Baitcaster left or right and sizes

So I am sure at some point you have all discussed this.

I want to buy some basic baitcaster to learn how to work with it and see if it would suit me better than spinning reels. I want to try them mainly because they just look cool

Main question:

As a right-handed person should I buy baitcaster for left-hand or right hand? I hold rod in right hand and reel in with left.When I started fishing it felt weird but I quickly got used to it. From research online it seems thought that when people use baitcaster they switch to other hand? I understand that everyone says you need your dominant/stronger hand reeling in but isn't it harder to hold the rod then reel in? I would expect my stronger hand holding rod would be easier for me?

Second question:
How are baitcaster sizes marked? I don't seem to find any info about sizes in the shops. I would like something that equals to 2000-3000 spinning reel, dont want to order one and end up with huge shark-monster baitcaster!

Probably noob question, but baitcasters are all new to me.

I bought one for the same reasons as you and have struggled to master it ! I bought the Abu Silver Max and would check save its in the car ready for my next jaunt to the beach!

As you use your thumb to feather and stop the line holding rod and reel is a one handed operation! In my case I am right handed so I use my right hand! When fishing normally ie for carp and the like I hold the rod in my right hand but reel in with my left!. The Abu has a reel rewind on the right and so I do things here in reverse. That I'd not the probl em however ! It is R.E.M. Bering to feather the cast and altering the drag each time the weight of the lure is changed! I can cast perfectly 9 or 10 times and then I forget and a tangle ensues.

The Abu is 227 g and holds 140 yards of 12lb mono!Its certainly cute

I use left hand wind you will be holding the rod in your right. If you use right hand wind you have to switch hand after casting. Reel wise I use ABU Ambassadeurs.

mikench said:

The Abu has a reel rewind on the right and so I do things here in reverse. That I'd not the probl em however !

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Sorry dont really understand, so with baitcasting reel you reeling with right hand while holding rod in left?

steve2 said:

I use left hand wind you will be holding the rod in your right. If you use right hand wind you have to switch hand after casting. Reel wise I use ABU Ambassadeurs.

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So you follow what you would do with the spinnig rod. Is it this that you using:
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Black Max Reels ? quite nice looking. I was thinking about something similar:
KastKing® Spartacus Baitcasting Reel

Being right handed and reeling in with the right hand is an American thing, don't forget the biggest market for baitcasters is America. The arguement goes it gives the right arm a rest from holding the rod which apparently is important if your casting all day , personally seems alot of BS to me. I much prefer a left handed baitcaster as it feels more natural and holding a 7ft rod isn't that taxing.

Baitcasters are good fun, I use them for heavy lures when fishing for pike.

I am a right handed person, so use a fixed spool with my a normal left hand wind. but remember a baitcaster is mounted on top of the rod (upside down to convention). In that inverted position I still use a Left hand wind.

You will need your strong arm for rod leverage. Also with the small baitcasters you will find (if you have shovel sized hands like me) that your right hand clasps the rod handle and the body of the reel together. Thus keeping the whole plot stable and leaving your weaker (left) hand to crank.

Try it you will love it.

I have just checked my reel and the handle is on the right. So I must cast with my right hand and then switch hands and reel in with my right. To be honest I had never really thought about it and I must manage it ok

I seem to recall I bought it like this by mistake! I use it with a light 7' rod for light lures and spoons and other than the odd birds nest , it is easy to use! I have never really mastered the cast i.e. consistently but the position of the handle is irrelevant for casting as it is done one handed!

I might try it next time out! One should never buy something because its cute and I plead the 5th!

As TerryM pointed out the rod is usually held upside down, rings and reel on top.
A right hand handle will be on the left if the rod I used upside down...

I use a Shimano Curado baitcaster when lure fishing for pike. The version I have will cast lures from about 10 gms and above. Anything less, and there's not enough weight in the lure to get the spool to spin freely when casting. For that reason my reel isn't much use for light perch fishing because the lures are too light. You might be able to find a small baitcaster that will cast small baits, but how you would know - I don't think they are labelled with casting weights.

