Vanishing reels

[Russellman]

Here's one for the books - I lent a set of 5 traps to a friend this past weekend.  He was having a gang of guys get together at his camp for a fishing weekend.  I ran into him today & he asked if there was anything wrong with the traps that I lent him.  Seems that during the weekend, two of the traps lost their reels - nothing left but the stick & the flag (which didn't trip).  Anybody EVER hear of anything this bizarre before ?  They were fishing for lake trout & it is possible that a big fish spooled the entire reel (over 100 yds of 30# backing line) & made off with the reel, but to happen twice ?  
I'll get a couple of new traps out of the deal, but what a story !!

[FullTmeDad]

I picked up some South Bend beaver dam style tip ups at a yard sale and had the same problem. After I lost a reel on the first one, I noticed that the reels were loose and when line was pulled out only the center and bottom part of the spool turned taking the bottom acorn nut with it. The top part with the trigger never moved. Since then I have replaced the reels, and I use nylon locknuts but those are now "loaner" rigs for the kids.
FTD

[kerosenecounty17]

Don't know what type of trap you're using, but I've had that problem before with beaver damns.  These don't have a nut on the bottom.  The reel is just soldered on.  When I was young and stupid (as opposed to being old and foolish as I am now), I would just pull the trap up without breaking the ice around the shaft.  Couple of times, and the reel stayed below the ice.  Doesn't sound like your buddy did that, but that's the only time I've seen it happen.  Matter of fact, I've heard of traps being pulled down the hole, but never the reel pulling off.

kero

[Russellman]

These were a set of Thompsons & the reel turns counterclockwise on run out, so I guess it is possible that a big fish spooled them off.  I wasn't on the trip so they may be sandbagging and saying that the flag never tripped ?  Oddest darned thing I've heard of.  I've got another set of well worn Thompsons in my own pack basket, so I know that they don't do that on a routine.  I can't wait to get the rest back & give them a good looksee.  
Like I said, one for the books...

[JohnP]

Done it! Like Kero said pulling a trap up through a frozen hole. Some of my old wood cross stick tipups just had a nail through the spool into the wood arm. Pull hard and the nail pops out and bye-bye spool. If it is the wood cross stick kind you can probably find some replacement spools and put the on with a screw or bolt.
JP

[Lottie]

It almost happened to me on Sunday to my wooden cross tipups. When I picked up at the end of the day I picked up the  flag was frozen in place  the line was all out and the reel was bent with the nail almost out of the wood. all I had left was the 50 yards of spooled out line and a hook. It must have been a nice fish.
 What have you been doing to repair?

[Big Dawg]

ive never been spooled completely but ive had about 3/4 of my line out with not a darn thing on!!!

[Fish Monger]

Make sure there is a locknut, whether in a wing nut or not, to keep the reel from coming off. We made our own traps and found that regular metal wingnuts back themselves right off the thread as they are being used. I have no idea why, water resistance?

[fishmann]

Anyone tried plastic wingnuts? They are self-locking, but still easy to turn with your fingers. I can't see just the friction of the spool being enough to spin them, especially when they're wet.

[TroutFishingBear]

once, i must not have been paying much attention, i was catching a lot of cats on tip ups at rio blanco in colorado. (fishing for pike ) and they would run with the anchovy so fast that by the time i could get like the 100 yards the 80 yards of line would almost be gone... cats run like this, it worries me sometimes that it could happen.....