How To Fix A Fishing Reel That Won’t Lock – Exclusive Information

Can’t you cast your fishing gear away freely? When you’re holding a rod, the fishing reel is locked sometimes and it is difficult to deal with it. It is so hard that the fishing rod becomes almost unusable without any chance to fix it. So, how to fix a fishing reel that won’t lock?

One of the main functions of the fishing reel is to stop the spool from rotating, so you can cast your bait further. The handle acts as a brake, so whenever it stops working, it’s time to fix your fishing rod!

In this content, you’ll learn how to repair a fishing reel. I’ll tell you exactly how to do it and you’ll never have trouble with a locking mechanism again. So, relax, take a deep breath and don’t go aimlessly clicking. Work smarter, not harder.

Why is The Fishing Reel Locked and How to Deal With it?

With approximately 9 million people engaging in recreational fishing in the United States each year. For this type of fishing event, a fishing reel is one of the most important tools. If that is locked somehow, then it is really frustrating and annoying.

Most fishing reels have a drag knob that allows you to increase or decrease the amount of pressure applied to line during a cast. Too much drag can cause the reel lock up. Moreover, if the line is pulled from the reel at an angle then it does not allow it to spin freely on the spool. It is also one kind of lock up.

But, you can easily bypass this kind of problem while fishing. You have to go through several precautions and must know how to repair a fishing reel without any locking problem. 

The Instrument You Need to Fix a Fishing Reel

If your fishing reel won’t lock then you should fix it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will still lose your lure if the fishing line remains slack. To fix a fishing reel, you need to collect several things.

1) Screwdriver: The first most essential thing is a small screwdriver. The reason is that to free up the screws that help hold the parts of the reel in place. Screws on reels are smaller than those on other household items, so you need a screwdriver.

2) Two pliers: Pliers are needed for a few different reasons. Firstly, removing the handle in order to get to the other parts. Secondly, removing or tightening the screws. Thirdly, when you need to tighten something that needs a lot of force.

3) Replacement parts: The last thing you’ll need is parts for your reel repair kit, in case your fishing line needs replacement parts. Such as the handle or crank arm. When something is broken, you need to replace it with a new one.

The Methods to Fix a Fishing Reel that Won’t Lock

Fishing reel repair is not an easy job. It seems simple but it is not. Here, I will share with you several methods that can help you fix a fishing reel quickly and easily.

Let’s start with by solving “defected bail wire or broken spool”

The bail wire is simply a lever that turns the reel on and off. A defected bail wire or broken spool is the most common issue. If a reel lock won’t work, you can fix it by repairing the bail wire. Apply these 5 steps to solve this common issue:

Step 01: First, get a screwdriver to remove the screws on the reel.

Step 02: Take out the screws, and then you can see the inner part of your reel.

Step 03: Look for the axle nut, which is loose at this point, and take it out with the help of your fingers or a screwdriver.

Step 04: You will see an arrow, and this arrow indicates which direction the bail wire should rotate so that it locks in place.

Step 05: Make sure that you reassemble all parts in the same order and turn them clockwise so they are in place.

This is how you can solve a defected bail wire or broken spool. If this technique is not useful for you, then try the next method. 

By solving “Drag system issue”

Drag system issue is one of the common reasons that a fishing reel won’t lock. A fishing reel without a drag system is useless. Solving the reel’s drag system issue can be done by following several step-by-step guidelines.

Step 01: First, you need to loosen the drag knob. This would stop the drag system.

Step 02: Next, remove the spool and clean it up with a soft cloth. After that, check if there is any dirt or debris trapped in between the spool and the spool shaft. If there is any, clean it up as well.

Step 03: Use a screwdriver to open up the end plate of your reel. Now take a look at the main shaft and remove any dirt and debris from it too.

Step 04: You can also apply some grease on the shaft after removing all debris for smooth functioning of your reel’s drag system.

Step 05: You can also check for broken springs inside your reel which might not be allowing your to lock properly.

Step 06: Once all these steps are done, assemble back all parts one by one starting from putting back the end plate followed by spool and tightening and loosening the drag knob respectively. 

By solving “Anti reverse system”

Are you aware of any anti reverse on a spinning reel? Anti Reverse is a mechanism that prevents the handle from moving in the opposite direction. Anti Reverse can cause a fishing reel to lock up so that you can’t put more line on the spool. Besides, you can’t pull the handle to get your fish off the hook. So, you should fix it ASAP. You can easily fix an anti reverse on a spinning reel at home by following certain steps given below.

Step 01: The first thing you will need to do is remove the cover from your reel.

Step 02: The cover is usually held on with several small screws around the diameter of the cover.

Step 03: Next you will need to remove the handle, which will also be held on with a screw.

Step 04: Once you have removed both of these parts, it is time to look at what is causing the anti-reverse system to not work properly.

Step 05: You may find that some grease has collected on this part of the reel and is causing it to slip or slip more easily than it should be able to do so.

Step 06: Lastly, remove any excess grease from this area and wipe it down. 

Why Should You Hire Professionals?

If you find yourself in the predicament of skipping your fishing reel, it might be time to hit up professionals. The good thing is that there are a lot of professionals out there who can fix skipping problems. If you don’t know what you’re doing and there’s the risk of cutting wires or becoming injured.

Moreover, you will need special tools and equipment to open up your trip and replace these parts, so it’s not something that anyone can do on their own. A professional can help you with this process safely and easily.

It is better to hire a professional fish reels fixing expert. Because they have good knowledge of repairing fishing reels that do not work properly.

Do All Spinning Reels Have a Reverse?

Reels have a feature switch that allows them to turn backwards, but only the most advanced models can do so. A lot of anglers are new to spinning reels. But there are some advanced applications that might require you to spin your reel backwards while fishing.

This will allow fillers to better control your line when playing larger fish. So you won’t smash into rocks and other hazards. Most of these switches are labeled as “reverse” or “backward”, in which case you can easily identify which feature that you need.

Final Word 

Sometimes your fishing reel does lock and you can feel very frustrated. There are reasons why your fishing reel will lock. So try to solve this problem as soon as possible. In this blogpost, we have already mentioned how you can solve this without any hassle.

So, if you have another idea about this then you can also share with us by leaving a simple comment. Now, we are at the end of the content, if you have confusion you can ask us through email. Thank you.