Why Is the Handle of a Spinning Reel on the Left Side by Default

If you enjoy the outdoors and go fishing with your family on a regular basis, you may have used fishing reels.

The spinning reel, which you can use for various fishing techniques, is one of the best all-purpose fishing reels.

If you’ve ever wondered why top spinning reels come left-handed, look no further because we’ll explain why they were designed in that manner.

This article will also cover converting a left-handed spinning reel to a right-handed one.

Why Are Fishing Reels Left-handed?

Why fishing Spinning reels are left-handed

Are you left, or right? The hand you have on the reel makes a difference.

If you are right-handed, there are several obvious benefits to having the spinning reel handle on the left side.

It is inconvenient to constantly switch hands after using your right hand to cast a bait and reel.

To fight larger fish, you hold your rod in the dominant hand.

Turning a reel handle is a straightforward task that can be performed by your non-dominant hand.

The faster dominant hand grips the rod and places the hooks more quickly.

Since you don’t switch hands between each cast, it is more efficient.

Additionally, when using left-handed spinning reels, you use your left hand for spinning and your right hand for more casting activities.

Because the majority of anglers are right-handed, left-handed spinning reels are produced.

Let’s examine each of these aspects separately.

Turning a reel handle is a straightforward task

The fishing-reel handle’s operation is relatively simple, and one of the most crucial things your brain does is instruct your hands to wrap around the grip of a fishing-reel handle naturally.

Simply said, since the Grip shape is based on comfort, it’s best to let your non-dominant hand do the more straightforward work of twisting a reel handle, allowing you fully utilize your dominant hand.

To fight larger fish, you hold your rod in the dominant hand.

Everybody has a dominant hand or arm.

It accomplishes the task better than the less dominant hand or arm; thus, we utilize it better for our regular activities. It’s the same with fishing.

Casting a fishing rod will come more naturally to the dominant hand or arm than it would to the non-dominant.

Using your dominant hand when casting a left-handed spinning or baitcasting reel has more benefits.

With the thumb of your non-dominant hand, you can more easily regulate the spool speed.

I suggest everyone new to fishing or angling hold and cast the fishing rod with their dominant hand or arm.

Casting is more efficient

Reeling with your non-dominant hand eliminates the need to ever swap hands between casting and battling fish, even though some say reeling with your dominant hand can enable better finesse and speed.

I don’t think that really matters. When fishing for larger fish, I do find that I have superior rod control when utilizing my dominant hand or arm on the rod handle.

Your dominant hand moves more quickly and precisely and has more decisive control over subtle changes.

It may be more challenging to regulate motions with the non-dominant hand.

Try to avoid the switch to enable free-flow fishing.

Why do you need a left-handed reel?

With a left-handed spinning reel, turning the reef handle causes the bail arm to revolve around the spool.

Thus, the line is wound onto the spool by the combined efforts of the bail arm, spool, and handle.

When the bail arm is opened, the line is released, allowing the line to roll off.

The line will wrap into the spool once you have finished casting by shutting the bail arm.

A drag mechanism is built into the left-handed spinning reel to prevent circumstances in which a larger fish can break or rip the line.

The drag knob can be used by rotating it both clockwise and counterclockwise.

The reel contains ball bearings, which are essential because they translate the handle’s rotation into the rotation of the bail.

Additionally, a left-handed fishing reel or spinning reel has a gear ratio.

Unlike the bait cast reel, in which you cannot switch the crank handles, modern spinning reels, on the other hand, are made so the handle can be swapped to either side of the reel, suiting the right-handed person- and left-handed.

Right-handed fishermen can cast, hold the rod, and turn the reel with their left hand when it is left-handed, while left-handed people can install the reel handle to the opposite side of the reel so they can use their right hand to turn the spin while holding the rod and cast with their left hand without switching hands.

Considering this, I believe that spinning reels are appropriately designed because it makes sense.

The known bait casting reel is primarily made to be right-handed, but in the end, we are happy to know now that most reel producers have changed their stance and now provide the majority of models in both configurations.

What makes a fishing reel right- or left-handed?

1) The handle Placement

A right-handed fishing reel will have the handle on the right side, a non-spinning reel. Whereas, a left-handed fishing reel will have the handle on the right side with a spinning reel.

2) Hand Usage

For fishing efficiency, left-handed reels are primarily designed to be used with your left hand if you are a right-handed person.

On the other hand, right-handed reels are designed for you to use with your right hand, which is less efficient.

The Baitcast Reel

You might want to ask if most anglers are right-handed, and it’s best to let your non-dominant hand do the more straightforward work of twisting a reel handle, allowing you fully utilize your power arm better.

Why do the conventional baitcasting reels come right-handed?

For the right-handed reel position, there is a compelling argument.

Some claim that baitcasting reels have a smaller radius and are easier to manage with your more substantial hand, which is typically your right.

But the truth is that the fact that right-handed baitcasters have their grips on the opposite side of spinning reels is most likely the result of historical precedent.

Conventional reels are older than most spinning reels.

The winding action was quite important to those antiques.

It is obvious why they chose the more dominant hand for this task because turning was of paramount significance to them.

The reel handle is likely on the right side, as most of us are right-handed.

But the truth remains, right-handed fishing reels with handles on the right side are rather challenging because you have to switch hands every time after casting a bait and reel with your right hand.

For this reason, most reel manufacturers have changed their stance and now provide the majority of models in both configurations.

Switching your spinning reel from right to left or right to left

Whether you are left-handed and want to hold the spinning reel in your left hand while reeling with your right hand or right-handed and would prefer to have the reel in your right hand while reeling with your left hand, then worry no more.

Because with your new fishing reel (spinning), it is simple and easy to learn how to switch your reels for a better experience, regardless of the side that feels the most comfortable for you.

From right to left-handed reel

Follow these simple steps to switch your reel handle from the left side to the right.

• On the left side of the rotating reel, unscrew the dust cap until it falls out.
• Now, remove the reel arm.
• After removing the dust cap, place the reel arm on the reel’s right side.
• Insert the dust cap into the reel’s right-side opening, then tighten the screw.
• You’ve successfully changed your spinning reel from left to right-handed.

From left to right-handed reel

Follow these simple steps to switch your reel handle from the right side to the left.

• On the right side of the rotating reel, unscrew the dust cap until it falls out.
•  Now, remove the reel arm.
• After removing the dust cap, place the reel arm on the reel’s left side.
• Insert the dust cap into the reel’s left-side opening, then tighten the screw.
• You’ve successfully changed your spinning reel from right to left-handed.

Conclusion

The dominant hand or arm casts a fishing rod more efficiently than the non-dominant.

It is highly inefficient to have to switch the rod to the other hand at the end of each cast because you keep the rod in your dominant hand while casting.

That said, shifting your bait casting rod or spinning rod back and forth all day is time-consuming.

Because of this, spinning reel handles are primarily made to be left-handed, and as we have noted, it is very efficient.

So, it is wise to use left-handed models if you are right-handed as it allows you to handle top-water baits more effectively since you can begin reeling as soon as the bait touches the water without swapping hands.

In contrast, left-handed fishermen, shouldn’t go for left-handed baitcasters but right-handed ones. But in the end, it boils down to personal preference.