Considering the post I’m responding to is from 2016, I’m not sure if STX44 found any resolution to his problem. As for me, I purchased the STX20 off of eBay and experienced the same issue. Considering the reel was no longer covered by the factory warranty, I had to try to troubleshoot myself with the help of online discussions and videos. I found that this issue was not random but rather pretty common with this model reel. After many attempts to resolve the issue on my own, I decided to try and replace the clutch assembly altogether to see if, perhaps, ABU Garcia redesigned this problematic part. After receiving the part, I noticed the clutch casing was a little different from the original. After installation, the issue was resolved. I’ve used the reel about a dozen times now without issue. Hopefully this helps anyone with the STX20 who may have shelved it because of a defective clutch design.