Determining A Right Or Left Handed Baitcaster?

[LittleRedFisherman]

This seems like an elementary question to me, but here it goes, just wanna be sure I didn't misunderstand something. I have decided after a 10 year absence of using a baitcaster, that I was gonna do the right thing this time and buy a decent one, so I ordered a Shimano Citica on Ebay for some less dollars as compared to in the store. It's was called a right handed reel, which I reel right handed, but it came in awhile ago, and it's got the handle on the left. My question is, is this a mistake on there part, or is a right handed baitcaster called that because you suppose to cast with your right hand and reel with you left?..lol Just making sure I'm missing something, I've been a spinning reel guy for awhile now?

[Mitch f]

The handle should be on the right

[UnCivE]

No, they just sent you the wrong one. As Mitch said, it should be on the right.

[LittleRedFisherman]

Thanks guys, I figured that was the case. First time I've got burned on Ebay, maybe they can work with me on it, just will take time to ship it back then get the other one.

Thought about trying it lefty, but just don't think that will work..

[Al Agnew]

Keep in mind that with Shimano and many other reel companies, the model number will end in a zero if the handle is on the right, and with a one if the handle is on the left. For instance the Citica 200 D has the handle on the right, the 201 D has it on the left.

[LittleRedFisherman]

Al, the box it came in has the 200G6, then just looked at the reel, and it has 201G6, so there ya go, guess it got in the wrong box sometime or another....

Guess i'm on a losing streak ordering fishing stuff this week, I also ordered a casting rod to go with it "spending some birthday money", a Falcon Bucoo 5-17, which i'm excited about, but went with the wife to Jonesboro last night, and saw in Academy Sports they had 20 dollars off on clearance on the same rod I ordered.. Oh well, pays to do your homework I guess.

[Buzz]

Al, the box it came in has the 200G6, then just looked at the reel, and it has 201G6, so there ya go, guess it got in the wrong box sometime or another....

Before you go and throw that reel away you should give it a try. I've been using the old style right crank baitcasters for years and have seriously been considering getting a left crank reel. Not unlike what you do with most spinnning reels, cast with the right hand and crank with the left. The hand change up alone is a pain for some topwater baits that you want to start as soon as they hit the water. I, like most, have figured out how to manage this but it is still something that has to be timed perfectly. Give it a try and see how you like it. If you don't like it, I'm sure you will find a buyer on this forum. This might just be a lucky day for you.

[LittleRedFisherman]

^{Buzz, I am considering trying that, it's just if I resell it without ever using it, might be little easier to sell being fresh out of the box. I'm unconventional as it is even with spinning, I switch hands even with the spinning rod, I tried some lefty cranking before, and I can do it, but just doesn't feel as natural. Like you said, for pitching, flipping and finesse worms which I love to do, that's not a problem, but for cranking and topwater that would be nice if I could adapt to the lefty retrieve, decisions, decisions...lol It's a bigger deal since I sunk almost a hundred bucks in that reel, probably can get that back, they retail at places like academy and BPS for 130.}

[Buzz]

I know what you mean about unnatural. When I first started fly fishing I had reels that had a right hand crank. Later I bought a reel that had a left hand crank and I literally smacked myself on the forehead. Thinking: This just makes sense and is so much easier. Good luck with your decision.

[UnCivE]

I know some of my tournament fishing buddies fish left handed and are painstakingly switching to righty because they think it saves time between cast and reel (I guess cast with left hand, reel with right).

I'm a lefty, but I learned to use a spinning reel with my right hand and it was natural to stay that way on the baitcasters. I cast with my left, reel with my right, it's pretty efficient. I feel like switching to lefty would be like throwing a baseball with the other hand.