Baitcaster Grip

[eric1978]

There is an interesting conversation about baitcasters, from A to Z really over at RS. We started discussing which side people like to cast from and crank from and how to hold the rods and reels...Thought I'd bring it over here since I can't post these pics on that website for some reason and would like to hear OAF opinions.

Al, is this what you mean by "palming" a reel? Two fingers in front of trigger, two fingers behind. Side of reel fits in palm. This is how I usually grip a BC:

Because I find I have a much better rod balance, more hooksetting power and more comfortable feel altogether than with this grip: Index finger in front of trigger, other three behind. Thumb on spool and otherwise your hand is not really "palming" the reel at all.

Just curious.

[MoJohn]

I use a grip similiar to that pictured in the top two pictures. I have fairly large hands and find it to be more comfortable, also feel more in control than trying to grip just the small handle.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I'm about like the bottom picture. I cast right handed and crank right handed. This is natural to me because that's the way I started when there was no choice. I crank a spinning reel left handed, but I had a choice for them.

I still prefer a baitcaster when ever it will work for me, another conditioning from my youth.

[eric1978]

I'm about like the bottom picture. I cast right handed and crank right handed. This is natural to me because that's the way I started when there was no choice. I crank a spinning reel left handed, but I had a choice for them.

I still prefer a baitcaster when ever it will work for me, another conditioning from my youth.

Yeah, I guess some of you old-timers who started on Ambassadeurs might get used to holding a rod that way. Those things were like having a bowling ball mounted on your rod; doesn't really lend itself to palming. I would consider the way I hold a rod to be more of a semi-palm grip, since I still have two fingers behind the trigger.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Yeah, I guess some of you old-timers who started on Ambassadeurs might get used to holding a rod that way.

I wish I could have used an Ambassador, but it was Bronson's, Ted Williams and Langley's.

My favorite was a Langley Tournament model, it didn't have a level wind, and that allowed it to cast farther and more accurately. I got my first Ambassador in the mid 60's, and I still have it.

[fishinwrench]

Whadaya mean, you can't palm a round reel......?

"a bowling ball" HE SAYS ......... I oughta hit you over the head with a 6500C That's a MANS reel...boy LOL

[eric1978]

You must have giant mechanic's hands wrench. Those reels are just too big for me. Or maybe I just have tiny midget hands.

[rps]

You know what some say, "Big hands, big ... wait for it ... fingers."

[Al Agnew]

Yep, the top two pictures are palming, though I've seen people palm the reel a little farther forward, as well. As long as you still have room to get the thumb of your right hand on the spool with the rest of your right hand on the handle, you can make two handed casts and never have to move your left hand. Beats Wayne's method of casting right handed and then switching the right hand to the reel handle.

As I said on the other thread, I started out with a baitcaster at about age 8, and it was a direct drive (no free spool, the handle turned backwards on the cast) Shakespeare. An educated thumb was definitely needed. I was naturally right handed, though I've found that I can learn to do most things with my left hand as well. Casting was no exception, and when I started fishing local tournaments as a teenager, I taught myself to cast left handed so I wouldn't have to switch hands to reel. Only took about two or three days. I've always used short, light rods for river fishing, and wouldn't dream of palming the reel or casting two handed in that type of fishing, but I cast longer, heavier rods two handed when reservoir bass fishing.

Little oddities...I cast a spinning reel right handed and reel left. But when I tried a left hand retrieve baitcaster, it felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable to reel with my left hand...much more uncomfortable than casting a spinning reel left handed and reeling it right handed. Also, when I started casting as a kid, my hand wasn't big enough to wrap my index finger around the trigger and keep the rest of my fingers behind the reel, so I learned to cast with all four fingers on the handle behind the reel right handed. But when I taught myself to cast left handed my hand was big enough, so I now cast left handed with finger on the trigger, but when I pick up a rod in my right hand to cast it (which I do when lobbing minnows for walleye or catfish, for some reason) all four fingers still go behind the reel. Muscle memory is funny that way.

[eric1978]

Yep, the top two pictures are palming, though I've seen people palm the reel a little farther forward, as well. As long as you still have room to get the thumb of your right hand on the spool with the rest of your right hand on the handle, you can make two handed casts and never have to move your left hand. Beats Wayne's method of casting right handed and then switching the right hand to the reel handle.

As I said on the other thread, I started out with a baitcaster at about age 8, and it was a direct drive (no free spool, the handle turned backwards on the cast) Shakespeare. An educated thumb was definitely needed. I was naturally right handed, though I've found that I can learn to do most things with my left hand as well. Casting was no exception, and when I started fishing local tournaments as a teenager, I taught myself to cast left handed so I wouldn't have to switch hands to reel. Only took about two or three days. I've always used short, light rods for river fishing, and wouldn't dream of palming the reel or casting two handed in that type of fishing, but I cast longer, heavier rods two handed when reservoir bass fishing.

Little oddities...I cast a spinning reel right handed and reel left. But when I tried a left hand retrieve baitcaster, it felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable to reel with my left hand...much more uncomfortable than casting a spinning reel left handed and reeling it right handed. Also, when I started casting as a kid, my hand wasn't big enough to wrap my index finger around the trigger and keep the rest of my fingers behind the reel, so I learned to cast with all four fingers on the handle behind the reel right handed. But when I taught myself to cast left handed my hand was big enough, so I now cast left handed with finger on the trigger, but when I pick up a rod in my right hand to cast it (which I do when lobbing minnows for walleye or catfish, for some reason) all four fingers still go behind the reel. Muscle memory is funny that way.

I'm a lefty, so my hand pretty much stays that way casting and retrieving. I usually cast with one hand as well, but for longer casts my right hand tends to go to the rod just below my left, not so much for strength, but for a little stabilizing leverage. I don't know why, it just does. I make a lot of side-arm type casts for softer lure entry and to get under overhanging trees, and those casts are always one-handed.

You might be ambidextrous, Al. I feel really awkward casting right handed, though I can...poorly.