One of my Okuma Aveon kokanee level wind reels has seen better days.
The reel started acting as if the worm gear was wore out. It would not release line properly on the lake, so I put it aside and used a spare reel until I could get home and investigate.
When I arrived home, I started taking apart the reel to try and figure out what was wrong. I went straight for the worm gear and pal, but they looked fine. Then, I started opening the side opposite the level wind counter. Everything looked good there too. Next, I opened the holding plate which was a mistake as parts went everywhere. I had to take apart my other working Okuma reel to figure out how it went back together.
After a “close” inspection,” I was stumped. Everything looked good. There was ample amounts of grease caked onto the plastic gears as well. Next, the bearing fell out of the side plate which was only friction fit into the mold. It must have taken me a half hour to get it back in, only for it to fall out again shortly after.
My next move was to start swapping my working reel parts with the broken reel. The working side plate seemed to make the reel work flawlessly. This was my indication to look at the side plate again on the reel that wasn’t working.
On closer inspection, I noticed the plastic gear on the broken reel did not look right. Hidden under a layer of grease, I confirmed that the small gear was stripped and is in need of replacement.
I’m really hoping I can buy this part from Okuma. If not, this reel will have to go in the recycle bin. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking about upgrading to some new reels soon. Suggestions?