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I've seen people mention manually flipping the bail after casting. I've been wondering why. I've tried comparing manual flipping vs just cranking the handle with both mono and braid, but other than the manual action being a bit slower I've not found much difference.
I always do it because it just feels right to manually flip it after casting. It's just a habit. I have heard people say it can wear out parts on your reel quicker though if you don't manually flip it.
It's a habit for me, and there is sense of control. I do it because my first Penn's auto mech broke and I was too poor to fix it. Wore it out striper fishing below dams. Still using it that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fisherman102
Hmm. I fish quite a bit, but I'm not sure I've ever worn out a bail lever (or whatever the proper term is). I've killed several bail springs on my old Mitchell 300s... But that's really all that ever seems to wear on them. Those reels are just used for crappie fishing, but the same question applies. To flip or not to flip...
I've been using the Penn pursuit 6000 for striper fishing below dams for a few years now. Cheapest Penn you can buy (new) but the bail mechanism has no slop or obvious wear. I can't seem to get used to flipping manually. Takes a constant effort to remember.
I manually flip my bail then grasp the line and give it a little tug. Once I established that habit I stopped having any overspool problems which sometimes causes a bird nest when you cast.
My Penn 650SS was purchased in '81. Wore the bail spring out 5 years later, on stripe and the ubiquitous white drum. Still using the old ugly thing. So, after thirty years, don't even think about the bail, it's automatic, I close it manually.
this is a good reason,Quote:
Originally Posted by oldfisherman
as well it eliminates the 1/2 twist imparted onto the spool when using mono.
Many folks who experience 'line twist issues' are mechanically tripping their bail while doing it manually will eliminate much of that issue.
Also most of the newer spinning reels feature universal anti-reverse and many of those have a 'dead spot' in the rotor rotation which makes the bail very difficult to flip mechanically.
This leads to more wear on the gears and much more stress on the handle (especially in the 'cheaper' models).
I do the same thing. Cranking the handle to automatically close the bail will sometimes throw a loop in your line and cause a major mess on the next cast.Quote:
Originally Posted by oldfisherman
I developed the habit of manually closing bails years ago, and it has become an "automatic" practice. My conversion to Penn Z's will take some retraining since you can NOT trip manually... But only on my 712's. I took the bail off the 710's and 704's. The first few hours on the pier might be fun to watch come October!
Another vote for manual flipping. Once in a great while when the bail is flipped over, the line will end up draped over the spool cap; not specific to any brand as I have experienced it with quite a few different spinning reels. With the manual method I can address the problem right away without having to strip line off to get at it.
I have been manually bail flipping so long that it is second nature.
I do with my king rigs, mainly because if I am snobbling or fishing alive bait, I want the bail open until I need to work the bait or set the hook.
I've been manually flipping for several years...I've virtually eliminated bird nests on my spinning reels. I've also found that when I spool new line, if I tighten the drag down, then spool with a lot of tension on the line, that also helps immensely. Obviously I loosen the drag back up, but I've cut the periodic line/casting problems considerably.
If your soaking a live or dead bait in the surf for fifteen minutes, it may not be a problem for you, but if your fishing a bass tournament you'll cast several hundred times. Keep flipping the bail with the handle and you'll keep putting small amounts of twist and/or loops in your line. Most of the time you won't know it until you cast out a spiderweb of line and then the Yosemite Sam starts, @&$! reel!!! When you've done that a few times, you start manually flipping the bail. Plus many cheap reels start putting pressure on plastic parts like tha handle, gears, and housing.
If you are casting a heavy rig and the bail snaps shut when you cast, you can snap the line and send your rig flying toward Cuba (they are "friends" now, huh?). The bigger the sinker, the more expensive. For guys in the northeast with striper plugs that can run up around $20 that is a much more painful loss, so some remove the spring for the bail flip to make at manual. The risk of the line snap goes up with heavier plugs and/or harder casts, so straining to reach breaking fish means break-offs happen at the worst possible time. That is at least one reason for the popularity of PUM (bail-less) on heavy-duty surf reels like Mitchell 302, Penn 706, Van Staal, and Zeebaas. There are online tutorials for intentionally disabling these functions in other reels too. [Perhaps we could work out a deal to give loving new homes to unloved bail springs from Massachusetts or Montauk.]
