For those of you that only fish right handed or only fish left handed, learn from my mistakes, take my advice and learn how to fish with the other hand. And start now... For many years I have only fished right handed using left hand crank reels. Midway into one of the best fishing years in the last two decades, my right elbow started to hurt when I was fighting the last of the Columbia Springers. Just ignored it. Then after a day or two in Astoria, my right elbow would ache for a few days. Just fighured this was my "badge of courage" for catching so many fish, again, couple of advill and lets make another trip. Well when it came time to move bacc to Bonneville for upriver brights, with thought of fall chinook just around the corner, I cut my trips by 80% to rest my now 24/7 hurting elbow. In fear of not being able to bobber fish fall chinook, I quickly borrowed a right hand reel and made the conversion. Well I tell you what, that was interesting and cost me a few fish. Well, three doctor visits, $200 in accupuncture treatments and about 5 months of mild pain I am finally starting to heal. In the mean time, I have traded 5 or 6 of my left hand reels for right hand crank. Last trip down the Wilson I fished a right hand crank all day and even made a few decent casts throwing right handed. Actually started feeling comfortable insted of very foreign. My current plan on multiple day trips is to fish one day right handed and the next day left handed to spread the load. In addition on all day backbouncing trips, I will take two rods, 1 of each. If you are not fishing "both ways" and you fish lots, listen to what I have to say. If your'e a young stud, you can probably ignore my advice for 10 or 15 years, but if you can't remember the last time you were carded, and you fish lots or plan to fish lots, take my advice and learn to fish "both ways". Oh, and you can skip the masterbation jokes, I have heard them all over the last few months.........FB

Fishbait, been there and are currently practicing the same theory. It has helped ease the pain. On days when I fish holding the rod with my dominant arm I like to use an elastic band around my forearm just below the elbow designed to ease the tendinitis with great results! Your advice to the young bucks will probably go unheeded because of the invincible factor present in all of us during that stage of life which is understandable. Time will show itself in one way or another.

FJ..out.

I have done this already I started fishing years ago with spinning gear with left had reals. I bought 2 right hand bait caster and learned to use them, then I bought a left hand. I can now fish both ways. Set the hook right or left, real with right or left it's all the same to me at this point.

Fishalot

Fish bait you are 100% correct.... i too recently started fishing the same way due to pain bouncing big lead, and fishing oversize sturg.... I found that building rods with long fore corks helps a bunch also. For back bouncing i made a couple of really lite one peace sticks with 6" fore corks, it all most eliminated my fish elbow @ bonnie last spring.
"ALL WOUND UP RODS"

I can say this relates to firing a pistol or rifle too. I never figured I would have to fire my pistol with my left hand until I got some more fire arms training, it helps out the confidence a lot. So, back to fishing, I had hand-me-down rods from Dad and others, so I didn't get to choose growing up lefty or righty, just learned both, and now it really doesn't matter. I say learn both, it is one more challenge that you can lay on yourself...and conquer!

I think they have a booth at the sportsmans show for aspercreme, jointritis, ben gay and many different kinds of ice packs....I hope you guys didn't pass it up....j/k...I looked for the booth that had new knees....didn't see any....RT, maybe we can find a buy 3, get one free deal...

Haverod, does your push to perserver border on obsession for perfection? Sounds like a Sagittarian trait...or so my wife says.

CRAVEN
Fitting name, nice switchup...see my upcoming thread on

"I gotta get me one of them thar Aliases"
A legitimate justification versus ulterior motivations.

FJ...out.