The air temp is around 25 degrees, and I have ice forming on the guides.  I start off casting with a spinnerbait and after some time I switch over to the crankbait rig. I pick the spinnerbait back up and it won't cast out.  It has basically seized up.  Handle won't turn, and the spool won't turn.  I'm messing around with it with no success and I think about the ice on the guides, and start to wonder maybe the reel iced up on the inside.  I go back to the car and turn on the heat for about 10 minutes, and the reel starts working again.  Never had another issue all day.

Had a trout reel initially ice-seize at 18-degrees from the condensation of first taking it out.  

After the ice sublimated, it fished fine again.  

The day also got really nice.  

 

I've never had the reel ice up but I've had the guides ice up.  I dip the rod in the water for a second and am good to go.  It's usually just the top two guides.

 

Years ago, I had something similar happen at a couple of different early spring tournaments, early in the morning.   Reel magic stops that.   Liberally spray the guides & the line and that makes it less likely to ice over.   Not 100% guaranteed but it worked for me.   The only reason it worked for me was a guy at the tournament meeting the night before told me  " Your guides might ice up tomorrow morning and if you spray them down with reel magic it helps "    I never would have thought of it.

When it happens to me it's because the worm gear and level wind freeze up because it gets coated with water from the line coming over and through them. It's more likely to happen if the reel's spooled with braid.

9 hours ago, PhishLI said:

When it happens to me it's because the worm gear and level wind freeze up because it gets coated with water from the line coming over and through them. It's more likely to happen if the reel's spooled with braid.

 

This happens to me every fall...  Usually, there's an ice plug in the level wind guide that can be freed up.

 

 

scott