Hi Guys, I have a problem with a 5 Cavalla that I use exclusively for vertical fishing techniques. I usually always use 15/18 lbs on the strike. It is a fairly new reel that I use very frequently and intensively. If I set the drag to about 16 lbs of straike, the handle tends to turn with difficulty. If I decrease the drag it turns normally or almost. What do you think it could be? Solutions?
You are going beyond the reels capability with that high of a drag setting. There is nothing you can do but fish lower setting. If it's smooth at lower setting then your pinion bearing and things are fine.
Todd
Hardy Boy sounds right. It's a pretty small lever-drag. You might wreck the pinion bearing setting it that high.
I actually made a mistake in the conversion Kg to lbs. The values I use are 13 to 14 lbs of drag on the strike.
Quote from: MexicanGulf on October 01, 2024, 04:23:57 PMI actually made a mistake in the conversion Kg to lbs. The values I use are 13 to 14 lbs of drag on the strike.
Checked it out; a 5N-II is 15/24lbs. So that means 15 in high-gear & 24 in low gear? But that's a maximum. Wrecking the pinion sucks. I'd decrease drag at strike several lbs. you need enough the set the hook, keep 'em sharp and be ready to quickly push the lever forward(says the guy without much experience).
This looks like a lower price point Okuma LD. Maybe the stiffness is a relatively normal thing. I have a little-less expensive Shimano Speedmaster 8-II. Ramps-up quickly, and does get stiffer to turn at higher drag settings and it was that way outta the box.
Still too much drag. The little size 5 Okumas with the single drag are only good for about 10lb before they start to squash the pinion bearing. You can upgrade the pinion to an Angular Contact bearing and the left side spool bearing to a deep groove, there is a thread about myself and Redsetta experimenting with the Metaloid 5 some years ago. This gets you a little bit more drag, maybe 15lb.
What area of the bearing does an angular contact come in contact to the pinion?
Quote from: MexicanGulf on October 01, 2024, 03:41:55 PM... If I set the drag to about 16 lbs of straike, the handle tends to turn with difficulty. If I decrease the drag it turns normally or almost. What do you think it could be? Solutions?
there's a reason the Cavalla 12 exists !
if you need more drag than the Cavalla 5 offers on its limits, you should get the size #12
here in Baja everyone wants to fish with locked drags and expect to catch a monster grouper with a jigmaster, I always use the example of the golf clubs, every size have its reason, same deal with fishing rods and reels, after all they are just tools to catch the fish, that run from cheap to pretty expensive tools ^-^
Quote from: sabaman1 on October 02, 2024, 02:21:08 AMWhat area of the bearing does an angular contact come in contact to the pinion?
If I am understanding your question correctly, the pinion gear sits in the inner race of the pinion bearing.
Finally after 15 months of intensive use I open the fishing reel. It seems very worn and battered. Almost a wreck to be thrown away, blocked pinion bearing and worn drag carbon disc.
I thing you need a bigger reel !!
Todd
I'd recommend rinsing your reels better. That's full of salt.
Greasy looking salt. Workin 'er out, dude.
In the picture the drag washer looks ok, just dirty. So do alla other parts. "Luuuucy!, you got some soaking to do".
Quote from: boon on October 09, 2024, 11:23:42 PMI'd recommend rinsing your reels better. That's full of salt.
could you describe to me the correct procedure to treat the reels after each single outing? I would like to understand where I am going wrong. thanks
Quote from: MexicanGulf on October 10, 2024, 02:41:03 AMQuote from: boon on October 09, 2024, 11:23:42 PMI'd recommend rinsing your reels better. That's full of salt.
could you describe to me the correct procedure to treat the reels after each single outing? I would like to understand where I am going wrong. thanks
My reels get a lot of salt spray. Here is what I do:
(https://alantani.com/gallery/39/11927-101024040758.jpeg)
For reels that are capable of draining (not"sealed" reels), I just rinse the reel on the rod with a generous amount of running water without spray pressure daily, and do a full soak once a week:
1. Remover reel from rod and immerse in a bucket of warm fresh water (no soap) for about 30 minutes, lifting the reel out of the water to drain completely several times during this period. Lever drags are probably better off in freespool. Also rinse the reel seat on the rod well.
