I Am Dumb And Need Help Please!

[Chief Grey Bear]

I have found out the hard way that too much line can be a pain in the butt also. Now I just load them up about half way.

Naw naw no no no no. Don't do that. Casting will be way to hard. When you think your spool is full, close the bail. Then open the bail. if the line start stringing off by itself, then yes you have too much line. take off a few rounds and repeat the process. When the line stops springing off the spool by itself, then you will have the correct amount of line on there. After filling your spool a few times you will know where the sweet spot is by looking.

Now another great trick that I use is using a filler on your reels. On my ultralite reels, when I used mono, I would wind on a green or blue colored mono to just over half the spool. I would then put on my clear mono that I fished with. That way When I got down to the different colored line I knew it was time to add more. I use about a 75/25 mix. Meaning about 75% of my spool is filler line. I like to keep my spools full. Casting is much easier this way. And by using this ratio, you always have good fresh line.

Now that I am using Cystal Fireline, I use mono as my filler. Also you can get a little more of a quailty line such as this on your spool as it will not spring off like a mono or similar type will. I am still using mono on my baitcasters too. I don't know yet if I will make the switch on them.

Oh also, when putting on a filler line, I use a larger line. Meaing on my ultralites I was stringing on a 6lb line and using 4lb for fishing.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Another trick for line twist is to take your lure off and pay out line behind the boat as you ride. The friction of the water will un-twist it. I suppose this might work if you let it all flow downstream and pull it back while wading, but I've never tried it that way. Sounds like a good way to make a mess.

I forgot to mention that I do this too when I am on a lake. Good advice.

And I have on occasion done this on the creek. It works best at a riffle where it will actually pull your line off of the spool. After letting a few feet go(about the same as you adverage cast) flip the bail and let is work for a few minutes and then just reel it back up. Put your plug back on and start fishing again.

[Al Agnew]

You can't always depend upon the store people to put the line on right. If they are using a device that rotates the reel spool to put the line on, if the line is coming off the bottom of the line spool and going onto the top of the reel spool as they turn, it is twisting like crazy. I prefer doing it myself rather than trusting somebody else. It's also cheaper, since I'm sure the BPS guys are filling the spool entirely with the new line, when if you use a filler line (some old junk line you have from before) to fill it halfway, you're getting two or three fillings out of one spool of new line.

Not all reels rotate the same way (though most do) and not even all filler spools rotate the same way. To make sure you're filling your reel correctly, sight down the rod from the butt end, and turn your reel handle. Note which way the bail turns. Most reels will be turning counterclockwise. Now lay your filler spool of line flat on the floor so that the line is coming off it the same way, and reel it on with some tension, holding it between your fingers.

Line twist is inherent to spinning reels. You can do things to minimize it, but you can't eliminate it. Even putting the line on as I described above, you will get some twist simply because the filler spool is a different diameter than your reel spool. Closing the bail by hand doesn't minimize twist, but if done right it can minimize the one effect of twist that really screws things up, closing the bail on a loose loop of line, the loop being caused by line twist. But you have to close the bail by hand AND give the line a tug before starting to reel. Then, don't EVER reel while the drag is slippng, either while playing a fish or while snagged. That's a sure way to get lots of twist. A freely rotating line pickup on your bail doesn't stop twist either, but one that doesn't rotate freely tends to gradually push the existing twist farther toward the front of the line, concentrating it.

Yes, you can get the twist out by letting out a long cast length of line, with nothing attached to it, in a strong current if you're wading or canoeing, as well as letting it out behind the boat while motoring.

Line twist is one of the biggest reasons I use braided line like Power Pro exclusively on spinning reels. The braided line will still twist just as bad, but the twist has MUCH less effect on the line than it does with mono.

[Ozark Baby]

You guys are great but way too technical for me. I just like to fish. I do not put my own line on and would be afraid to even try doing it. I just an old fart who loves the thrill of actually catching something and we do eat much of what I catch, but when we lived up near St. Louis, I used to love just catching and releasing the gar that was found in the Meremac. Thanks for all of your help though.

[taxidermist]

I always wind a few yard onto the reel and open the bail to see if the line is twisting, if so I flip the line spool over and that normally fixes the problem.

You can also take a couple large heavy books and go out to a field open the bail and walk the line off the reel. drag it a bit to help stretch it, then lay the line about 1/4 of the way thru the books and reel the line back on. I lay the books about 20 yards apart. once normally fixes and line twist and twice certainly will.

[Ozark Baby]

Tied it on the bumper of my wifes little sports car. She took off for town and it took me two hours to work her into the garage. New state record for a mad woman. hah. She didnt mind the net so bad but when I tried to put her on the stringer, she fought back and escaped with the lure and checkbook. I didnt see her again all day.

I loved that. Thanks so much for the laugh.

[lonkm]

one trick with a bait caster. set the center knob to just let the weight you are using slowly fall and cast with the handles up. this has reduced my overruns greatly.

[Wayne SW/MO]

You guys are great but way too technical for me. I just like to fish. I do not put my own line on and would be afraid to even try doing it. I just an old fart who loves the thrill of actually catching something and we do eat much of what I catch, but when we lived up near St. Louis, I used to love just catching and releasing the gar that was found in the Meremac. Thanks for all of your help though.

When you have new line put on, run the spool, with the line on it, under hot water for 2 or 3 minutes. Take it outside and lay the line out on grass and reel it back on while running it through you fingers with a little pressure. When it starts acting up again, repeat the process.