I have 4 of these reels and I love them, but one of them acts differently. When I start to reel, it's very hard to actually get the handle moving. As soon as the reel gets moving, it's as smooth as the others.

I guess you could compare it to the spike that happens when you start to pull line off your reel. You might have the drag set at 8 pounds but it takes an initial force of 9 or 10 pounds to start line coming off the reel, and after that the drag's smooth at 8 pounds. If that analogy makes any sense?

It's been like this since I can remember. Not sure if it came this way new (1 year old) or not.

Any help is appreciated.

Have you tried a general cleaning and lube? If you dont feel comfortable doing it check out Shimano's video on youtube that goes step by step. Also do you loosen your drag when not used? If not remove the c clip that holds the drag disks inline in the spool and remove and inspect them. Clean and grease them if needed.

The reel probably just needs a good cleaning. Beyond that, it's near impossible to say without seeing it. Let me know if we can help.