2. Let the reel air dry completely with the drain holes at the lowest point. I find that shifting the reel in a couple different positions helps some reels dry faster. Leave the lever drag in free spool, so that you don't trap water between the drag and drag plate.
3. Store the reel uncovered, and not in the reel seat. I try to avoid storing reels in neoprene covers as they trap moisture.
That is all I do until the reel needs more lubricant, or it is time for annual maintenance.
-J
Quote from: jurelometer on October 10, 2024, 04:38:56 AMQuote from: MexicanGulf on October 10, 2024, 02:41:03 AMQuote from: boon on October 09, 2024, 11:23:42 PMI'd recommend rinsing your reels better. That's full of salt.
excuse me, what are the reels that can drain and the sealed ones? How to recognize them?
could you describe to me the correct procedure to treat the reels after each single outing? I would like to understand where I am going wrong. thanks
My reels get a lot of salt spray. Here is what I do:
(https://alantani.com/gallery/39/11927-101024040758.jpeg)
For reels that are capable of draining (not"sealed" reels), I just rinse the reel on the rod with a generous amount of running water without spray pressure daily, and do a full soak once a week:
1. Remover reel from rod and immerse in a bucket of warm fresh water (no soap) for about 30 minutes, lifting the reel out of the water to drain completely several times during this period. Lever drags are probably better off in freespool. Also rinse the reel seat on the rod well.
2. Let the reel air dry completely with the drain holes at the lowest point. I find that shifting the reel in a couple different positions helps some reels dry faster. Leave the lever drag in free spool, so that you don't trap water between the drag and drag plate.
3. Store the reel uncovered, and not in the reel seat. I try to avoid storing reels in neoprene covers as they trap moisture.
That is all I do until the reel needs more lubricant, or it is time for annual maintenance.
-J
Quote from: jurelometer on October 10, 2024, 04:38:56 AMQuote from: MexicanGulf on October 10, 2024, 02:41:03 AMQuote from: boon on October 09, 2024, 11:23:42 PMI'd recommend rinsing your reels better. That's full of salt.
could you describe to me the correct procedure to treat the reels after each single outing? I would like to understand where I am going wrong. thanks
My reels get a lot of salt spray. Here is what I do:
(https://alantani.com/gallery/39/11927-101024040758.jpeg)
For reels that are capable of draining (not"sealed" reels), I just rinse the reel on the rod with a generous amount of running water without spray pressure daily, and do a full soak once a week:
1. Remover reel from rod and immerse in a bucket of warm fresh water (no soap) for about 30 minutes, lifting the reel out of the water to drain completely several times during this period. Lever drags are probably better off in freespool. Also rinse the reel seat on the rod well.
2. Let the reel air dry completely with the drain holes at the lowest point. I find that shifting the reel in a couple different positions helps some reels dry faster. Leave the lever drag in free spool, so that you don't trap water between the drag and drag plate.
3. Store the reel uncovered, and not in the reel seat. I try to avoid storing reels in neoprene covers as they trap moisture.
That is all I do until the reel needs more lubricant, or it is time for annual maintenance.
-J
excuse me, how can I distinguish the reels that can drain from the sealed ones? I don't understand, please explain.
Quote from: MexicanGulf on October 10, 2024, 10:58:33 AMexcuse me, what are the reels that can drain and the sealed ones? How to recognize them?
"Sealed" reels will be advertised and marked as sealed or waterproof. Spinning and fly reels might be sealed, but I am not aware of any conventional/baitcasting reels with sealed chambers, as the revolving spool makes this unpractical.
The problem with sealed chambers in reels is that they have to support a revolving shaft, so no seal is permanently waterproof. The seals will keep most of the outside water from getting in, but will also keep most of whatever water that gets in from getting back out, so soaking is more risky.
