You should replace your fishing line at least once per season. If you fish
frequently, you may have to change it even more often. If you replace line
incorrectly, you may have problems with line twist. Here's how to do it right.
Steps
- Take the old line off the reel, then run the end of the new line up
through the rod guides to the reel and tie it to the spool of the reel.
- 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.
-
For a baitcasting reel, 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.
-
For a spinning reel (the kind that hangs down underneath the rod), put
the spool of line on the floor with the label facing up.
- Run the end of the new line up through the rod guides to the reel, and
tie onto the spool, making sure to go up under the wire so it will loop line
on as you reel.
- Hold the line between two fingers to keep it taut as you reel a couple
of feet onto the reel.
- Stop reeling and dip the rod toward the spool on the floor. If the line
twists onto itself, turn the spool over before putting more line on. If the
line is okay, go ahead and finish.
- Fill the reel only until it is about a quarter inch from the rim.
- For a closed-faced reel (like the Zebco 33, etc), fill it the same way
you do a spinning reel, except make sure you run the line through the hole
in the reel face before tying it to the reel spool. Screw the face back on
before reeling on the new line.
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.
- 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.
- Take the old line to a line recycling bin. You can find these at most
tackle shops.
- 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.
- If you're a real tight-wad, you might want to 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.
- 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.
- Closed-face reels don't hold much line, so make sure to unscrew the
cover now and then to check how much you've got on there.
Warnings
- 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.
- Don't bite line with your teeth. It can chip or break them.
