work the wrong way due to the difficulty I had trying to get left hand reels

[chop]

Maybe it is just a lure thing to hold the rod with your strong hand because you cast so much?

[Gon Fishun]

[QUOTE=Yellowjack;1369522]Yeh I hold my rod with my stronger arm (left) and reel with my weaker (right)


So you would be a mollydooker?
I am right handed and class my right arm as the stronger, but, a cross caster. (No, not dresser ). ;D

I cast with the right , swap rod to left hand and wind with right hand. Winding with the left just doesn't feel natural and its not coordinated.
Watched Robson Green, last night , and with the big rods and reels that he was winding left handed he didn't look organised. He looked clumsy and was having trouble with the pump and wind.

[freefish]

What's it matter? I do both. The aim is to catch fish so whatever works.

[bf90]

I am right handed I hold rod with left and wind with right I have tried tried hold right and wind left but it is like writing left handed , bloody useless :)

[Boat Hog]

Right handed here .... hold the rod in my left hand and undo all the tangles with my right! ::)

[sandbankmagnet]

I generally try and get my missus to hold my rod.

[rabbi]

I generally try and get my missus to hold my rod.

Hehe, funnily enough This is what I thought this thread was about::)
Does it matter? As long as you dont break the tip off all is good8-)
Steve.

[Chaz]

I got on to winding left handed after being alerted to the obvious efficiency of such by Rexxy in one of his early shows. And I have seen many a fish lost while a weaker-hand caster is doing the change over. Got confirmed some years ago fishing the skinny water in Barrington Tops. You had to be winding and taking up all the slack before the lure hit the water or no hookup. Any bass fisherman will tell you how often the lure gets hit in the first foot of the drop or even that the fish will be there waiting for the lure to hit the water.

Felt a bit funny at first but it just happens now and I reckon I am in contact with the sharp end all the time not having to change hands. I am a little annoyed that I bought some excelllent quality right hand wind baitcasters before I changed method.

I don't thnk a lot of people think or thought about it when they started and there are a lot more right hand wind reels around to start with.

Chaz

[Luc]

I'm a leftie and cast right & crank left. Have always fished this way. Having said that, I can cast pretty well using my left arm. Comes in handy sometimes.

The exception is one of my baitcasters that didn't come in left hand crank versions. For that one I cast right and swap over.

Like learning to cast with your other arm, it's only a matter of practicing in the backyard by lobbing lures at a target.

If you want to get used cranking left, when you sit watching TV, practice using a left cranking reel.

[Fafnir]

I use both. Always cast with my right (dominant) then for my light spin combos I wind left hand, my baitcasters/overheads I wind with my right, only because they are right hand wind. My larger spinning reels I like to fish left hand wind for soft plastics/lures and right hand for high speed spinning.

I find using either hand pretty natural but I can wind much faster with my right hand.

[Gazza]

I'm left-handed...Alvey/spinner reels were designed for me/elitists :P ....imo :o

anyways , i hold MY rod between my teeth (can U do dat) :)) ,crank with da right ,and rub my beergut counter-clockwise with my left (can U do dat) ::-?

[choppa]

hold with my left,,, wind with the right

play cricket left handed

play tennis/squash right handed

writing is not a problem with either

hold my smokes in my right,, but use the lighter with my left

steer the truck with my left,,, and normally have the right resting on the window pillar

fork in right hand,,, knife in left,,, but fillet fish/carve roasts etc etc with my right

was dropped 3 times when born,,,, nothing more to explain

choppa

[tunaticer]

For me the right way is the wrong way and i can't be bothered teaching this old dog any new tricks.

If it is so wrong to be a right handed cranker, why do all kids pick up a rod and crank with the right without instruction??

[Gazza]

I'm smart enough though to use the mouse with my righthand :D , and my nuts err "go right" in the trouser snake handicap !! :-[

p.s. Tuna , there is "no handle" on an alvey for the "left-crankers" ;) ,most spinners are outathebox right-crank, but generally changeable to left-crankers ;)
LOL , Happy Easter All :-**

[Tailortaker]

Hold rod with left hand and wind reel with right, write left handed, play sport right handed but play pool left handed, I'm a left handed butcher but eat right handed, use to surf goofy footed and box either orthodox OR southpaw and hold ciggie in left unless I have a beer in my hand so than hold ciggie in right hand. Go figure

[Oh Gee]

I learnt to fish with an Alvey so I hold with the left and wind with my right. I have tried to change over but you know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. It's just too uncomfortable.

[4x4frog]

Recently I learned to hold my rod in my right hand ( I am right handed) and reel with with my left.

