Help Intermittent abrupt stop to cast.

[Pacific NW Ron]

I have several Lews reels and love them but I have a problem with my newest one.  I have a Lews Mach MS1H with a problem with Intermittent abrupt stop to the cast.   On most casts I don't have a problem and love it but occasionally it stops the cast abruptly at about 20 or30 feet.  Sometimes it will do it on two or three casts in a row.  There is no backlash.  It's like the spool locks up and stops.
I have 20lb Power Pro on this reel.  This is the first time I'm using power pro.   Could it be the line?
Anyone have this issue or know what might be causing it?

[ItsJason]

20lb is a bit on the light side. Is it dig in? As in, the braid digs in to itself on the spool. Ive had that problem with small diameter braid, specially after landing a big fish or getting a snag.

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[Pacific NW Ron]

20lb is a bit on the light side. Is it dig in? As in, the braid digs in to itself on the spool. Ive had that problem with small diameter braid, specially after landing a big fish or getting a snag.

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Thanks for you input.  I've thought of that but when it happens even if I pull out a couple of yards of line sometimes it happens again on the next cast.  Sometimes the next cast is just fine.  When I do pull out the line like that it feels fine.  It doesn't feel like it's dug in.  The other thing is it can happen on a cast after a normal retrieve with no extra resistance.  I wish it was due to a big fish
I've sent a message to Lews as well and waiting to see what they say.

[Fun4me]

Sounds like dig in to me. Save your braid onto something that will allow you to put it back on the reel, spool it up with mono or something, and see if it still does it.

[analfisherman]

First, are you using 4 strand PP or 8 strand PP?

4 strand is flat and 8 is round....similar to mono and flouro or coply.

Seeing 4 strand is flat....it has more of a tendency to dig in.
20lb PP is 'roughly' similar diameter to 6lb. mono....but MONO varies from manufacturer to manufacturer too....but for this, that's not important.

So seeing 6lb. is actually very, very thin line and on my PanFishing gear 4lb. and not as often, 6lb. will actually bury in on a spinning reel simply from 'hard casts'. (I'm an EXTREME PFing LONG CASTER and really snap that rod and reel HARD on a cast!!)
No fish caught to help bury it, simply the act of hard casting and 'SNAPPING' the rod at cast....right before releasing it from your index finger.

Well the same thing can happen on a hard 'snap cast' on a baitcaster too.
Many anglers cast with a snap without really knowing they are doing it.
ESPECIALLY when they are 'long casting' or casting for distance.

When you bring the rod back to cast, it can actually dig in on the spool....especially if your using heavier lures and even more if using a fast or super fast action rod and heavier lures....I'm not talking ounces I'm talking as small as a 1/2 oz. jig.
This is MAGNIFIDED when using small diameter braid....BECAUSE it has no memory and when reeling in and fast casting back out it can have a 'tendency' to get loosly wrapped around the spool...just one strand of 'loose braid' can open an opportunity for the next cast to allow a 'single strand to bury under the ONE loose strand.

If the spool was 'locking up' you would feel 'some' resistance when pulling out line after the mid-cast stopage.

The reason you can pull out line fairly easy after the stopage is the 'bury' is simply one strand 'burying itself' under another single strand.

NOW I'm not saying this is whats happening.......just something to consider.

Curiosity....have you had a 'lock up' challenge with heavier lines...nylon or braid??

Now you've got more expertise and abilities than I ever will.......so PLEASE don't feel I'm talking down to you!!!!!

But after a bury or anytime for that matter....try being EXTREME on your casting attention.
Bring the rod back as slow as possible not allow 'a PULL downward' from the lure itself before going forward and then with as much as possible do a 'VERY FLUID' forward motion on the actual cast.   

AGAIN......this is just something to consider......it use to happen to me when I was going back and forth from spinning and baitcasting reels and being I DON'T have your abilities and the CASTING ACTION between SG and BC gear is actually very different....I'd snap cast the baitcaster just like a spinning reel cast and get a 'slight' bury and a midflight stopage like you mentioned. 

The 'stopage' would ACTUALLY release the two strand bury......and hence, when I would check the spool/line...it came off like nothing was wrong or stopping it on the cast AT ALL?

[LgMouthGambler]

Either line dig, or the clutch is engaging on the cast.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Anal, I have the same issue with my spinning gear sometimes, digging in just from a hard, snappy cast. So annoying.

Ron, I'll echo everyone else and guess you're getting dig in. I just started using braid last year and discovered pretty quickly that 20# was just too light for my baitcasters. I eventually looked at the specs for the reel I was having the most trouble with, noted the minimum mono test strength, found the DIAMETER of that mono, and got braid of a similar diameter. In this case, the minimum mono recommended was 12#, which is about equivalent to 40# braid in diameter. I have so much less trouble now.

Edit to add: just looked it up, the minimum recommended mono for your reel is 12# too. So go ahead and try 40# braid, maybe even 50#.

[Mike Cork]

Ron, next time your out, try adding some braking. Also, try adding a quarter turn on the Spool Tension knob.

Had a buddy with this problem and after watching him, his spool was getting a very small overrun that would be just enough to cause a splash down when using very light braid.

Several options here. Keep us posted. I'm very curious to hear what Lews tells you.

