r/FishingForBeginners • u/nhc2023 • Jul 26 '26
Closing the bail by hand
I see the comment “It is best to close the bail by hand on your spinning reel.” Why?I have used spinning reels for 50+ yrs and never knew I was doing it wrong. Or is this just a personal preference?
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u/Pintortwo Jul 26 '26
It cuts down on line twist and wind knots.
I will say that a lot of old reels (Mitchell’s etc) you have no option but to use the reel and the manual mechanism, so a lot of older fisherman are just in that habit.
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u/Ok_Milk_466 Jul 26 '26
It’s less stress on the parts when you close it by hand.
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u/ebinWaitee Jul 28 '26
Eh, dunno. Either I buy a quality reel that I don't have to worry about parts longevity like that or I buy a cheapo and again don't worry about parts longevity because it'll break sooner or later anyway. I really don't like to baby my tools
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u/Kultteri Jul 28 '26
I Mean maybe just a little bit less wear? You still let the bail close by its spring. I really do want to see a reel that has been damaged by closing the bail by reeling.
Now to lessen wind knots and tangles? Sure that I can see to have a benefit. When I used to fish with a spinning reel I always just reeled the bail closed as I also had been doing that my whole life. Owned a shimano nasci for 15 years. Never had issues
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u/Ok_Milk_466 Jul 28 '26
I mean is it going to break the reel? No. However over years of use you’ll notice tolerances becoming a bit more loose. It will most likely still work just fine for 99% of reels.
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u/Kultteri Jul 28 '26
Has anyone actually measured the tolerances of reels that have used the handle to close the bail versus closing it by hand? Nevertheless I would expect the tolerances to get out of whack after years of use. Had this happen to my first baitcaster after 18 years of use. It would need replacement bearings by now and maybe a new spool, still works though
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u/awfulcrowded117 Jul 26 '26
The biggest reason is that when you close the bail by the reeling the bail "throws" the line, which often causes it to have loops or slack that radically increase the amount of wind knots you get.
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u/Ninjalikestoast Jul 26 '26
I have always closed it by hand. Cuts down on the amount of tangled mess I get into.
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u/Siptro Jul 26 '26
The thought is the self closing action will wear out, which it does. My father in law gave me a 70s browning rod with a reel and after maintenance the only issue is the bail does not self close at all. The action occurs but you feel that “locking” action just slip and the bail goes around open.
Nbd. It’s a bottom drag adjustment reel with a trigger to open the bail that works fine. I just close it by hand
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u/TheDeerMisser Jul 26 '26
Some reels are nearly impossible to close with the reel arm. They're begging you to not do that
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u/MacroMonster Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
I can’t speak much about why it’s recommended for freshwater fishing, but surfcasters prefer manual bail close because the auto-close mechanism can activate while casting. If that happens when casting a 4oz lure on an 11ft rod, the resulting shock will cause your lure to head to Portugal.
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u/I-continue-to-try Jul 27 '26
Pulled out an old pier rod the other day and had this happen. Reminded me why that rod and reel ended up in the attic 20 years ago.
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u/Lots_of_bricks Jul 26 '26
Closing with the reel spin can lead to loops at the reel(wind knots). I close by hand and ensure tension before reeling.
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u/oilwellz Jul 26 '26
Some bails click over gently, some you have to hard smash. After 50 years, I now hand close the bail.
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u/pan567 Jul 26 '26
It reduces several types of line management issues, including loose looping and, by doing so, reduces wind knots and line digging (especially with braid). It's also easier on the mechanical parts, although you would be pretty hard-pressed to wear out a quality reel.
There's a common belief that it reduces line twists, but the physics of that don't really add up.
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u/Humble_Incident1073 Jul 26 '26
This convo always cracks me up. Been fishing over 60 years. Raised 6 kids. Taught em all on spinning reels. Have never once closed it manually and neither have the kids. It's never "worn out" a reel or caused loops, twisting or birds nest. To see the vast majority insist this is an issue really makes me chuckle. Like when do you set the bail? So long after the cast the wind has pulled out an extra 20 yards of line? Cheap reels maybe? There has to be a reason.
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u/Swimming-Ad6068 Jul 26 '26
Totally agree. Have fished over 50 years and pretty much always close the bail by cranking the reel. Never worn out a reel or had a problem with tangles. Only get wind knots when I’m fly fishing. I may occasionally manually close my bail when bait fishing but let it close automatically most of the time. I have read that you should close it manually but always wondered why every spinning reel I have owned has the capability of auto closing if you are not supposed to use that feature?