It made perfect sense to me and it is now how I like to fish and I wish I knew this was the way it was supposed to be ages ago as It is so comfortable and I couldn't switch back.

I was watching some TV today (not really my thing) but they had that show " IFISH" on and they were all holding their rods in their left hand but casting with their right hands over left and switching to reeling with their right
Anyway it got me wondering how many people actually use their strong arm on their rod and reel with their weaker hand/arm.

I can't think of going back to reeling with my right hand.
Think it is a matter of personal preference.
I fish orthodox, reel right hand, hold with left.
I have tried spinning left handed but it's just to difficult IMo to get good enough the few times I fish these days to relearn a new technique.
I did buy an Alvey off ebay very cheap as it was a left hooker...thought I would givw it a try. Went to local oval, massive tangle on both casts so scrapped that idea and bought reversde/rh mount for it.

[PinHead]

Hold rod with left hand and wind reel with left, write left handed, play sport right handed but play pool left handed, I'm a left handed butcher but eat right handed, use to surf goofy footed and box either orthodox OR southpaw and hold ciggie in left unless I have a beer in my hand so than hold ciggie in right hand. Go figure

That is an awesome effort..right hand spare to do anything else you want.

I hold rod in left hand and wind with right.

[Tailortaker]

That is an awesome effort..right hand spare to do anything else you want.

I hold rod in left hand and wind with right.
opps, good pick up. Thats what happens when have a beer in the left hand and type with right ::)

[killitfillit]

I did the change over to the right hand hold and left hand wind thing when it was the new fad a few years back and it worked ok.
One problem i found was if you kept one hand on the rod all day and didn't change hands to cast it was very fatiguing for that hand.
It is well suited to pitch casting as the americans do so i will leave it to them.

[MudRiverDan]

I'm right handed, I hold all my spin rods with my left and reel with my right, cast with my right.

For surf fishing, my reel is left hand retrieve, rod is too big to swap after a cast.

12 footer I tuck the handle under my arm when not holding it above waves.
15 footer I stick the handle between my legs and hold it high, as it is too long to tuck under my arm.

The left hand retrieve is definitely easier in the surf.

Dan

[Nathan Tuskes]

when using lures that require finesse i use my right hand on the rod totwitch and control runs and to act as a smooth shock absorber a little better,but when high-speed spinning and when real cranking power is needed i switch toleft hand holding rod and wind with the right hand.... works for me lol imright handed btw....

[pipifin]

Was this just a set up for double entendres?.... I was going to say that I use the two-handed reverse grip with a dry flannel for that raspy-ness, but then thought no.... I shouldn't stoop to that level, so here goes.
I switched to the holding in my strong hand and winding with the weaker hand when I starting kayak fishing as I needed more control, especially as the fish gets closer. You don't need strength to wind.
The only down side is now I struggle with an overhead reel, or any other borrowed gear..... I really struggle to wind with my strong hand now.

[Stik-ugly]

I am right handed and use to hold rod with the left and wind with the right but i converted to holding with right and wind with left and wouldn't go back.But it is a bugger having a half dozen right hand overheads.

[EdBerg]

All my rods are double handed overhead types with right hand reels, so cast with my right hand on top of the bottom grip with thumb on the spool and my left hand on the bottom and then after cast I hold the rod with left hand winding with my right hand.

Cheers

Ed.

[Noelm]

I got on to winding left handed after being alerted to the obvious efficiency of such by Rexxy in one of his early shows. And I have seen many a fish lost while a weaker-hand caster is doing the change over. reels around to start with.

Chaz
That may be true, but you also may get struck by lightning too, the chances of a fish hitting the exact instant you are "changing hands" is of course a possibility, but it is prety rare, what it comes down to is, there is no right or wrong way, it is what you are comfortable with, sure some TV presenter may tell you that winding with your left hand is the "proper" way it is done, but hey, who the hell has any idea whether you are right or left handed? what hand you wind with is up to you, end of story.

[PaulMark]

I use both,I'm ambiguous...apparently.;D::)
Paulo

[wamjam]

A few years ago a tried the cast with the right hand and wind with the left using a bait caster, all went well until I had to wind fast to stop a fish going into a snag. It was like having two left hands!!!, lost the fish and never went back and don't regret it. I like to cast with the right, change hands as the lure touches the water, usually ready to wind the lure back as the right hand fingers rest on the handles. Also I like to hold the reel and rod with the left, I reckon you get less twist of the rod.
I reckon everyone should try swapping hands so they have their own opinion, like I did.

Scott

[Apollo]

I just go fishing and don't worry about it. If my rod needs to be held, then I need two hands.

