JimRed wrote:
Knotty wrote:
Glad you mentioned the bail. I know Joe suggests bail-less reels to avoid line twist and tangles. Just to play around, I took the bail off a $20 Dick's rod/reel combo but not really sure about the proper technique for using it that way. Hopefully his book will shed some light.
Knotty, with the bail attached to the reel, cut the bail off at the reel pickup. Then remove the screw that attaches the other end of the bail to the reel housing. What you have left of the bail assembly is just the pick up.
I think the casting is self explanatory once you've gone this far.
Not only will you not have line twist, you will also experience silence in your casting; silence should be a real plus on those small streams you've posted pictures of. Makes for more enjoyable
fishing too without that bail flipping noise.
Personally, I have used a Mitchell 308 for years with the bail cut back to maybe one inch from the line guide. Yes, it is silent, except for keeping the anti-reverse engaged. One more plus is that with a little practice you can "feather" the line toward the end of your cast and bring the lure down on the water quite lightly, put your fingertip against the rim of the spool, bring the line back and start reeling. That can also keep the lure from sinking much before starting your retrieve, a real plus in shallow water.
The one thing I don't understand is how that could prevent line twist. The line still makes a 90-degree turn as it goes around the line guide and then goes onto the spool in the same direction.
What really seems to cause line twist is the position in which the line spool is held when initially winding line onto the reel spool. That takes a bit of experimenting to get right, at least for me. But for sure, the line spool needs to be kept from revolving during that operation, and should instead be held stationary so that the line comes freely off one end of the line spool
This last paragraph is absolutely incorrect. Check out any professional fishing shop. The filler spool and the reel spool are both "in-line" and spinning, helping minimize line twist. Every time the "line comes freely off the end of the line spool" it is adding a twist. Don't believe me? Take a spool of thin, flat ribbon and perform that same move - twist every time. Tight lines.