# Closing the bail on spinning reel.



## scappy193

Out of curiosity, what do u guys prefer and why on closing your bails. Reel to close or manual close with the reeling hand? As of now and for the last 10 years or so, I manually close the bail. For a few reasons. I started because it had messed a few reels up in the past( low end money reels) and I've heard that it can even mess up the high dollar reels as well. When done manually, seems like I can be sure the line gets in the roller better. Also I just don't like the feel of reel closing. Its clunky, rocks the reel sometimes and puts an unwanted wobble through the whole rod forcing my other arm stiff to brace it. So what are your guys thoughts?

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## Mr. A

I close manually for a few reasons. I tend to palm the spool in order to control the cast most of the time. Secondly, I have had a lot of issues with getting loose wraps, line jump, and wind knots when I reel to close. 
Also, when I was younger and reeled to close 100% of the time, the bait would eventually loosen up. They were cheap reels anyway, but it likely just happened faster than with better reels.

Mr. A


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## Gone Wishin

Hand close just for the damage factor

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## pppatrick

manually!

the bail mechanism on the first spinning real i ever had broke due to reeling to close it. as maybe a 10 or 11 year old, i didn't really know any better. with it failing, it essentially forced me to close manually, and later coming to the conclusion it was due to tripping the bail by reeling. 

and like A said. turning manually will also insure your line sets on to the roller, and avoids loops, wind knots etc.


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## Buzzin

There are many reasons to close it manualy.
1) Reeling to close your bail causes line twist.
2)When fishing with flouro manualy closing the bail helps you better manage the line memory.
3)It saves your reels from mechanical problems down the road.


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## Daveo76

Manually all the time


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## Big Joshy

Manual close and feather the line to control the cast. Really works well when u have the spinning reel on top and reel backwards with your right hand!


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## ohiojmj

Always turn crank to close bail. I'm lazy and expect reel to last and they do. 

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## Lundy

I do both, but mostly turn handle to close

I use higher end Shimano's and never any issues


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## young-gun21

Manually, without exception. Avoiding line twist is a major benefit.


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## Shaggy

OK...I've read a few posts on this subject now so this time I'm going to ask a couple questions.

If closing the bail by reeling causes damage why do manufacturers build them to do it?

How does closing the bail by reeling cause line twists that manually closing does not? Both ways do the same thing as far as the line is concerned.

Hope I can learn something.


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## Cajunsaugeye

Using drag to fight fish causes line twist too.Learn to back reel whenever possible unless a really big fish.

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## OSUdaddy

I crank to close the bail and never had a problem doing so with any of my reels.


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## yakfish

I never manually closed just because I have always been in the habit of cranking it closed. I have Shimano reels that I would consider middle of the road reels that have lasted me 15+ years of hard abuse. I've never had a reel fail due to cranking the bail closed. After reading here I can see the benefit of manually closing the bail in order to avoid tangles and ind knots. However I don:t think I could ever break the habit of cranking the bail closed!


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## Shortdrift

The first spinning reel I had did not have a bail. You had to place the line on the pick up. Back reeling was how you fought the fish. I was so sick of both methods that I said "never again" to both methods when I received my first Airex with a bail and lousy drag. Really enjoyed that reel and method.
When I bought my first Mitchel 300 it was like Christmas Morning the first time I used it continuing to close the bail by reeling but letting the drag do it's job. I now try to remember to close my bail manually but it is a hit and miss thing. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks, darn near impossible.


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## Bassbme

Shaggy .... to answer your question about line twist and closing the bail manually, or by turning the reel handle. When you turn the reel handle to close the bail, the line is traveling along the bail as the rotor is turning. The bail is also changing it's angle as it's closing. Both of those actions cause the line to twist. When you close the bail manually the line goes to the line roller pretty much instantly. It may not seem as if such a small thing makes that much of a difference, but it does. 

I always close the bail manually when using spinning gear. It's faster, easier, and takes less effort to close it manually than it does by turning the reel handle.


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## Skippy

I've had a few posts on here about closing the bail by hand. I don't do it to save the bail spring but to avoid wind knots. Closing by hand puts the line right on the roller... I do a lot of night fishing and fish the fall/winter night bite. Lots of time the best places to fish are where the wind is blowing right into your face. Bad enough its cold out and your fishing with gloves on and can't see much,,,, just don't need any wind knots when your having that kind of fun...
My wife had the habit of casting as high as she did far. Bait would hit the water, she would drop her rod down then using the reel handle click the bail over. Not all the time but often enough she would end up with some amazing knots in her line. Finally got her to hand close the bail and that sort of fixed the knots.


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## scappy193

Thanks for all the responses! A lot of good information and varying opinions. Just the right answers I was looking for. 

