If you pitch jigs using your dominant hand, you’re putting yourself at a huge disadvantage, accomplished tournament angler Ken Sherman said.
“I think fishing left-handed is a must,” Sherman said.
That’s because bass often hit the lure on the fall — when many anglers are moving their rods from their right to left hands.
“How many times do you get a strike when you’re switching hands?” Sherman asked.
Of course, most of us can do very little with our left hands (or right hands, if you’re a southpaw).
But Sherman said it’s just a matter of practicing and getting the motion down correctly.
“It’s all in the wrist,” he said. “Think of it as waving. You just turn your hand over (palm down) and wave.
“A lot of people will pull their elbow out, but that drops your hand and puts the effort into your arm. It’s all about your wrist.”
The way to master off-handed pitching is to turn your hand so the reel handle is pointing down and then use your wrist to drop the rod tip and snap it back up, releasing line with your thumb.
“What you’re doing is getting that wrist to pop,” Sherman explained.
And he also said it’s important not to let too much line out.
“A lot of people let the lure come back (to the reel),” Sherman said. “I don’t let it come more than halfway down the reel.”