If you cast a coarse fishing rod or a fly rod holding the handle in your right hand, then you should buy a left handed baitcaster. The reel is used with it on the upper side of the rod when you hold the rod in your right hand. It seems peculiar to fish like this, although you soon get used to it.

I use a 9ft Drennan Esox spinning rod with the baitcaster.

For a few monthsI did try using the reel with an American style baitcasting rod - 6.5 ft long, stiff as a poker, handle too short. It was useless as a rod in my view. Poor at casting and striking and too short when fishing from high banks.

I use 30 lb braid rather than nylon line, and the automatic braking on the reel means that I've never had problems with birds' nests.

I think the benefit of a multiplier is that they normally have a lower rate of retrieve than a fixed spool reel, and they can cast further than a normal fixed spool.

I am right handed so find winding in with my right hand easier. My multipliers have the handle on the left but are on the right when the rod is turned upside down as you do when fishing these type reels. I don't mind holding the rod with my left hand as you dont do much with it anyway whereas you may want to adjust your reel drag etc which if your right handed is easier sort off. Playing a fish with my rod in the left hand is not a problem I find.
On balance if your right handed I would buy a multiplier with the handle on the left, you will probably find this a more natural to use option.
As to sizes, I have little experience of freshwater multiplier reels, they are normally a lot smaller than the beach ones I use. When you cast its the weight that overcomes the initial inertia of the spool on a multiplier which in beach casting is not a problem but using little lures would be different. I guess the smaller the reel (the smaller the spool, less enertia to overcome) the better suited to lighter lures would be the case.
These reels can come with all sorts of drag systems and level winders to make them easier to use however, I prefer to wind all the drags right back and no level winders and just use my thumb to control the spool but you may prefer them with all the contolls, buy on e with them and experiment is all I can advise.
I dont know about adding weights to your lure if you found the weight of the lure was not overcoming the inertia of the spool but I would have thought this is an option. Those old fashioned Jardine leads come to mind; I think this is what I would try.
I think In your position I would try a cheap one of ebay or something just to see if you get on with it at a basic level and then go for something better if you do. They are not everyone's cup of tea, its one of them, you either get on with it or you don't sort of thing so a bit of experimenting first might be best with a cheapish model before going into the bigger money..

I think à baitcaster is defined as a small multiplier! I only ever used my multiplier from a boat when casting was not involved.

What I find both amazing and worrying in equal measure is how one can forget how to sea fish even after loads of coarse fishing ! I looked at my baitcaster and had to really think what the various drags were for and how to set them for lures of different weights. A fs reel is much simpler in my book! I am getting too old!

I have used baitcasters for Sea Fishing in the past, but could never really understand the Left Hand/Right Hand wind bit fully. I'm right handed and with a beachcaster turn it upside down ( reel and eye's on the top) and reel in with my left hand. My silly question is, is the reel left or right hand wind thanks

All multipliers and baitcasters are designed to be used on top of the rod. They would be impossible to cast under the rod (aside from just letting line out when on a boat) as you wouldn't be able to thumb the spool very well. A left hand wind reel has the handle on the left as you look down the rod towards the tip and vice versa.

This is getting more and more confusing I wish I would known someone with baitcaster to borrow it and try... I totally forgot that rod rings will be "up" as well, not sure how I will feel about it. I will try to find a bargain somewhere and try. Dont have that much money to just keep buying stuff though

tomino2112 said:

This is getting more and more confusing I wish I would known someone with baitcaster to borrow it and try... I totally forgot that rod rings will be "up" as well, not sure how I will feel about it. I will try to find a bargain somewhere and try. Dont have that much money to just keep buying stuff though

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It is confusing, you will get a better idea on you tube:-
fishing with a baitcaster - Google Search

Who said fishing was simple

mikench said:

Who said fishing was simple

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It is Mike but we have to complicate it. makes us all happy bunnies!!