Having issues such as a spinning reel not giving off the clicking sound anymore could raise questions and worries.
If your reel has gone silent, or in case you are just wondering why drag clicks cease, then you have found the right article. This article will identify likely reasons why you cannot hear the drag click, including how to address those issues.
Here Is How To Fix Your Spinning Reel With No Drag Click:
To fix a drag with no click, you must identify the primary cause. It can be as little as a build-up in the clicker or a damaged drag clicker. After placing the issue, you can take the necessary steps like replacing broken parts, re-spooling the line, or even cleaning grease build-up.
5 Reasons Why Your Reel Stopped Making The Drag Click:
A drag click is a noise produced by a spinning reel when you pull on the line.
Most spinning reels are manufactured to make a click-like sound when pulling the line. You will find that these reels have a drag clicker and a clicker spring behind the spool. These small objects are mainly behind the clicking sound made during a drag.
However, several reasons could be responsible for the unusual silence of your drag.
Here are four possible reasons why your spinning reel makes no drag sound, including how to fix the issues:
1. The reel gear is faulty
In many cases, not having a drag click can arise because of issues relating to component parts of your reel. In other words, the fault can come from the mechanism that makes the drag click in the first place.
One of the parts you should inspect is the main drive gear on the shaft. Depending on the model of your reel, this gear’s material can be plastic or even metal.
You should check if this little part is broken or has any faults like a missing part.
Also, check for signs of wear and tear. If you notice anything unusual, that could indicate that your reel is faulty. Then, you have to take the necessary step to fix this issue.
How to fix: The best way to fix this problem would be to replace the gear entirely.
Get a replacement reel gear and set it back to the same position as the previous one. If the gear is indeed the major issue, then you should be able to hear the drag click after replacing. Otherwise, you may have to check for other problems described below.
2. The drag clicker is faulty
The drag clicker is another part you should inspect for the absence of a drag click.
A drag clicker is a small object that rubs and prevents the gear from moving in another direction.
You can locate the clicker underneath the spool. Flip the spool over and search for a metal bar inside. The bar can have a flat shape or point. Also, you should check for the clicker spring located on the metal bar.
Once that spring gets damaged or missing, it can weaken the drag click or stop the noise entirely.
How to fix: To solve this problem, you will have to replace the damaged drag clicker.
You can purchase the clicker in a local fishing tackle store. Then have the new clicker fixed and hear the clicking sound pop back.
3. Your braided line is out of place
Having a braided line out of place is one of the most common reasons why reels do not make the clicking sound.
You can still pull out the line even though it is not correctly in place. However, you may notice that the spool does not move together with the line. In that case, you should not be surprised if you do not hear any drag click.
Therefore, check if your fishing line is still in place correctly on the spool. Pull the line and closely study how it comes out.
You should check if the line is spinning freely while the spool does not move. If that happens, it is likely to be why you stopped hearing the drag click.
How to fix: You do not need any technical skill or tool to fix this issue. All you have to do is to adjust the tension of the drag.
You should tighten the drag of your spinning reel by turning a few clicks of the front adjustment button. Then pull on your line to see if the spool moves this time.
If the spool rotates with the line, you are good to go. However, if the problem persists, you may need to set the tension of the reel tighter.
While you do this, it is a great idea to inspect the level of the drag’s tension. You would not want to set the drag too high since that can cause more harm than good.
You can use your hand to feel whether the drag is too light, too tight, or just at the average level. However, if you cannot judge correctly, you can resort to using a drag scale instead.
4. You did not spool your reel correctly
If your spool still refuses to move with the line after setting the drag, the problem could lie with the line on the spool.
The issue can be how your fishing line is sitting on the spool.
If the line is not filled in the spool correctly, that may cause the spool to become stagnant. Plus, you will not hear the click when you drag the line.
How to fix: The best way to address this problem is to take the entire line off the spool. Then spool the line again.
While spooling again, make sure you watch the quantity of fishing line you have on the spool.
You should have a space of about ⅛ inch away from the curved edge around the top of the reel. If the line spooled on the reel becomes too much, your line can bunch up and eventually get tangled.
5. There is grease build-up on the clicker
If you have build-up around the drag clicker area, that can also cause a weak or non-existing drag click.
How to fix: To fix an issue with grease build-up, the only option would be to get rid of the build-up by cleaning.
Excess grease can slow down how the clicker’s spring bounces back when it moves. The slow bounce back will, in turn, affect the drag click.
Set aside a material great for cleaning, like some tissues. Then take the reel apart and give the build-up area a good clean.
You can use a reel cleaner to wipe off the area for a more effective build-up clearing. After, apply some oil to the clicker area. You would want to avoid using grease instead of oil as the former can affect the clicker spring’s bounce again.
Takeaway
When your reel suddenly stops making the drag click, it can get frustrating making attempts to find out where the issue’s source is. A solution would be to examine the line and spool or the gear on the shaft. You can also check the drag clicker and the clicker spring for damage or build-up.
However, if you have made unsuccessful attempts to fix the issue, then you may want to consider sending the reel to a professional to have it fixed. In addition, if your warranty on the rod has not expired, you can forward a warranty claim for a replacement reel.
You may just decide to keep using the reel as a last resort even though it stopped giving clicks.
If your fishing experience or other reel functions are not affected, you do not have to worry. Many anglers would agree that you can still enjoy fishing even without the drag click from your spinning reel.