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## JohnPD

Always manually for me, prevents things like line twist, wind knots, etc. especially with newer, thinner superlines like Nanofil which I use on all my spinning gear.


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## bjicehockey

Manually always have! guess i just like it and yeah i don't have high end reel


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## sherman51

I've always used the crank to close my bail and didn't have any problems at all until I started using braid. the braided line has a bad tendency to get a loose loop in the line then when you cast again the loop will hang up in the line and cause a birds nest. but I still crank the handle to close the bail. I just try to watch for loops in my line. but im 63 yrs old and im just to old to switch.

I still don't understand how you get line twist from closing the bail with the handle because the bail doesn't touch the line until it closes.
sherman


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## Beemerfly

sherman51 said:


> I still don't understand how you get line twist from closing the bail with the handle because the bail doesn't touch the line until it closes.
> sherman



Me either! 
You'll get more line twist from actually reeling in your line than from the bail closing.


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## Shad Rap

Beemerfly said:


> Me either!
> You'll get more line twist from actually reeling in your line than from the bail closing.


I agree...people do realize that the line coils onto the spool hence spinning around it?..and we're worried about the bail touching it when you reel the bail closed?..I dont buy it one bit...there has got to be 1000 times more twist just from reeling alone...if I were closing the bail manually it would be to stop wear and tear on the reel, but I havent had one bail or reel fail me in 35 years of fishing from doing this...reel it closed...imo.


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## Cajunsaugeye

Flipping the bail can lead to bail spring failure.I'm not reading back through all this but if anyone said it causes twist,they're wrong.I saw it mentioned w/bail spring failure but don't remember seeing it on here for twist.

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## Shad Rap

JohnPD said:


> Always manually for me, prevents things like line twist, wind knots, etc. especially with newer, thinner superlines like Nanofil which I use on all my spinning gear.


Not sure how you get line twist if you're using nanofil...it really surprises me how many people say they manually close the bail...I personally have never seen it done by anyone when fishing.


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## Shad Rap

Cajunsaugeye said:


> Flipping the bail can lead to bail spring failure.I'm not reading back through all this but if anyone said it causes twist,they're wrong.I saw it mentioned w/bail spring failure but don't remember seeing it on here for twist.
> 
> Sent from my VS870 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


So Cajun...do you reel it closed or do it manually?


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## Cajunsaugeye

I flip it,personallyJust as easy.And also makes you look at it to make sure there isn't a loop starting that will cause the" mother tangle".I also lift rod to tighten line at the start,before I reel.Yet another precaution for the loop.And it all takes maybe one second.But then that's why a little line twist doesn't bother me.As long as it doesn't loop and you reel over it,line twist is really a non issue.

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## Big Joshy

Skippy said:


> I've had a few posts on here about closing the bail by hand. I don't do it to save the bail spring but to avoid wind knots. Closing by hand puts the line right on the roller... I do a lot of night fishing and fish the fall/winter night bite. Lots of time the best places to fish are where the wind is blowing right into your face. Bad enough its cold out and your fishing with gloves on and can't see much,,,, just don't need any wind knots when your having that kind of fun...
> My wife had the habit of casting as high as she did far. Bait would hit the water, she would drop her rod down then using the reel handle click the bail over. Not all the time but often enough she would end up with some amazing knots in her line. Finally got her to hand close the bail and that sort of fixed the knots.


this sums up why I manual close. Even with manual closing I have had at least 4 bail springs break, wear out. Always on less than 50 dollar reels though.


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## wedebrook

Close it by hand: less line twist?


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## buckeyebowman

The only time I manually close the bail is when I cast out a sinker or jig and let it sink on a slack line because I want it to fall as straight down as possible. Once the line stops paying out, even if there is no wind blowing but especially if there is, you are going to have a ton of slack line out there. I'm right handed, so what I do is take the line with my left hand and place it between the index and middle finger of my right hand (my rod hand). I then close the bail manually with my left hand (my reel hand), make sure the line is in the pickup, and reel in the slack line against the line tension provided by the fingers on my right hand. This is where a lot of those "goofy loops" and wind knots come from, trying to reel in slack line. 

When casting and retrieving spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plugs, spoons, etc., I close the bail by cranking the handle. I won't say that I have never had a problem doing this, but I have had very few. There is an element of timing involved, since as soon as the plug hits the water its forward progress stops and the line keep coming for a little bit. This, again, introduces slack line. And again, if I'm throwing something I intend to let sink, like a spinnerbait I'm going to "slow roll" back to the boat, I'll close the bail manually as described above. I suppose some of these methods would call for a baitcaster, but I'm not so hot with them. So, I do the best I can with spinning gear.


