So bare with me, i'm new to a lot of the casting conventionals. On the Penn conventionals I've owned the reel automatically spools the line onto the reel uniformly. However, with my avet and torium which i've used for the first time a couple days ago, I notice that if I don't use my fingers to guide the line back onto the spool all the line just sits on one corner of the spool? Is this typical? It isn't that hard to guide the line, but it might not be the easiest thing to be fighting a good sized fish and trying to guide the line back onto the spool at the same time.

It takes time getting use to it but it is not hard. With the fish putting pressure to the rod and reel it makes it easy to do. Just hold the reel like normal and using your thumb to guide the line back. You are not putting a lot of force to it. Just assisting it. With practice it will be second nature.

It took me some time, but I got the hang of it. You keep working on it & do it enough time & trust me...you will start to wonder why you never went to conventional sooner. The avet's clickers are weak, but in time you will dailed it right & catch the big guys out there. If you are ever heading to Dania in the morning "PM" & I will try to meet you there in the morning to help you if you still need help.

After a while, it does become second nature. I peosonally remove levelwinds on the larger conventionals. They are the most common point of failure. AND THEY ALWAYS FAIL ON A BIG FISH !!!
On a second note, if you are fighting a large fish on a conventional without a levelwind, just reel the bugger in & after you are all done, hook the line to the pier & walk backwards running the line out with your thumb adding some pressure. When you are back to a level spool, put it in gear & reel yourself forward & level the line all over. If you got spooled or close to it on a big reel, hope that you have a long pier... LOL

Yank; wouldn't work on mine, I spool em until the line just clears the frame. I either thumb the line level or I don't get it all in. But that's just me. I agree the LW is more trouble than it's worth.

I use old Penn junk.... There's always extra room..LOL

Yeah, that old Penn junk has probably caught a lot of fish Bud

Ask my dad... He got most of it in the 50's & 60's. He was drunk fishing on Cape Cod for Stripahs. Just rinsed & oiled the reels each time. Only thing replaced in any of them is drag washers by me. Got to love the old Penn Junk

Yep, just use your thumb to guide the line back. Before long it will become second nature and you won't even notice you are doing it.