I’ve been trying to find spinning reels to replace my old stuff. I’ve bought 3 different reels and I’m having the same problem with all of them. Unless I flip the bail straight down to cast, my casting motion causes the bail to snap instantly shut as soon as I cast. It may be because I’m left handed. Any suggestions besides buying a $300 reel?

What action rod are you using them on?

Daiwa...........problem solved and won't break the bank.I use Exceler's and BG's almost exclusively.That being said you didn't say what you were fishing for but the reels I mention pretty much cover the field.

Good Luck
Ron

A series 1000 on a 5’ ultralight.
A series 2000 on a 5-1/2’ medium.
A series 3000 on a 6’ medium heavy.

All three are pretty cheap and don’t actually have bail springs.

Thanks! I’ll look at them. A series 2000 on a medium rod and series 3000 on a medium heavy rod are my catfish/carp/Buffalo rods. I fish off of covered boat houses so 6’ is the max length and bait cast reels don’t work there well for me. Most of the catfish max around 5 pounds. The carp usually run from 5 to 12 pounds. The Buffalo usually run from 8 16 pounds.

The bail on spinning reels I have used (and those I use now) will only snap into 'locked open' when the line roller is at the 12 o'clock position, where the line is at the top of rotation and in the best spot to be held on the fingertip. In fact, some of them do not even want to open at all unless in this position. Your predicament seems quite strange.

I’ve always used the 12:00 position with my old spinning reels (Mitchell 300) but it’s not working on these new reels. I have three reels that are each a different size and each a different brand. Of course they all come from China so they may all be produced on the same line. The only way I can keep the bail shut on a cast is to rotate the line roller to 3:00 which means I flip the bail straight down.

I figured out how to make it work. The bail lock open position has the line roller at 6:00. I can open the bail with it at 12:00 with my finger on the line and turn the handle to rotate the spool till the roller is at 6:00 and the bail locks open. I shouldn’t have to do that but apparently the Chinese “normal” is 180° out from ours.