Spool New Fishing Line Onto a Reel

Over time, and after being stored during the off season, your fishing line will wear out, and develop a "memory" of being looped around a reel, making casting more difficult, and tangles more likely. For best results, replace your fishing line at least once per season. This article will show you how to do it right.

Steps

Spinning Reel

  1. Refill a spinning reel. This is the kind that hangs down underneath the rod.
    • Make note of the direction your bale rotates. Depending on brand, some rotate clockwise, some, counterclockwise. Now, look at the new spool, and note the direction the new line unwraps from the spool.
    • For each reel, make sure your bale rotation and the spool unwinding match. In other words, if your bale rotates clockwise, make sure the line coming off the spool is coming off in a clockwise direction. This procedure will help minimize line twists.
    • If the spool unwind does not match the bale rotation, simply flip the spool over.
  2. Tie the new line onto the reel. Lift the bail arm, and run the end of the new line up through the rod guides to the reel. Tie the line as follows:
    • Wrap the line around the reel.
    • With the free end, tie a basic overhand knot around the main line.
    • Tie a second overhand knot near the tip of the free end to prevent it from unraveling.
    • Tighten the knot around the reel, and closely trim the excess line from the end.
    • Note: if you're using very low diameter line and don't want the bulk of a knot, use electrical tape to secure the line to the reel.
    • Close the bail.
  3. Hold the line between two fingers to keep it taut as you reel a couple of feet onto the reel.
  4. Stop reeling and dip the rod toward the spool on the floor. Confirm that the coil of line is being coiled onto the reel in the same way. If the line is okay, go ahead and finish. If not, go back and repeat the steps to make sure the coil of line coming off the spool of line is coiling onto the reel spool in the same direction.
    • For a spinning reel, a good way to spool the line is to take a soft cotton cloth and hold the line in the cloth at about the first eye. Apply a good amount of tension, so the line does not spool loose, and you can real as fast as you like.
  5. Fill the reel only until it is about a quarter inch from the rim.

Baitcasting Reel

  1. Put a pencil into the new spool and have somebody hold it—or use a reel filling station that you can buy at a tackle shop—to hold the spool of line.
  2. Fill to within a quarter inch of the outer rim. Keep a bit of pressure on the line so it doesn't get loopy and tangled.

Close-faced Reel

  1. Unscrew the face. Before you can spool the line,you'll need to tie it onto the reel.
  2. Make note of the direction your bale rotates. Depending on brand, some rotate clockwise, some, counterclockwise. Now, look at the new spool, and note the direction the new line unwraps from the spool.
    • For each reel, make sure your bale rotation and the spool unwinding match. In other words, if your bale rotates clockwise, make sure the line coming off the spool is coming off in a clockwise direction. This procedure will help minimize line twists.
    • If the spool unwind does not match the bale rotation, simply flip the spool over.
  3. Slide line through the front hole in the face. Then, attach the new line onto the reel. Lift the bail arm, and run the end of the new line up through the rod guides to the reel. Tie the line as follows:
    • Wrap the line around the reel.
    • With the free end, tie a basic overhand knot around the main line.
    • Tie a second overhand knot near the tip of the free end to prevent it from unraveling.
    • Tighten the knot around the reel, and closely trim the excess line from the end.
    • Note: if you're using very low diameter line and don't want the bulk of a knot, use electrical tape to secure the line to the reel.
  4. Screw the face back onto the reel before continuing.
  5. Hold the line between two fingers to keep it taut as you reel a couple of feet onto the reel.
  6. Stop reeling and dip the rod toward the spool on the floor. Confirm that the coil of line is being coiled onto the reel in the same way. If the line is okay, go ahead and finish. If not, go back and repeat the steps to make sure the coil of line coming off the spool of line is coiling onto the reel spool in the same direction.
    • A good way to spool the line is to take a soft cotton cloth and hold the line in the cloth at about the first eye. Apply a good amount of tension, so the line does not spool loose, and you can real as fast as you like.



Tips

  • To avoid loops when you fish, keep tension on the line whenever you are reeling. If you need to, hold the line between your thumb and finger in front of the reel.
  • If you do get a lot of twists in your line, take the lure off and just let a lot of line out behind the boat as you go. This will take the loops out.
  • Run the new line through an old phone book to keep pressure on the line and free up a hand (particularly good with braid!).
  • Using a line conditioner to treat your filler spools prior to filling your reel spool will help the line wind on your reel better with less twist. Regular use of a quality line conditioner before and after fishing will protect your line and help it last longer and give you longer more accurate casts.
  • If you are using braided line, make sure you put cloth tape or a layer of mono on the reel first. Otherwise the braid will slip around the spool and you won't be able to set the hook.
  • Closed-face reels don't hold much line, so make sure to unscrew the cover now and then to check how much line you've got on there.
  • To attach the new line to the spool, you can tie a regular square knot, but make sure you get the knot snug against the spool so it doesn't slip. First aid tape on the reel spool really helps with the slippage problem.
  • Take the old line to a line recycling bin. You can find these at most tackle shops.
  • If you like to get the most use out of a line, take the old line off onto a different spool, then re-spool it on back wards. That way the used part is down by the bottom and fresher line is up where you use it.
  • If you don't have a boat, just take off the lure and tie your line to a post. Walk away, spooling out line behind you. Now have somebody cut the line free so you can reel it back on, but be sure to keep tension on it with your fingers.

Warnings

  • Keep your line tight to avoid tangling.
  • Biting the line can chip or break your teeth.
  • Never dispose of old line by throwing it on the ground or into the water. Birds and fish get tangled in old line and die.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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