Bail closed - Snap

[LoveSchoolies]

Now and then my bail will somehow close in casting and if I have a heavy plug on (say over 2.5 ounces) all the force of the cast will break my knot. I use 40lb braid to a swivel then 30 or 40 lb flourocarbon leader and I do not double up my uni knot. That has worked well for me and it never breaks unless exactly this happens which is rare. I just got my hands on a really nice plug thats hard to get (like impossible) and BAM 2nd day using it and my bail somehow closed and that plug went goodbye into the ocean. Would you guys recommend with braid doubling up the line on the swivel or will it cut itself, how about the flouro, I tried it and it didnt seem to work well I think the line was too bulky. Maybe I should be checking the cleanliness of my knots or maybe with that much casting force plus a heavy plug its just bound to happen if that bail closes when I am chucking that thing a mile. Should I move away from uni or double up or use heavier braid... and for topwater poppers and spooks should I just go strait braid no leader? Will the no stretch be ok? I've been over this before but reeling from the pain of losing that plug. 

[VitaminDee]

Do you make sure your reel handle is facing down when casting? Sometimes if your handle is up higher, it will trigger the bail to close.   I use 30lbs braid to uni-uni 30 or 40lbs mono with no issues. Same setup whether i am casting 1oz plugs or 6oz with bait.

[recoil]

Your main problem is the bail closing. You don't say what reel you are using.

[SC]

I think you should check the timing on your reel as far as the bail closing. 99% that's the issue in my opinion, especially with the proliferation of "power handles" 

[Bdemiri23]

This use to happen to a friend of mine using a Penn . He lost plug after plug one night . I think he swapped out reels and is fine now.

[LoveSchoolies]

9 mins ago, VitaminDee said:

Do you make sure your reel handle is facing down when casting? Sometimes if your handle is up higher, it will trigger the bail to close.   I use 30lbs braid to uni-uni 30 or 40lbs mono with no issues. Same setup whether i am casting 1oz plugs or 6oz with bait.

Do you mean like the ball of the handle is below the reel in its circle of rotation? Just curios how would that cause bail closure? TY 

 

9 mins ago, recoil said:

Your main problem is the bail closing. You don't say what reel you are using.

 

Stella 4000. This bail closure is pretty rare, maybe one in every 500 casts but I fish a fair amount and it sucks when it happens. Dont know why its closing

 

8 mins ago, SC said:

I think you should check the timing on your reel as far as the bail closing. 99% that's the issue in my opinion, especially with the proliferation of "power handles" 

 

Can I affect the timing and if so how, why do power handle cause this? Trying to understand. 

[VitaminDee]

Just now, LoveSchoolies said:

Do you mean like the ball of the handle is below the reel in its circle of rotation? Just curios how would that cause bail closure? TY 

Yes.  If the handle is up high, it will try to spin on a hard cast triggering the bail to come down.

[Finneus]

Lose the bail, problem solved 

[EricDice]

2 mins ago, Finneus said:

Lose the bail, problem solved 

Not necessarily. I’ve had more of these situations with a Penn SSV 6500 BLS where the line caught the roller without a bail. 

[LoveSchoolies]

For my fellow uni knot lovers, do you guys go through twice or will braid cut itself, isnt 40 fluoro to thick for this?

[Finneus]

4 mins ago, EricDice said:

Not necessarily. I’ve had more of these situations with a Penn SSV 6500 BLS where the line caught the roller without a bail. 

True, need to get enough grease in there that don't spin during the cast, then it's usually ok 

[SC]

19 mins ago, LoveSchoolies said:

Do you mean like the ball of the handle is below the reel in its circle of rotation? Just curios how would that cause bail closure? TY 

 

 

Stella 4000. This bail closure is pretty rare, maybe one in every 500 casts but I fish a fair amount and it sucks when it happens. Dont know why its closing

 

 

Can I affect the timing and if so how, why do power handle cause this? Trying to understand. 

Assuming the reel was correctly timed to begin with whenever a handle (or main gear) is changed likely so is the timing. Power handle being longer, wider and heavier increases the inertia on an improperly timed reel, causing the handle to spin, causing the bail to close, causing the line to snap. 

Edited May 28 by SC

[LoveSchoolies]

How can you be sure a reel is timed correctly?

[angler management]

18 mins ago, LoveSchoolies said:

How can you be sure a reel is timed correctly?

usually there's cover on most reel bails. a couple screws take the rod that trips the bail out . manual is the way to go on spinners , should never have a bail slam again !

[SC]

40 mins ago, LoveSchoolies said:

How can you be sure a reel is timed correctly?

I preferred spool out and handle at 4 o'clock, others prefer 6 o'clock. I don't know how they arrived  at that determination as being optimal but I know how I arrived at mine. Just "dry cast" going thru the motions with the handle at 12 o'clock, dry cast and write down if handle moved at all. Next 1 o'clock and dry cast and write down if handle moved at all. When you have gone thru all twelve "hour" positions pick the "hour" in the middle of "all non movement hour positions" and that will be optimal. For me as stated 4 o'clock was best.