Wondering how many of you out there use lefty baitcasting reels? Reason I ask is I just got the following response back from a Mr. Dave Brown regarding the availability of the new Serrano reel in a left handed version.

Hello Justin,



Believe me, we wanted a left version as well. The cost of creating the molds very much outweighed how many we would sell. It just didn�t make sense in that platform. I spoke with our product development guy and he told me that none of the new models will have the Corrosion X bath like the Serrano does. Very unfortunate and I know we are missing the mark a little. At least for this year we will not have that available. The left hand market is huge in the North West for the steelhead guys, and starting to take off a bit for the rest of the country.



Anyhow, I know its not the news you wanted to hear, but that is kind of where we stand.


Dave





___________________________

Dave Brown

Regional Sales Manager

Okuma Fishing Tackle

Tiburon Engineering

Pakula Tackle

2310 E. Locust Court

Ontario, CA 91761

Office: 909-923-2828 x 127

Fax: 909-923-2909

"Dave Brown" dave@okumafishing.com



Now Dave seems to be a nice fella, and it appears he understands the needs of his customer. The higher ups at Okuma just don't get it.

I own several Okuma reels and for the money I would say the Okuma Epixor spinning reel as at least the equal of the Shimano Sedona if not the Symetre.

Reckon what I'm saying is, we need to let these manufacturers know that making left handed models is not a losing proposition. A lot of righties out there fish with the left handed models. More and more righties are figuring out that it's more efficient to cast with your right and reel with your left, thus eliminating the whole swap hand maneuver.

Plus, I REALLY WANTED TO GET MY HANDS ON A LEFT HANDED SERRANO!

I use them, i have them mounted on my flipping rods. Its so much easier to flip and have a hand ready to hit the handle if needed. Rather than switching hands all the time.

I am "right-handed" and have only used "left-hand" baitcasters since I started throwing them. It was tough in the past to find them but more and more are being produced. Don't worry about that Okuma; there are plenty of other excellent left-hand reels out there. I just bought two new Brownings and they are great reels.

Now I just wish Magellen (Academy) would sell more of their long sleeve fishing shirts in tall sizes but that's a story for a different day.......

What I was trying to convey is that Okuma will not be releasing their Serrano reel in a left handed model because they don't think they can sell enough to make it worth it. I find this short sighted. Like most of you, I am right handed but prefer left handed reels. I was hoping to bring pressure to bear on Okuma to change their mind. I really think the Serrano could give the Shimano Curado a run for it's money, if only they could release it in a lefty. Please contact Dave Brown at Okuma Products and let him know if you feel the same. dave@okumafishing.com

Every rod I have is for left handers. Even though Im right. Theres tons of people saying that Im doing it all wrong but my way of thinking is I want to have my main hand on the rod to set the hook quicker and more efficiently. I think Ned Flanders from the Simpsons should give that guy a holler lol.

I can actually fish both righty and lefty fairly well. But given the option, I'll buy a lefty over a righty even though I'm right handed. 25 years ago I happened across a close out sale at and old Howard's Discount store in Baton Rouge, LA. There in the case they had Shimano BMP251 Bantam Classic. At the time I wouldn't have been able to afford such a nice reel but they had cut 75% off the retail price 'cause it was a lefty. I snatched it up and proudly stuck it on a pistol gripped Lew's Speed Stick. I figured for that price I could just deal with the lefty issue. That simple puchase was an epiphany for me as I discovered that the left handed reels just felt more natural to me. It set me on a quest for more left handed reels. Up until recently Shimano and Abu have been the best sources. Okuma has really impressed me with their spinning reels. The quality and cost of the Epixor line of reels has swayed me from the Shimano Sedona and Symetre. I still have my Curado's and even that old BMP251, but I figured if Okuma could hit the mark so well on the Epixors, why couldn't they do it with the Serrano. I don't have an unlimited budget so I try to spend my money wisely. But for the lack of a Serrano in a left handed model, and given it's reviews, I think think the Serrano would give the Curado a run for it's money in the saltwater world. Just my .02!

...wouldn't do it any other way....just seems to make sense having your
dominate hand on the rod...plus I can easily tell my rigs apart from my
partner's on the boat deck!

I don't understand why right-handed people use right-handed reels. I'm a righty and use left-handed baitcasters. No switching hand business.

It's for one or both of these reasons. Most kids started fishing with a Zebco reel years back and they were ALL right-hand retrieve. If you look at old (40 years old) baitcasters, they were all right handed. When those kids got older and picked up there 1st baitcaster, it was a right handed retrieve reel, also. It's funny; most old spinning reel were left hand retrieve. My 1st good fishing reel was a Mitchell 300 with left hand retrieve. When I decided to start using a left-hand bait caster, I found a lefty Ambassadeur to start with.

That is all I use. I keep the rod in my dominant hand. Not only am I quicker and stronger by doing this, but I am mainly have more coordination with that hand and arm. Just a Natural fact.
Rayzor, there is one of the companies that makes a spin-cast in LH retrieve. I bought one for my oldest son years ago. I will see if I can find it, for any of those interested. I grew up fishing a spinning reel for trout and my dad bought me a bigger one and cut a tip off and made me a stiffer rod for bass fishing. Then as I got to were I could cast the bait casters, they always felt out of place, until Shimano introduced their line of LH models, I switched and never looked back. O

I am right handed and have been using lefty reels since the late 80's. I am also surprised more people don't use lefties- it's just so intuitive to use use your dominant hand/arm to cast and set the hook. I wish there was more reels available in left, as I'd like a lefty Curado E5 but it sounds like I'll be waiting a long time to see that.

Hey Big Red; you're right, there is now. I have two or three spincast reels that you can switch the handle on. One of them is a Zebco Omega. They just didn't have them 40 years ago wheen people were learning how to fish.

I think the one I got for my son was a Diawa. Here is a website for an Abu-Garcia LH/RH.
http://www.texasbasstackle.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1000

I am a lefty and have used right handed reels my whole life. It just seems right as when you set the hook, I use my left arm. In the rare case that I use a spinning reel, it has to be left handed, dont ask me why.

I started out on spinning reels, reeling left-handed, and when I made the move to baitcast, tried right-handed reels and found the switching hands movement too difficult to master. I started using left-hand reels and my problems were solved.

Now I have 4 reel bags full of left-hand Shimanos, Revos, Ambassadeurs, and Quantums...lol.