Blocked bail when using quick-cast lever.

[Sklazinga]

Once in a while when I attempt to cast using the (for lack of a better term) quick-cast lever my bail will get blocked by the top of my spool. I understand that the spool moves up and down so that it will layer the line evenly, and my problem happens when the spool is near the hight of it's motion when I go to cast. I short pull for extra line allows me to reel it in to a point where I can cast again. Is this problem simply a 'nature of the beast' type problem that I will have to deal with, or is there something I can do to lower the spools action? Since the first time I encountered this problem was after several outings with my rod I am led to think that I did something to cause the problem, and I hope I can fix it. Here are two pictures of the bail hitting my spool, showing my 'quick-cast' lever. (In the second picture there is a black square thing on the table behind my lever, this is part of my cameras tripod mount, not part of my reel)

 

[staffman]

First off I do not like reels with casting levers. That being said let us see if there is a fix to your problem. When you reel in the lure should be 6or 8 inches below your rod tip, now you need to reel backwards until the reel stops , which is the casting position. Open with your casting lever and cast. If your bail is hitting the spool then you have some how bent the bail arm, which either means you have to replace the bail arm or buy a new reel. I had to replace a bail arm once after falling . Best of Luck!

 

[Sklazinga]

First off I do not like reels with casting levers. That being said let us see if there is a fix to your problem. When you reel in the lure should be 6or 8 inches below your rod tip, now you need to reel backwards until the reel stops , which is the casting position. Open with your casting lever and cast. If your bail is hitting the spool then you have some how bent the bail arm, which either means you have to replace the bail arm or buy a new reel. I had to replace a bail arm once after falling . Best of Luck!

Thanks for your reply! Why do you dislike casting levers?

 

[grubman]

Looks like a Shimano Sure Fire II reel. I have the 2000 in storage, they wobble too much when bringing in line. That's why I stopped using mine.

You may have to open it up and check the gears, they may be worn or it jumped a tooth, also a condition of wear. If they are worn out, it's cheaper the get a new reel and you'd be better off that way, new ones have no wobble. With the instant antireverse, better and instant hook sets. They were a great reel for the time but now you can get better for cheaper.

Hold on to it till next spring and trade it in for a new one at Bass Pro, you'll get a coupon for it, $5 or $10.

 

[Sklazinga]

Looks like a Shimano Sure Fire II reel. I have the 2000 in storage, they wobble too much when bringing in line. That's why I stopped using mine.

You may have to open it up and check the gears, they may be worn or it jumped a tooth, also a condition of wear. If they are worn out, it's cheaper the get a new reel and you'd be better off that way, new ones have no wobble. With the instant antireverse, better and instant hook sets. They were a great reel for the time but now you can get better for cheaper.

Hold on to it till next spring and trade it in for a new one at Bass Pro, you'll get a coupon for it, $5 or $10.

Cool! Thanks for the info! A buddy of mine may be taking me out fishing this afternoon (on his dime till I can pay him back), gotta hit C-Tire to get my license renewed, saw this online, any thoughts?

http://goo.gl/ZWBQH

 

[Sklazinga]

Also, additional info on the rod and reel can be found here:

http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/forum/topic/16255-my-gear/

 

[staffman]

[quote name='S Klazinga '83' timestamp='1342881465' post='232033']
Thanks for your reply! Why do you dislike casting levers?
[/quote]


When you set the hook with a reel like yours the handle moves backwards a bit ,meaning the spool moves backwards, which leads to a poor hook set.

 

[grubman]

The newer reels offer instant anti-reverse. The Shimano Quick/Sure Fire will reverse almost 360 to align the trigger up on top for your next cast, this gives the fish a split second to spit your lure out. With instant anti-reverse the line roller stops dead in it's tracks.

Another major feature of the newer reels is wobbleless line retreive. The reels are now well balanced that when you're burning a lure back your whole rod and arm is not shaking like crazy, and you could miss a light bite.

The Quick Fire is a great reel when it first came out. The newer reels are so much more advanced.

As for Quantum and combos, I stay away from both due to my bad experiences with them. First of all, go to Bass Pro or Sail with your current rod only. Check out the reels that they have and match it up with your rod. To do this look at your rod and see what line it's rated for. Then see if they have a reel with the same line rating. Ask a salesperson to get you that reel out of the box and put it on your rod. How do they feel together? Check the two are balance for each other. You'll spend a bit more but you may end up getting more fish.

Best of luck and hope you catch the big one.