[Pacific NW Ron]

Thanks to everyone for your input.  It seems most thought the issue was line dig in which is what I suspected as well but thought I'd put it out there to see what everyone thought about it.
I did re-spool the reel with a different braid and went with 30 pound.  I believe that fixed the issue.  I probably made 50 to 75 casts yesterday with that reel and had no issues.  To give it a good test on my first hang up of the day I put extreme pressure on it and still on the next cast I had no issue.  NOTE: that was my only hang up of the day.
Mike thanks for the suggestion but I had already tried adjusting both up and down and it didn't seem to help, although I may not have mad both together in that sequence.
I'm still waiting for a reply from Lews.  I imagine they're all at ICAST this week.

[Oldfart9999]

I had the same problem and found it that like Mike's friend it was me, I was "overcasting", letting the line go but still moving the rod. Once I started working on that the problem went away.
Rodney

[Pacific NW Ron]

Now that that has been mentioned twice and I think about it that may have been at least part of my issue as well.  Almost all the stops were when I was casting overhead and trying to reach a long cast target.  I never had an issue on a side arm or under hand cast.
However that being said yesterday I was able to reach all long cast targets as well with no issues.

[Oldfart9999]

It was happening to me this spring when I was trying to make long range pitches in clear water, I was snapping the rod pretty hard to get a bait to cover and my follow through went farther than a normal pitch.
Rodney

[Pferox]

Should have done the tree trick.  Ya know tie the line off to a tree, walk it off the spool and then rewind in under heavy drag tension keeping the rod tip bend over very heavily.

This ensures that the line is the tightest you can get it onto the spool, which, in turn slows down the cutting in.

With usage, the spool will loosen up again and need to be re-tree-ed.  Best way I have found to keep all the nasty stuff from happening to a spool of braid, no matter what the line weight.

I actually had a "factory" (Bass Pro) re-spool done once and it worked worse than my re-spools did.  I did the Tree trick and had almost a quarter of inch of extra space on the spool because of the tighter laydown.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Should have done the tree trick.  Ya know tie the line off to a tree, walk it off the spool and then rewind in under heavy drag tension keeping the rod tip bend over very heavily.

This ensures that the line is the tightest you can get it onto the spool, which, in turn slows down the cutting in.

With usage, the spool will loosen up again and need to be re-tree-ed.  Best way I have found to keep all the nasty stuff from happening to a spool of braid, no matter what the line weight.

I actually had a "factory" (Bass Pro) re-spool done once and it worked worse than my re-spools did.  I did the Tree trick and had almost a quarter of inch of extra space on the spool because of the tighter laydown.

I have a portable spooling tool made by Berkley. Kinda looks like a crossbow.



It has a spring loaded arm with a rubber pad on the other side of the spool that puts some "drag" on the spool. It works pretty well, but surely doesn't spool as tight as reeling in a tree!
Also notice the metal rod isn't a perfect fit in the spool. That lets the spool kind of rattle around a bit and doesn't lend itself very well to consistency, but it's still pretty good for what it is and how it's built. Biggest downside I've found, sometimes when spooling a reel from a wide spool of line, a loop can sometimes jump off the spool (because it's rattling around a bit), and tangle on that arm. That can turn a job that should take less than a minute, into one that can take 15 minutes or more.

I used to just put a knitting needle through the center of the line spool (I have several sizes so there's always one that fits), wedge that between my toes on each foot, and use my feet to lightly apply some drag against the carpet as I reeled it onto a reel with the reel mounted to a handle/reel seat from an old broken rod.
But Connie got me this thing for Christmas, so I use it, and I make sure she sees me using it. Besides, at least that way I don't end up with dog hair flying around when I make that first cast.

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[Pferox]

I have the older style station that has been modified so many times it is pretty much a hybrid now.  Works great and just gets tree tightness.  I only use it for putting braided lines on reels, other lines usually are done with one of many other methods. As a matter of fact I think that I actually put lines other than braid on too tightly with this tool.

I have tried other tools and found that they wouldn't allow an even payout of the line giving way for small loose areas to pop up within the spool.  They don't cause any noticeable problems at first, but as you use the line the spool will get slack spots in it, and "loose" areas on the spool are what causes the problems.

[Oldfart9999]

I have the same one SHC, I wet a cloth with line conditioner and squeeze the line through that while filling the spool, makes the line tight while cleaning it. I hold the line between the spool and reel. Don't try it with P-Line, their spools have a bunch of gaps causing them to bounce all over and off the tension pad making it a nightmare to spool line.
Rodney

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I don't use P-line anyway. I do like it, but it's been very unforgiving to me.

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[Pacific NW Ron]

I still haven't heard back from Lews but I think different line has solved my problem.  When I hear back from them I'll post their opinion.  I probably made another 75 casts yesterday with no problem at all. 
Thanks for all the opinions, thoughts and idea's.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

You're most likely good to go, glad it was something so simple.

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[Pacific NW Ron]

Finally heard back from Lews.  As expected they were at ICAST and got back logged.  I now have 30lb braid on the reel and occasionally it still happens.
They pretty much agreed that it was most likely line dig in, but they said it could also be a spool bearing.  They asked me to re-spool the reel with mono or fluoro and see if that corrects the issue.  If it does that confirms there is no issue with the reel.  If it still happens the will send me parts to fix it.
Their customer service was a pleasure to talk to as usual they were very helpful.