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## Northern1

I do it manually due to the damage factor. I've seen my little cousins try to just push..push..push...and finally force the bails shut on my pfleuger's...made me cringe. told em to just close it, then start reeling. Half of them had the reel on top, reeling it backward as well lol. Its all fun though


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## Beemerfly

Northern1 said:


> Half of them had the reel on top, reeling it backward as well lol.


I love when I see that......... to each their own right?


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## JignPig Guide

scappy193 said:


> Out of curiosity, what do u guys prefer and why on closing your bails. Reel to close or manual close with the reeling hand?


I suggest closing the bail on a spinning reel by hand. Your reel will last longer.


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## Saugeyefisher

I close mine by hand,and will actually take an extra loop of line off my reel before engageing it. Ive notice most of my line knots are caused by the line laying across the top of the spool. 
Bye doing what i do I NEVER get "wind knots". 

And guys drags are made to fight fish,use them....

Oh yea and when i do get a wind knot,ive found the best way to get them out is loosening the drag and pulling out line with the bail closed,rather then opening the bail to pull out line. This works well and avoids knots that need cut out.


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## Shad Rap

Saugeyefisher said:


> I close mine by hand,and will actually take an extra loop of line off my reel before engageing it. Ive notice most of my line knots are caused by the line laying across the top of the spool.
> Bye doing what i do I NEVER get "wind knots".
> 
> And guys drags are made to fight fish,use them....
> 
> Oh yea and when i do get a wind knot,ive found the best way to get them out is loosening the drag and pulling out line with the bail closed,rather then opening the bail to pull out line. This works well and avoids knots that need cut out.


If you just stop the cast with the index finger of your casting hand before flipping the bail you dont have to do ANY of that extra curricular stuff...


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## Star1pup

I always close manually and back reel to fight a fish. Maybe I'm just a control freak.  I don't like the clunk if I close by reeling.


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## buckeyebowman

Saugeyefisher said:


> I close mine by hand,and will actually take an extra loop of line off my reel before engageing it. Ive notice most of my line knots are caused by the line laying across the top of the spool.
> Bye doing what i do I NEVER get "wind knots".
> 
> And guys drags are made to fight fish,use them....
> 
> Oh yea and when i do get a wind knot,ive found the best way to get them out is loosening the drag and pulling out line with the bail closed,rather then opening the bail to pull out line. This works well and avoids knots that need cut out.


Well said, Saugeye! Back in the day when drags weren't so good, I could understand back reeling to play a fish. Drags are much better these days, even on moderately priced reels. And the rear drag adjustment on spinning reels was a Godsend! When I get a fish on that's pulling hard enough that I think it might break me off, I simply turn that rear knob a couple of clicks counter-clockwise. If that doesn't let the fish take line, one more click usually does. Once that initial run slows, I turn the knob one click clockwise. I figure this puts me one click away from having enough power to turn a fish or let it take line. Which do you do? You just have to develop a feel for it. 

I'm going to type something now that will be old hat to many experienced fishermen (persons), but I figure there may be newbs looking in for info, and this is for them.

You do not fight the fish with your reel! The reel is a mechanical contrivance meant to take up line. You fight the fish with your rod! I was taught from day one that you "reel down" to the fish, and then apply pressure with your rod. The only time the reel really comes into play is in the "fish taking line against the drag" scenario related above. Which is why a good, well maintained drag is so important. It just might be the most important part of the reel! And for those who prefer to back reel, that works too. I've found that letting a big, strong fish take some line off you is a wonderful way to tire it out quickly.


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## fastwater

> I do both, but mostly turn handle to close
> 
> I use higher end Shimano's and never any issues


^^^This.^^^


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## nethersdoug

Personally, I have doing the manual thing all of my many years with open face reels. My best fishing buddy is strictly a cast and reel to drop the bail. Now that he has me completely hooked on Mitchell Excellence reels, I think that he had an ulterior motive. He now can have the trip lever from all of my reels as he needs them. We are always looking for more 308's and 300's.


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## nethersdoug

Crap Add been to the above post where appropriate. I guess proof reading does not always work.


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## Shad Rap

nethersdoug said:


> Personally, I have doing the manual thing all of my many years with open face reels. My best fishing buddy is strictly a cast and reel to drop the bail. Now that he has me completely hooked on Mitchell Excellence reels, I think that he had an ulterior motive. He now can have the trip lever from all of my reels as he needs them. We are always looking for more 308's and 300's.


Ummm...maybe he should switch reels then?..never a problem cranking to close here...heres a thought...do u ever see pros closing by hand?..nope...just when they are dropshotting or something like that they do it, but 95% of the time its crank to close...I know there is no right or wrong here but I still find it odd the majority say they manually close but I have yet to see anyone do it out on the water.


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