My anti reverse all of a sudden works only about half of the time... so when I try to set the hook, the reel sometimes just rolls on reverse, resulting in lost fish, profanity, and a frustrating time when it shouldnt be... Is my reel all done, or is there a way to repair this that doesnt require a master mechanic?

What kind of reel? Penns are quite easy to repair. Seems like a dog isn't catching in the ratchet teeth. Send me a PM with your e-mail address, I can probably send you a copy of a PowerPoint I made on disassembly of Penn SS series reels, or 704 if that's what you have. If it isn't a Penn, perhaps it can help you anyway.