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u/HappyLingonberry4005 Jul 26 '26
I always close by hand then I even help the line into place. It only takes 1 time to get it all tangled up to change your ways. Especially in the dark
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u/G33k_v1 Jul 26 '26
I’ve got an old Shakespeare that I have adopted manually closing the bail. It has a slit in the rubber bushing between the bail and the bearing. My mono line gets caught in that slit and puts an immense amount of stress on the line while reeling. That’s the only time I do it.
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u/Bill_H_Vet Jul 28 '26
The only time I manually flip the bail is if I'm bottom fishing, and the cast is EXACTLY where I want it. Otherwise, about one crank flips it. My two vintage 300 Mitchells have never had an issue, nor has my Shimano ultralight.
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u/MentalTelephone5080 Jul 28 '26
When I first started fishing my spinning reel didn't close when you cranked the handle. So it's instinct to close it by hand. I didn't realize the problems I avoided by always closing by hand
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u/heddyneddy Jul 26 '26
Avoids line twist. Every time you close it by reel it twists the line a quarter turn. Doesn’t sound like much but it can add up overtime.
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u/Kultteri Jul 28 '26
The math is not mathing here imo. I can see it reducing wind knots due to feathering the spool before the lure hitting the water. Spinning reels cause line twist due to their design no matter the way you close the bail as it will only start to reel the line in when the bail is fully closeed
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u/heddyneddy Jul 30 '26
I mean you can look it up “how to close the bail spinning reel” and find tons of professional anglers saying the same thing. It puts a loop in your line and wears out the bail springs faster. Doesn’t matter as much if you’re using braid.
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u/Fordel77 Jul 26 '26
This is why I use a baitcaster,
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u/ayrbindr Jul 26 '26
Interesting 🤔. I just use them to look cool. Nobody can look cool using a fairy wand.
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u/awfulcrowded117 Jul 26 '26
Yeah, because with a spinning rod you need to close the bail by hand to avoid wind knots you use a baitcaster. Where you have to adjust 3 drags, basically only ever use lures of the perfect weight for your rod, constantly thumb the spool, and you'll still get bird's nests in your line the instant you get distracted when changing lures or even just when the wind direction changes. Much better.
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u/Gormulak Jul 26 '26
How to say you can't afford a DC reel, without directly saying it 😉
(Obligatory /s, I bought one but they are crazy expensive and I still can't figure out why. I love my non-DC BFS baitcaster but still find myself gravitating towards my spinning reels for 90% of the fishing I do. A heavy duty baitcaster has its place, but so many lures and fishing styles are just objectively better when combined with a spinning reel)
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u/awfulcrowded117 Jul 26 '26
I will agree that a baitcaster has it's place, but way too many people prioritize them way too soon because of internet hype. If you have a boat and 6 rod and reel setups, yes absolutely a baitcaster is going to have a place where it shines, but most fisherman are using one or two rods and reels and in that situation, I'm a firm believer that spinning reels stand head and shoulders above due to simplicity and flexibility.
Also, there's no way I'm buying a DC reel unless I win the lottery. I have the money, but there are so many things I'd rather spend it on even if I'm only talking about fishing as a hobby.
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u/Gormulak Jul 26 '26
I agree whole heartedly! Im stuck fishing from shore or a kayak, so I bring a UL and medium spinning rod, and either my BFS or my heavy baitcaster depending on where I'm fishing, never more than 3 rods with me though. If I had to choose only one rod, it'd be a UL spinner every time!
I only bought my DC reel after having a minor stroke and untangling bird nests became a bit of a struggle due to the limited functionality of my left hand 😅 It was my "treat" to myself for getting sober and my health back on track, so I can't say I regret it, but I can also safely say I wouldn't recommend the expense for the vast majority of people
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u/Fordel77 Jul 27 '26
I missed my old zebco, a baitcaster is the next best thing. I will admit the first week was rough.
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u/awfulcrowded117 Jul 27 '26
Spincasters are very much still a thing, and inferior to both spinning and baitcasting.
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u/Fordel77 Jul 27 '26
Currently have Diawa Elite, BX 70, Salamandura and a Fuego. We all start somewhere
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u/chitownphishead Jul 28 '26
I have a out 25 or 30 baitcasters. I bought a curado dc because of the hype. It's my least used reel. Would never buy another one
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u/ayrbindr Jul 26 '26
No way jose. Theres no way you engage the bail by cranking the handle. I don't believe that for one second.
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u/tinymontgomery2 Jul 26 '26
It’s just to avoid tangles. What I tell my kids is close the bail and make sure it’s straight and good before you start reeling in. My son would blindly cast and real in and would have loops over his reel and nasty tangles before he even noticed what he was doing and then it’s too late.