Baitcaster will not keep line tight when stowed. Bait comes unhooked when trailering.

[greatplump]

Hi guys. I ave a baitcaster that I really like, but it will not keep the line tight when the lure is hooked to the rod for stowage. What happens is, when trailering down the road, the line starts having slack, and the lure ends up coming un-hooked from the eye of the rod and start flopping around. I have tried adjusting the drag, with not luck. Does anyone have any help? I've already had to throw away a good spinner bait because it came unhooked and dragged across the asphalt.

[Ranger R61]

Does the reel have anti-reverse?

Is the drag set loose or tight? Might have to tighten it up when trailering.

[SeaRay]

One trick I learned is to wrap the line 3 times around the rod hooking it over the 3rd eyelet from reel.
This works especially well on long crappie rods but I do it on my 5-6 ft rods and they don't tangle like they use too.
Be sure to keep line taught.

[MCG1]

Would a rubber band help?

[Quailtail]

Rod socks will help if not correct the issue you have. Have no clue as to why your reel is backing off. Rod socks sure make life easier for me at least.

[SeaRay]

Rod socks will help if not correct the issue you have. Have no clue as to why your reel is backing off. Rod socks sure make life easier for me at least.

I use the sucks too. The wrap is to keep rods untangled in boat.I take the sick off when they go in boat. You don't have to run very fast to suck one of the sucks off the rod and into the water.
Ask me how I know.

[CrappiePappy]

There's definitely something wrong with your baitcast reel. If you've tightened the drag down any at all, and your tension knob is also tightened down and not completely open ... then something inside the reel is broken or not functioning as it should.

Other than that, could your reel be just lying on the floor of the boat & possibly getting bounced around when driving over some rough roads ?? That might be causing the reel to land on the free spool button/bar and allowing the line to come loose.

One way to test what's going on is to hook your lure into the bait holder and crank the reel to where the rod is bent some ... then see if the reel starts letting line out when you release the handle. If not, then shake the rod around a bit and see if that causes it.

And just out of curiosity .... what reel are we talking about ??