I must be the biggest moron on the planet. I can spool a spinning reel and baitcast reel but I cannot set up a spincasting reel.

I bought my brother a cars kid's spinning reel for the holidays so that I can take him fishing. My only problem is that I cant set it up.

It looks like the pin that picks up line is on that cap. It must engage with the spool once you put it together. Try running the line through the hole in that cap and putting the cap on the reel.

You will get the reel figured out.

But the most important thing I'm reading here is that you bought your little brother a fishing outfit to take him fishing.

Good job!!!!

what? no.

run the tag line of your filler spool through the plastic part you took off to get to the guts... thats the "levelwind"  then just tie the line to the spool with a good little arborknot.  then put that metal part back on it.. thats the bail. put it all together and keep a little tension on it when you start to reel it on.  the little pin relies on the line being tight against the "bail " so it needs a little tension to get the line on there.

easy as pie.

i used baitcasters most of my life till about 8 years ago or so.