The adventure experienced during the fishing season is one like no other. The joy of making a big catch during this time is to brag about amongst fishers as they set sail into the waters. It is important to know how to fix a fishing reel that won’t lock with preparations in place.
Fixing a fishing reel is tricky, and most times, anglers experience problems during fishing sessions. Therefore, anglers must properly fix their fishing reels to experience the full adventure that the season has to offer.
What Is A Fishing Reel Locked or Unlocked?
A fishing reel is a mechanism for winding and unwinding fishing lines attached to a fishing rod.
Over the years, it has made fishing easy and fun, controlling the pace and tension of line retrieval to avoid line snap and hook dislodgement. Fishing reels have a rich history that dates back to the era of the Song Dynasty.
The fishing reel comprises several parts that make up the fishing reel. Each part has a role to play to ensure efficiency. The major parts are:
Reel handle: The part is rotated by the hand to get back the line after it has been cast. It is mostly smooth and can be found on either the left or the right side of the reel. It depends on where the handle is socketed.
Reel body: This is the casing of the fishing reel. It covers the gears that pull the line.
Reel Spool: It holds the fishing line in place. It is also essential in the casting of the line.
Bail: when it is activated. It prevents the spool from unwinding, locking the fish line in place; also, the deactivation allows for free winding of the fishing line.
Adjustment Drag: It is found on the top of the spool. In fishing reels, the drag is essentially a pair of friction plates. The friction is overcome when the fish pulls hard enough on the line, and the reel turns backward, allowing the line out and preventing the line from breaking.
Anti-Reverse Switch: It works hand in hand with drag. It prevents the drag from turning backward. When the anti-reverse switch is turned off, you can reel in reverse instead of using your drag system to maintain line tension. For little fish, this can be beneficial, but most anglers rely on the drag mechanism.
Gears: It is the main component of the fishing reel. These gears are well fitted in the fishing reel’s body to enable the reel’s smooth performance.
The above-listed are the major parts of a fishing reel. There might be other minor parts not listed in the article.
How To Fix A Fishing Reel That Won’t Lock?
There might be several reasons as to why a fishing reel would lock. It might be due to a broken spool, bail, or maybe due to a bad drag system or anti-reverse system. It is important to repair the reel carefully to avoid permanent damage.
- Open the case to check if the spool, bail, or gear is broken. Tools needed to fix this issue are: Screwdriver, Pliers, Parts for replacement, if there be a need.
- Use the screwdriver to lose the screws holding the body of the fishing reel in place.
- Carefully check for anything out of place. If the bail wire is damaged, replace it with a new one.
- If the bail wire is intact, check the line roller. Corrosion mostly damages the line roller, therefore it is vital to remove the screw holding the line roller in place and check to see if it’s intact.
- If both of these parts are in good shape, look out for the springs. Bad springs are a common cause of the fishing reel not locking. There should be no rust if any change in the spring.
How To Fix A Broken Spool Or Bail?
Fixing a broken spool is not always ideal, it is best to replace it. Even though some people have repaired them, it is not guaranteed to stay for a long time.
How To Fix The Drag System?
Turn the spool to liberate the drag discs by loosening the drag tension knob at the top of the spool. A frozen drag is a typical problem with spinning reels, caused by dirt, debris, or overtightening the drag. After using a spinning reel, always thoroughly loosen the drag.
Anti-Reverse System
Anti-Reverse is a feature on a spinning reel that prevents the reel from spinning backward while also engaging the drag. Anti-reverse switches are available on some reels, allowing the angler to choose whether or not to use them. This feature allows people to “back-reel” instead of letting the drag fight the fish.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Most people want to go fishing but don’t know how to set their reels for fishing properly. It is important to know how to fix a fishing reel that won’t lock, but first, one has to know everything about fishing reels. Below are answers to certain questions about the fishing reel:
Why does my reel keep spinning?
The continuous spinning of the reel is one of the most common problems of the fishing reel. The reel spins freely in both directions. It is mostly caused by a damaged anti-reverse, bail, or a broken drag. Check to see if a replacement is needed.
What is a reel pawl?
The function of a reel pawl is to keep the reel from overrunning when the line is pulled from the spool.
Why is my reel not tightening?
Certain things can prevent the reel from properly fitting the fishing rod. Oftentimes, the reason is that the reel’s seat doesn’t lap properly with the foot of the fishing pole. This can be fixed by filling up the reel’s shroud. You can make a filler out of a plastic container, a circular one.
How do you respool a spinning reel?
Make sure to choose the perfect line for fishing. People fishing in calm waters chose fluorocarbon fishing lines. So, it depends on the kind of fish you hope to catch or the region where you are fishing.
Check the direction in which the line is spooled. To determine this, you can pose as though fishing.
Open the bail by flipping the small handle up. Now, make sure to pass your line through the line guides perfectly.
Use an arbor knot to secure the line to the spool. To tie an arbor knot, wrap the line around the arbor and tie an overhead knot in the vertical line.
Close the bail, place the spool on the floor, pinch the line, and slowly crank the reel. Keep cranking to load the reel; make sure the line is not twisting. Leave a little excess of the line when spooling; this will ensure that you have enough line to use, even if you need to cut off a large section of line to change lures or clear snags, without overloading your reel.
Use scissors to cut the line close to the supply spool. You should be ready for fishing.
Why is the drag on my reel not working?
It might be due to a dirty drag system, or the drag was left tightened. Make sure to lose your drag after using the spinning reel.
Final Verdict
Fishing is very fun, and this fun shouldn’t be cut short by a locked fishing reel. Therefore, learning how to fix a fishing reel that will not lock is very important.