Manually closing spinning reel bail

[BrianMDTX]

When did that become the standard?

 

When I fished a lot (up through the mid-80s), I never saw or heard of anyone closing the bail manually. Everyone casted their lure and cranked the handle to close the bail. In fact, I have some old reels (40-50 years old) that you really can’t close the bail manually. 
 

I believe it makes sense to eliminate line twist, but when did it become commonplace to do so? 

[optimator]

I was taught that way by my grandad when I was a kid.

[RoLo]

 

I have no recollection of being taught how to use a spinning reel,

but I've never manually tripped my bail, and have no reason to start now.

I’ve read articles claiming that manual tripping reduces twist....What twist?

 

Roger

[Hammer 4]

Since I first began fishing, I've always closed the bail manually. 

[Tywithay]

That's the way I was taught in the 80s.

[MN Fisher]

I manually close the bail on all my spinning rigs...except when I take the old Pflueger 640 out. That one has a latch that engages a cutout on the bail - can't close it manually, have to turn the handle.

 

[WRB]

Before the 80's when Daiwa introduced thier TD 1300 & 1600 bails were tripped automatically starting with Michell in the 50's. The early French spinning reels had a half bail that was manual. 

Anglers keep repeating the false scenario that automatic bails cause line twist. Automatic bails can cause line loops not line twist. 

Todays spinning reels use magnet release in lieu of the spring latch release and easily operated manually and I do that out of habit.

Tom

[Bluebasser86]

It's not how I was taught, but once it was explained to me by the Shimano rep when I worked at Cabela's how it reduces line twist and makes reels last longer, I started doing it manually.

[FishTank]

This is how I was taught as a kid.  It pretty much sums up how to cast and why you should close the bail by hand.

 

 

 

 

 

[garroyo130]

Starting out on a super cheap spinning reel basically forced me into it. I mean you could turn the handle but it was so much effort it made it feel like things were gonna break. 

[Nibbles]

Closing the bail just came naturally since my free hand was right next to it pinch feathering the line for manual braking right after I launch my bait.

 

So the process just went cast with right hand -> brake with left hand -> let go of line after lure hits water -> close the bail since my hand is literally an inch away

[Captain Phil]

There are numerous advantages to closing the bail by hand. The most obvious one is to prevent loops from being reeled onto the spool.  It only takes a few seconds to straight out a loop.  It could take a long time to untangle a huge ball of line or respool completely.   The second advantage is it slows you down allowing a little extra time for the lure to fall vertically.  If you cast a sinking lure and flip the bail over too fast, your lure will fall toward you.  Manually closing the bail is also easier on the reel itself.  Back in the day I used to carry extra bail springs. This may not be a problem today as I haven't had one break in years.

[BrianMDTX]

Trust me when I say I think it’s the right thing to do. I’m just observing that when I last fished seriously in the 80s, I never saw anyone manually close the bail, or heard of it, for that matter. And pretty much every spinning reel I owned at that time could not be closed manually. At least not easily. 

[Jig Man]

You can become quite accurate by feathering the line with the off hand and manually closing the bail.

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

Trust me when I say I think it’s the right thing to do. I’m just observing that when I last fished seriously in the 80s, I never saw anyone manually close the bail, or heard of it, for that matter. And pretty much every spinning reel I owned at that time could not be closed manually. At least not easily. 

I did a quick search last night, and it appears to be a recommendation that started showing up “in print” beginning in the early 2000s, though many claimed to have been doing it for some time. I’ll try and do a more extensive search in the next day or two.

[MN Fisher]

Another of my old reels - don't have it anymore, but I thought I remembered something and a peruse of images told me I was right.

My old Mitchell 320 was another that you could NOT close the bail manually. It also had a mechanical engagement that locked the bail open. Turning the handle was the only way to disengage the lock to let the bail close.

[waymont]

My first reels were a Mitchell 300 and a Penn 716Z. Those two reels only had automatic bail closing features.

But As soon as I got a reel I could manually close, I manually closed each cast.

[Linewinder]

18 minutes ago, waymont said:

My first reels were a Mitchell 300 and a Penn 716Z. Those two reels only had automatic bail closing features.

But As soon as I got a reel I could manually close, I manually closed each cast.

Deja vu.  Mine were these two also -- well, spinning reels.  Still have the 716Z.  My first reel was a lousy Zebco 202 ~1970.

[BrianMDTX]

I still have two spinning reels you cannot close manually. A Mitchell 300 and a Shakespeare 2052. 

[Log Catcher]

When I first started using a spinning reel I was learning on my own. I got so frustrated with line management problems I quit using them for a while. I finally talked to a guy in our local tackle shop about it. He told me to close the bail by hand and use a barrel swivel and short leader. I started doing this and line management problems disappeared. 

[Team9nine]

Did a more thorough search this morning. It appears the companies started marketing/promoting spinning reel models that featured the ability to either close automatically or manually in the late 1970s. This Garcia ad was one of the first I found from 1977. Over the next 5-6 years (77-83), you could find this manual close ability being advertised as a selling point by most all major reel manufacturers. However, you don't start seeing articles specifically recommending you close a bail manually to avoid line management issues  (outside of a temporary work around) until the early 2000s, which matched with what I found in my earlier search.

 

 

[BrianMDTX]

37 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

This Garcia ad was one of the first I found from 1977

I love looking at old ads like that. I used to subscribe to Outdoor Life in the 70s and that looks familiar. 
 

Like the ads for new Volkswagen Beetles in Nat Geo for $1,999.00 lol. 

[JediAmoeba]

I started doing it when I was young to stop the line from uncoiling after the lure hit the water and to stop the lure in midair where I wanted it to land.  It was always just a natural thing to me and I hated those reels.  I would have rather used a zebco.

[Pandemic326]

Used to not manually flip and have learned to always do that. Want to say plfueger says to in the directions as I think it is easier on one of the bearing if you manually flip. Input from a 5 year pond fisherman so take with a grain of salt. 

[Swamp Yankee]

I’ve been using spinning reels since the early 60s and never closed manually on a full bail spinning reel until I started using braid in the 2000s. Now it’s a constant habit, and, I believe, a good one to have. I have owned a number of manual pickup (Bail-less) spinning reels for surf fishing with mono in the 17lb + range. So I was certainly aware of doing it manually but never had the need.... until there was braid. Gotta snug that stuff up tight to the spool before you close the bail to avoid loops.