Bail Closing During A Cast

[mo65]

   I've only owned a reel that does this for a few hours...but I'm way sick of it already. It's sporadic, only happens every three or four casts. What causes it? Can it be adjusted away? Hope someone has a cure for this, other than sawing off the bail. I like to install a bailess setup because I want to...not because I have to!

[MarkT]

Weak bail spring

[nelz]

What reel???

[mo65]

What reel???

   I suppose that would help Nelz...sorry about that. It's a South Bend Classic 935, and I just made a discovery, not sure how I missed this, but that spring circled in red on this pic is missing on my reel. Appears to be a sort of "rotor brake"...like it stops the momentum of a moving rotor during a cast. Am I on the right track?

   

[nelz]

Yeah, that would do it! Sometimes bending the bail a bit to make it tighter helps on a touchy reel.

[oc1]

It may be because the rotor is heavier on one side than the other so the heavy side moves out (toward the water) during the cast and, as it moves, trips the bail.  The handle can swing around and do that too.  That spring in your picture may put enough tension on the rotor to stop that.  They put a weight in the Penn Spinfisher to balance the rotor (like balancing an automobile tire) and keep the rotor from tripping the bail.
-steve

[Rivverrat]

 I had a spinner that did this when I was a kid. It lead to me having a nuclear melt down about 2:30 in the morning on the bank of the Kansas River. After losing my last live bait to the reel doing this, with a lot of  malice  I launched it into the river.

My grandpa walked up to me slowly & asked  " Are you alright ? "  He made me go sit on log until I cooled down. Later he had me swim out until I retrieved the combo. I came back to the river bank rod & reel in hand. I quickly removed the reel from the rod & pitched it back into the river. Grandpa while scratching his head, with a half smile said    " Well I guess that about settles that " .     I miss my grandpa dearly... Jeff

[Alto Mare]

Weak bail spring

Same here...

[Gfish]

Interesting and funny story, Jeff.
I'd bet it's that missing spring, Mo. Some rotor designs(heavy and unbalenced) really need a system, once the bail is opened, to stop their movement during a cast.

[mo65]

I'd bet it's that missing spring, Mo. Some rotor designs(heavy and unbalanced) really need a system, once the bail is opened, to stop their movement during a cast.

   I'm pretty sure that this is indeed the problem G. I fashioned a crude facsimile and it does keep the plunger from swinging into the trip pin during a cast. I'd rather have the correct part though...who knows how long that brass shim will hold it's shape.
   Hey Fred, do you by chance have those copper spring/ramp thingies in your SB parts?

[foakes]

Hey Fred, do you by chance have those copper spring/ramp thingies in your SB parts?

Those are what they call brake rings — in the spinning reel world, Mike.

And I just packed up around 4 - 5 pounds of SB parts — each group in individual plastic bags — packaged and ready to mail today.

There were no brake rings in there, Sorry...

Best,

Fred

[mo65]

There were no brake rings in there, Sorry...

   That's OK Fred, thanks for checking. I think I can work around it. I need to find some heavier stock and make the same thing I made this morning. The reel is coming along great though, the gearing and bearing are so smooth, just a fantastic reel. 

[Midway Tommy]

I've seen your work, Mike. Either brass or bronze sheet sock in the correct thickness will work just fine. With the right stock, patience, shears and file you'll be able to copy the one in that pic to a T. 

[Gfish]

I gotta MG 306 that does that, back on the mainland. You got me interested, when I'm back there, I'minna haveta open it up and see if somethings tweaked. I've relegated it to a bottom fishin spinner cause a that...
Never owned a spinner with a "plunger" system before. Are most South Bend's that way?

[mo65]

Never owned a spinner with a "plunger" system before. Are most South Bend's that way?

   The Classics are the only series I've seen with it.