The claim I have read is that not only do casting reels not have any risk of this bail issue in the surf but a shock leader of about double the rod length should be wound onto the spool to prevent dangerous break-offs as the cast starts. At 10 lbs for every 1 oz of weight for this safety leader, you end up with 60-80 lbs mono as the shock leader, which would cut you finger if used on a spinning reel. I am sure 60-80 braid would not sever a finger, but it could certainly hurt more if you heavy-cast frequently or if you bare-hand grabbed the leader in the surf to beach a good fish. The claim is also made that conventional reels without cross-wind cast further than spinning -- perhaps true for the elite but not for mortals like me.
Frankly, although professional casting competitors and elite surf anglers might need this equipment, most people who have it are like people buying the same clubs Tiger Wood used or wearing a Farve jersey for backyard football -- hoping for magic. I wish I had the problem of casting so hard and so far that I was a danger to myself or others without safety precautions. I'd settle for a #r model hat on the pier.
Hmm. I once had the bail snap shut while casting a snagging rig (5oz) for spoonbill. Almost yanked the rod out of my hands. That's the only time its happened though. As for other peoples assessments of repeated casting and retrieving (without manually flipping the bail) causing loops and knots- I grew up crappie fishing with my grandfather, we would be on the lake by 6 am and usually leave by ten or so. It was continual casting with 1/8 oz or smaller jigs with light line and Mitchell 300 reels. Snarls were rare for me (once I was past the age of 6 or so) and virtually nonexistent for my grandfather.Quote:
Originally Posted by midwestexile
Here in Oklahoma if I fish into the wind I'll sometimes end up with slack line issues, but solve the problem by holding the line or braid between my thumb and forefinger to put tension on it as it feeds back onto the reel.
Most of the new model high end ($250 to $1500) spinning reels by shimano,penn and daiwa along with all blue marlin,accurate,van staal and zeebaas reels no longer have an internal bail trip mechanism. After being in the saltwater tackle business for close to 30 years I can tell you bail failure is the number one reason for a spinning reel to be returned or needing repair.
That makes sense. If l could manage to flip the bail manually while tossing 1/2-1 oz jigs in the tailraces and not get hung up in the rocks I'd probably make more of an effort to do so. Flipping manually with topwater plugs in the tailraces is certainly possible, its just difficult to remember when its the only time I can do it without losing my gear frequently.Quote:
Originally Posted by john g
Thats what your index finger is for,to feather the cast in order to slow it down.
Finesse casting? Closing the bail by hand for so long, feathering the line is second nature.
Oh, slowing it down isn't the issue. The Arkansas tailrace (where I fish) has so many rocks and is moving so fast (When all or most of the gates are open on the dam) that if you don't start your retrieve almost as soon as your jig hits the water you end up bouncing off of the rocks and almost inevitably get hung up. It doesnt help that hundreds of other anglers have had the same problem and left an uncountable amount of line (both braid and mono) trailing from their jigs or hooks which are also stuck on the rocks. However, with a long cast and a fast retrieve that begins at the right moment (As soon after touchdown as possible) you can keep your jig within the top few feet of water and avoid the rocks; hopefully attracting the attention of a striper or hybrid. Reaching up with my left hand (while I hold the rod with my right) to flip the bail and then go back to the handle to begin my retrieve takes just enough time that I end up in the rocks. Even though it takes half a second to flip and begin the retrieve, with the current and the way the water boils around the rocks it's not an effective option for me when I fish here.Quote:
Originally Posted by john g
I have seen guys that work the reel and line so precise......put a 3 oz jig right at a cobia and start the retrieve keeping the jig on the surface right at it,s nose......almost feeding the jig in it's mouth.....sure isn't me......but with YEARS of practice, you might be able to do it too......I don't think I can.....to late in life and don't fish the manuals but down there
Like bow hunting,never wanted to put in the time with a compound to get good, and now my shoulder's won't allow it.......so I use a xbow......sight it in and it's good to go