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Casting Reel Help #12412490 09/03/17 07:18 PM
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flyfshrgrl Offline OP
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First, please understand I am a lifetime fly fisher, and while I understand fishing and fisheries, I understand very little about Casting Reels. I am building my nephew a casting rod, and here are the specs:
Length: 7'0"
Pieces: 1
Line Weight: 10-20 lb.
Lure Weight: 3/8 - 1 oz.
Power: Medium-Heavy
Action: Moderate
Tip Size: 5.0 (~2.0mm)
Butt Diameter: 0.44
Description: SCIII Casting
Weight: 1.9

What I do not know is if a casting fisherman is a right-handed person, with what hand do they cast the rod, and with what hand do they reel the rod? This information will be helpful in the purchase of a reel, which will help me with my purchase of the reel seat.

Thank you for your help and patience.


Julia Bell/flyfshrgrl
Dallas Fly Fishers President, 2021-present


FishOn! the Fly
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Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412501 09/03/17 07:33 PM
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GriddleGrizzly Offline
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It can be either way. Its most common to cast right handed and wind the reel with the right hand, but some folks cast with their right hand and retrieve with their left hand so they don't have to switch hands after the cast

Last edited by GriddleGrizzly; 09/03/17 07:34 PM.
Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412504 09/03/17 07:37 PM
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SteezMacQueen Offline
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Casting rods as far as I know are ambidextrous. Reels are left or right.


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Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412515 09/03/17 07:54 PM
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flyfshrgrl Offline OP
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What about the thumb control brake thing, I really have no idea what it is called? If a right-handed person is casting one of those reels, which thumb are they using to control that lever? I'm looking at an Abu Garcia C4-4600 Ambassadeur reel. Some options say left hand and others say right hand retrieve, so I'm just trying to make sense of the whole cast and retrieve set up.

Last edited by flyfshrgrl; 09/03/17 07:56 PM.

Julia Bell/flyfshrgrl
Dallas Fly Fishers President, 2021-present


FishOn! the Fly
Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412517 09/03/17 07:57 PM
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skeeter james Offline
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I use to use regular right hand reels, but after breaking my wrist a few times I tried a left hand reel and after getting use to it, I've switched over and that's all I use now.... that way setting the hook and fighting the fish is against my right are instead of my bad left one...


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Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412524 09/03/17 08:04 PM
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Shadetree Offline
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Get another brand reel, the thumb bar is in the middle so it's easy for either hand. I would go with a right hand reel, I have found it very hard to get used to a left hand retrieve.


If I'm not fishing or hunting I'm hunting a place to fish or hunt.
Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412533 09/03/17 08:18 PM
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DaveTV Offline
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It really depends on the individual. I am right handed, cast right handed, but use both right and left hand retrieve reels according to lure presentation. For example I use right hand retrieve for crankbaits and left hand retrieve for jigs.

Also, all the rods I got, from Cabela's $59 special to a $500 G Loomis work great with either right or left hand retrieve reels.

Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412562 09/03/17 09:03 PM
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Yankee Fool Offline
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I am right handed, cast with my right hand and reel with my left. For me this is very natural and more efficient than switching the rod to the left hand after the cast to reel with the right. However, if you are just about to start learning, I would go for the right handed reel for this reason: most everyone uses righty reels. So if you're out with a friend and you want to use their rod, or vice versa, it's more likely to work if you reel right. Additionally, there are hundreds of high quality used righty reels posted for sale on TFF each year.

Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12412733 09/03/17 11:51 PM
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Bill Durham Offline
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flyfishgrl.. The 4600 C4 is a great reel to start with. I learned to fish a baitcaster with the older Ambassadeur 5000 reels and the C4 is much better than those primarily because of the thumb bar free spool release for casting. It also has a more ergonomic shape so you can cup the reel when retrieving instead of having to hold just the rod. But.. there are newer designs that go even further than just the rounded shape.. newer designs are much lower profile which are even better to handle on the retrieve and put the center of gravity of the reel much closer to the rod.. which makes it s a lot easier to handle over the course of the day vs the older 4600 C4 which is totally on the top of the reel. You will understand just by looking at the newer reels.. Like a Abu Garcia Revo.
When I was learning to fish a bait caster I was in my teens. I spent a lot of time in my back yard with a practice plug learning how to handle the rod/reel and learn not to backlash it so much. More modern reels are much better with much better control over the free spool settings. But back in the day.. as I got better with casting right handed and changing hands to retrieve.. I also learned to cast left handed.. and this was primarily for fishing baits like buzz baits.. that the retrieve had to start as soon as the bait hit the water. With time, my accuracy got better and it was all good. but its just practice. Good luck with your decision.. there is a lot of good stuff out there