Some non-sealed reels are designed to drain in several key positions. On most modern conventional reels, you should see at least one drain at the bottom of the main gear box on the spool side. It is pretty easy to figure out where water might pool up when drying the reel and adjust the position accordingly.
I should note that while soaking reels that have been exposed to salt is recommended by some manufacturers, many of the folk here do not believe in this practice, preferring to keep the reels as dry as possible. Us soakers are probably in the minority here. I have yet to see a compelling argument for not soaking.
Your case is illustrative. You have salt crystals in the reel, so you will need a highly polar solvent to dissolve, dilute, and extract the salt. Nothing comes close to working as well as ordinary fresh water.
One other note: I see carbon fiber residue in the photos. Carbon fiber is highly conductive, so galvanic corrosion of the stainless and especially aluminum parts is a risk. Carefully cleaning off carbon residue and then coating the drag washer all the internal metal surfaces lightly with grease during maintenance is probably a good idea.
Hope this helps.
-J
I believe there is only one way to look after your reel, totally strip it, clean it out, and re lube the bearing, fully, clean the carbon fibre drag washers and re lube it with cals grease, the less salt, and water you have in a reel the better, good luck, leave some fish in the water for us, cheers Don.
Per jurelometer, I think the best thing for reels that have been used in salt is a large flow of low-pressure fresh water. Absolutely drown them. A well-designed conventional reel should have appropriately placed drains to let the water out, and you want to dissolve/flush as much salt as possible. The parts inside a saltwater reel should never corrode in the presence of fresh water only.
Yeah, I got one. Wanted one even smaller than the size 8 Shimano Speedmaster. Also wanted to see what a lower-end Okuma LD was all about. Little more expensive than the Speedmaster, but seems to be a slightly better reel. Slower ramp-up(better drag range) and less cranking friction at comparable strike-drag settings.
So, I wanted to show a picture of the drain holes on these two. Remove from rod after rinse and place as Dave said for max. draining potential.
Tap to enlarge
That's a good place for the drains. They will also drain well on a rod stored vertically. Those big drain holes are good too.
-J
I won't argue with Dave. I never soak just service and I have never had an issue. Spray during running is a killer though.
Todd
Quote from: boon on October 10, 2024, 09:10:58 PMThe parts inside a saltwater reel should never corrode in the presence of fresh water only.
Exactly. I never understood why folk load up their dishwasher with aluminum pans and stainless steel utensils but are afraid to get their reels wet. ::)
-J
Quote from: Gfish on October 01, 2024, 04:59:21 PMQuote from: MexicanGulf on October 01, 2024, 04:23:57 PMI actually made a mistake in the conversion Kg to lbs. The values I use are 13 to 14 lbs of drag on the strike.
Checked it out; a 5N-II is 15/24lbs. So that means 15 in high-gear & 24 in low gear? But that's a maximum. Wrecking the pinion sucks. I'd decrease drag at strike several lbs. you need enough the set the hook, keep 'em sharp and be ready to quickly push the lever forward(says the guy without much experience).
Hi crew, could you please explain this concept that is not clear to me? That is, depending on which gear I use, the drag resistance varies?
Hi, I think there's been a misunderstanding there.
Drag is unchanged by the gear selection.
15lb/24lb refers to at 'strike' and at 'full'...
Hope that helps.
All the best, Justin
Quote from: redsetta on January 13, 2025, 08:34:45 PMHi, I think there's been a misunderstanding there.
Drag is unchanged by the gear selection.
15lb/24lb refers to at 'strike' and at 'full'...
Hope that helps.
All the best, Justin
Yup. I said something ignorant, but maybe not as bad as I thought because I put a ? At the end of that wrong sentence. Difficult to interpret the way the Okuma folks wrote it, but my original understanding makes no physical sense.
I suspect there are serious corrosion and water infiltration problems. A year after maintenance, I find it like this.