Spooling a Fixed Reel

Question
I'm not sure if you can help, but my boyfriend just started surf fishing & bought a new rod & reel. The reel is a Shakespeare Tidewater Freeliner and the arbor (or spool) is fixed. We have been trying to put line on the reel, but he is used to the ones that move up & and down & this one doesn't, so the line gets heavy @ the top & then drops down & goes slack. So.. my question is, how can we get the line on this reel evenly? Is there a trick or something?  

Answer
Hello Holly:
The Freeliner reel was developed for live bait fishermen, usually those who fish from a boat, but it can be used in the surf or anywhere else, for that matter.  You may be having trouble putting line on it because there is a switch that disengages the regular bail and drag up front to allow line to peel off without any or very little drag, what you ought to be doing fishing live bait and letting the fish run off a ways with the bait in its mouth before setting the hook.  Look for the switch and change its position and you can fill the reel the usual way: push the bail to the open position, tie on the line, close the bail and reel on the line you want. The switch that disengages the front drag system does not move the bail; when enough line has been taken out by a fish, turning the reel handle returns the reel to the conventional system.  If this doesn't work, take it back to the store as it may be faulty.  Boris