Spinning reels. Close with handle or hand?

[briansnat]

I've been fishing with spinning reels since the early 70's. As a kid my dad instructed me not to "force" the bail closed with my hand, but to turn the reel to close it. I've been doing this since.

I just saw a Youtube video from a bass pro about the mistakes that even veteran anglers make. One of them was cranking the handle to close the bail. In the comments there were a few people who agreed and said it was bad for the reel to crank the handle to close the bail.

Some of my spinning reels are approaching 30 years old and have shown no ill effects from using the handle to close the bail.

So I was just wondering, how many here close the bail with their hand vs. using the handle to close the bail?

[SaltLife1980]

I use my hand.... No pun intended

[NJSquatch]

hand unless i need to start reeling in quickly on a badly targeted cast....

[pacrags]

I usually use the handle ... read this post an hour ago and just sat back at the computer and googled fishing tips on a whim and clicked on a top 10 list with a more valid reason to use your hand

4. Cut Down on Tangles
The dreaded wind knot can be prevented, or at least reduced, by manually flipping over the bail on your spinning reel after a cast. This keeps the line from twisting as it works its way from the bail to the line roller, which it does when the bail is snapped shut automatically by turning the reel handle.

[acabtp]

close with hand 100% of the time
difference with tangle reduction more noticeable with braid than with mono/fluoro

[shrimpman steve]

Hand. Reduces wind knots.

[icebadger]

spinning reels were designed to be closed by turning the handle.however it does help prevent wind knots and its quieter by hand,i'm not sure if there is any ill effects to the spring or bail.some makes and designs are more prone to wind knots so tripping them by hand helps.the shimnano spriex 2000s are notorious for wind knots and that damn quick flip trigger is a p.i.t.a as well.

[Delawareriver]

Even if you don't get a wind knot it can throw an extra twist in the line. Then since your reel it back into the reel it has no time to work itself out. Isn't a problem at first but after an hour of casting it's only a matter of time all those twists are gonna start causing a problem at the end of the cast. I always close my bail with my hand

[Chrisper4694]

use your hand to pop it shut, less line twist. and on some reels the piece that hits the bail when you turn the handle is not too durable and might pop off.

[Rickhem]

I close with my hand too. It's a second-nature thing after a while. I like that you don't make any noise doing that. Been doing it so long that I can't say I've noticed anything, cause I don't remember doing it any other way.