Patent ID: 6843439

Claim:
A spinning reel comprising: a drive system comprising an axially extending, rotatable pinion and an axially oscillatable spindle, a fishing line spool suitable for retaining an extended length of fishing line, said spool being coupled to said spindle, a bail assembly rotatably mounted to pivot about said spool with a rotor between an “open” position in which said fishing line is freely removed from said spool and a “closed” position for engaging said line and winding said line about said spool, a rotation clutch having an engaged or “on” state and a disengaged or “off” state so that when in said engaged state said bail assembly may only rotate so as to wind tensioned line onto said spool in a winding direction, and when in said disengaged state said bail assembly may rotate in said winding direction or in an unwinding direction that allows tensioned line to be unwound from said spool, and wherein said bail assembly is coupled to engage or disengage said rotation clutch so that (a) said clutch is disengaged from said pinion at a partially open position located between said closed position and said open position, and (b) said clutch returns to said engaged state when said bail assembly is moved back to said closed position.