BD

Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: Bill Durham] #12412939 09/04/17 01:21 AM
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flyfshrgrl Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: Bill Durham
flyfishgrl.. The 4600 C4 is a great reel to start with. I learned to fish a baitcaster with the older Ambassadeur 5000 reels and the C4 is much better than those primarily because of the thumb bar free spool release for casting. It also has a more ergonomic shape so you can cup the reel when retrieving instead of having to hold just the rod. But.. there are newer designs that go even further than just the rounded shape.. newer designs are much lower profile which are even better to handle on the retrieve and put the center of gravity of the reel much closer to the rod.. which makes it s a lot easier to handle over the course of the day vs the older 4600 C4 which is totally on the top of the reel. You will understand just by looking at the newer reels.. Like a Abu Garcia Revo.
BD


I think in reading and understanding the specs and understanding balance in rod, reel, and overall fit, regardless the fishing style, I like the REVO4 X-HS. This rod is for my nephew who doesn't like fly fishing, which is all I do. We go fishing together, and he really wants a rod of his own, and he knows that I build my own fly rods, so I've had a St. Croix blank for a very long time that I want to build for him. In fly fishing, deciding upon an uplocking or downlocking reel seat is the decision that needs to be made regarding the fly seat. However, if I build a casting rod, it requires one seat; if building a spinning rod, it requires another. I did buy a very nice spinning reel, but when we took my nephew fishing, the line kept falling off the spool. I know so little, that I couldn't help him. One of his friends' Dad's invites my nephew to go fishing occasionally, and he uses a baitcasting rod. I think my nephew prefers the baitcasting, so that is why all the questions about the reel and how to cast. My reel seat selection will determine how much or little he uses the rod.


Julia Bell/flyfshrgrl
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Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12413478 09/04/17 01:35 PM
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ezbassin Offline
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The reel seat on a bait caster will work for either a left hand or right hand reel. I would choose a low profile reel over the round type reel because they are more comfortable to fish with all day. They are usually lighter than the round reels also.
Go by a store and look at several bait casting rods and you will get a good idea what components you need to make the rod for him.
If your nephew kept having line fall of the spinning reel, most likely the reel had too much line on it. Take a few yards of it off and see if that works better.

BTW..I lived across the highway from Palmer. Went to school in Ennis. Used to mow lawns in Palmer to have money for fishing tackle. Fished farm ponds back then.

Last edited by ezbassin; 09/04/17 01:37 PM.
Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12413573 09/04/17 03:37 PM
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Rayzor Offline
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I have a Daiwa rod that was manufactured for a person holding it with their right hand. The grip is molded for the fingers of the right hand. They also made them for a left hand. The only problem with it is that your fingers have to go in the grooves or it is uncomfortable to hold. I can just imagine the problems this rod would pose for someone that throws with the right and switches to the left hand. I keep the rod in my right hand and retrieve with the left hand.


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Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12413851 09/04/17 08:44 PM
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Bill Durham Offline
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Its very cool that you are building your nephew a rod. A lot of the rods I see on the market use Fuji components.. Guides, reel seats, etc. I assume that the base diameter of your blank is .44"..doesn't say what the scale is in the specs, seems to be pretty small. I think that when you are done this will be a medium to medium light rod.. unless the blank is very stiff. You can stiffen it using a lot of guides, but you probably know more about that than I do.
Good luck!

BD

Last edited by Bill Durham; 09/04/17 08:52 PM.
Re: Casting Reel Help [Re: flyfshrgrl] #12417195 09/07/17 02:36 AM
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flyfshrgrl Offline OP
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Since posting, I have looked at several baitcasting reels. I did not know about the grooves on the handle being ergonomic to one hand or another, and after looking at several, recent photos of my nephew fishing with a friend, he's holding the rod in the right hand and reeling with his left. One's a spinning reel photo, and the others are baitcasting photos, so I think I'm going to go with a right-hand casting, left-hand retrieve. Thank you everyone for your input.


Julia Bell/flyfshrgrl
Dallas Fly Fishers President, 2021-present


FishOn! the Fly
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