Question about casting / reel / line

[RIfoosball]

I have been fishing with a 9' Salt Stick and using a Penn 5500, casting lures. I have a couple of spools of line and have been using the spool with 40# Power Pro braid.

About on 4 out of every 5 casts I can feel and hear the line getting hung up when the lure is about a third of the way out. I have checked the line with my fingers when reeling in and nothing...I have tried to observe the line unspooling and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong....I have checked the guides...I have checked the spool itself to see if there are any nicks....

Then, every so often the line will mysteriously get caught up on something at that same distance and the line will break and I'll lose whatever I'm casting along with 30 yards of line.

To you more experienced....is this a function of this being a spinning reel? Does this happen to anyone else? Is it normal? Is it my casting? What the heck is going on here?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks. Bruce.