Bail
Also called bail arm, wire bail
What is the bail on a spinning reel?
The thin wire arm on a spinning reel. Flip it open to cast, close it to retrieve.
The bail's job is to guide line onto the spool in even wraps as you turn the handle. Open it and the line is free to leave the spool, which is what makes a cast possible. Close it and the line is captured on the roller again.
There is a right way to close it that most beginners get wrong. Turning the handle snaps the bail shut automatically, and it feels efficient, but it slams the wire across the line and puts a twist in every single time. Flip the bail closed with your free hand instead, then start reeling. Do that and a season's worth of line twist mostly disappears.
Spincast and baitcasting reels have no bail. On a spincast the cone does the same job invisibly; on a baitcaster a level wind guide does it.
Close the bail by hand, never by cranking the handle. It is the single cheapest fix for line twist on a spinning reel.
Common questions
Why won't the bail close on my spinning reel?
Usually a tired or broken bail spring, or grit in the trip mechanism that flips the bail shut. Clean and lightly oil the bail pivot first; if the bail still hangs open, the spring is a small, cheap replacement part.
Can you fix a bent bail?
A slightly bent bail wire can be eased back by hand. If line no longer runs cleanly onto the line roller afterwards, replace the wire, because a bail that drops line off the roller will twist and fray it.
Where this comes up
The guides that use bail and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Bail is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.