Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Conventional and Bait Casting Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => Okuma Tutorials and Questions => Topic started by: steelfish on July 11, 2025, 08:42:02 PM

Title: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: steelfish on July 11, 2025, 08:42:02 PM
So, I got this Cavalla 5N-II small reel with a problem on the spool, it wont turn anymore, that happened right after the person was figthing a pretty decent fish (probably a big YT) on 40# braid, the reel was paired with a shimano trevala S jigging rod and the line broke while fithing a fish, the guy just remembered head a Bang !! and the reel stopped working.

so, pretty chances were the spool got bent or something, check the next small video to see what I found out on that reel.

Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: steelfish on July 14, 2025, 11:37:57 PM
ok, here some pictures of the problem of the reel.

somehow a bunch of fishing line found a way to slip between the spool lip and sideplate, it was enough line to fill the space there and block the spool from turning.
luckily that was the whole problem, so, I took the handle sideplate out as well as the spool and cleaned all the mess of the fishing line there, while there I put some grease here and there as well as some oil and done.
the reel is ready for fishing again as you can see in the video of the 1st post

Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: oc1 on July 15, 2025, 01:38:17 AM
can that gap be closed by tightening the spool tension knob?
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: boon on July 15, 2025, 05:08:48 AM
Quote from: oc1 on July 15, 2025, 01:38:17 AMcan that gap be closed by tightening the spool tension knob?

There is no spool tension knob, it's a lever drag :)

Based on the state of the line on that spool, this is an operator issue  :d
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: MarkT on July 15, 2025, 05:32:44 AM
Quote from: boon on July 15, 2025, 05:08:48 AM
Quote from: oc1 on July 15, 2025, 01:38:17 AMcan that gap be closed by tightening the spool tension knob?

There is no spool tension knob, it's a lever drag :)

Based on the state of the line on that spool, this is an operator issue  :d
Totally!
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: steelfish on July 15, 2025, 04:09:27 PM
user error and thin braid line 40#

I told him to switch at least to 50# braid
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: Donnyboat on July 15, 2025, 06:25:57 PM
maybe a shim on one side, or 2, could close the gap, good luck cheers Don.
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: Gfish on July 15, 2025, 06:49:48 PM
I use 40# braid on the same reel. So far no issues. But I never completely free-spool it. I never use it to "baitcast". Maybe that was the cause. A slight bit of lever tension when releasing line for jigging or whatever works better than my thumb.
Title: Re: Okuma Cavalla 5N-II Spool dont turn after breaking the line on a big fish
Post by: steelfish on July 15, 2025, 07:05:58 PM
well, part of the problem was he carried a knife to a gun fight, He was trying to stop a 25 - 30# YT from going to the rocks in BOLA (bay of los Angeles, Baja) in that place YT can grow even bigger, well, it looks like 40# braid wasnt enough that fish

I dont imaging a small reel like that with 40# can stop a big YT like the ones in Bahia de los Angeles, like this one I caught few years ago.