[GARFISH]

Right handed, hold rod in left and wind with right as a rule, too many years using alveys, but cast left handed when spinning so I don't have that change over time which is the reel issue

[finga]

Oh crap on a SAO. This fishing thing used to be so simple.
Go to garage sale and buy a 4" Alvey for $5.
Go to another garbage sale (not a typo) and buy a rod for $2.50
Go to local bait and tackle happy chappy (well the one at Viccy Point is a happy chappy) on the way to the water and get 1/2lb of green prawns, 2 long shanked hooks and a couple of sinkers and go to the edge of the water (either fresh or briney...it didn't matter) and thread the sinker on the 30 year old 12lb Snyder line, tie a hook on, thread the prawn onto the hook and chuck that prepared combo of sinker, hook and prawn into the water and wait for the fish to commit suicide.
It's really obvious which hand you use for what. Alvey's can only be wound right handed can't they??
And seeing your winding with your right hand you must be holding the rod with your left arm/hand. There's no other way is there??

Bloody hell. When did fishing get so hard?? Was it when they brought in these soft plastic dodads??
I'm buggered if I know :(

As for which hand is under or over or up or down when casting....well I'm buggered if I know. I just do it. I've never thought about it at all.

This fishing is just getting too confusing on what gear I'm supposed to use and how to use it.
I'm going back to using a hand-line just to save my teeny weeny knoggin' from all the confusion and thinking. :-?

Can someone explain how I'm supposed to fish now-a-days??

PS: I didn't vote. Why??? I haven't got a clue which arm is stronger. I've never needed to know before this.

[tunaticer]

Who on Earth is this finga fella???
Where did he get released from?

[cobiaman]

I'm going back to using a hand-line just to save my teeny weeny knoggin' from all the confusion and thinking. :-?



So what hand will you hold the line in?

[finga]

Who on Earth is this finga fella???
Where did he get released from?
I wasn't released from anywhere Jack.
They forgot the lock the door one day. http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Confused/confused-18.gif

So what hand will you hold the line in?
Well that would depend on if I'm eating a sanga or having a cup of tea.
If eating a sanga then line in left hand. If having a cuppa then right hand.
Wooden spool will be on the floor of the boat or on sitting on the bank with enough line just lying about for me to get tangled in.
Simple as....yeah?? http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Happy/happy-032.gif

But I'll be serious for a second. I thought about this when I was doing some no more gapping yesterday and I really could not work out which hand went up high on the rod when I cast and which hand stayed down on the butt.
It really got to me so I had to go out in the driveway and cast a rod.
It's right hand high. Left hand low for an Alvey

[BigE]

Depends on what i'm fishing for.
Bream and whiting the rod is in the plastic rod holder.

Jewies and snappa the rod is in the stainles steel rod holder.

For reddies the rod is in the rack and the deck winch comes out.


BigE

[wrip109]

It is very easy really and works itself out. I am right handed, so I hold my stubby in my right hand, in my left hand I hold my smoke. I hold the rod in my teeth and wind with my knees.

Don't catch much...

[jtpython]

If you sit on your hands for five minutes it feels like someone else is holding your rod:P
Otherwise if u look at my video's i use the 3 fingers on my left hand to four fingers
JT

[timddo]

Are we fishing for Fish in the Sea or the other Fish in Town? They both smell fishy, Both give a good fight and both lay flat onced reeled in. Once release, you will never catch them back

[MangroveZac]

I am right handed and reel with my right hand.

When i was knee high to a whiting my old man used to let me play with his old fishing rods in the shed as he would prepare for a fishing trip. So i have been told, i used to always hold the rod in my left hand. I think it comes naturally, i.e. give someone who has never fished before a rod and reel but missing the handle.... see what hand they use?? :-? Which side of the reel would they want the handle on?

I think as long as your compfortable and enjoying your fishing then who cares what some dick on TV thinks is the 'right' way to fish.

[TheRealAndy]

I use both. Always cast with my right (dominant) then for my light spin combos I wind left hand, my baitcasters/overheads I wind with my right, only because they are right hand wind. My larger spinning reels I like to fish left hand wind for soft plastics/lures and right hand for high speed spinning.

I find using either hand pretty natural but I can wind much faster with my right hand.

I am the same. All my light lure rods are set up so I cast with right hand, wind left. Much easier than changing hands to wind in. I also have a light left hand baitcaster for this same reason.

Beach rods and offshore rods are all right hand wind.

[Goodoo haven]

Yeah, I am right headed and hold the rod with my left hand and wind reel with my right hand.