Author Topic: Changing Line??? (Read 1230 times)

Lawdog · « **on:** March 10, 2003, 12:53:38 PM »

How often do you completely change the line on your fishing reels. Me I retie often due to my love of weeds and brush when bass fishing. Some say they only add some line to what they already have. Me, with the spool only holding 125 or so yards I completely refill my baitcasters every week or so. Lawdog

Skipper · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2003, 04:56:44 PM »

I learned the change your line lesson the hard way. A few years ago, I pulled out my worm rig before a tournament looked at the line and decided it needed changing. I set the rod on the bow, and went to do something else. I looked at it for 5 days, and ended up not changing. That night it cost me and cost me big time. I broke off 5 good fish on a night when fish were slow. The 5 I broke off would have easily won the tournament, fact is, 3 of them would have. From then on, I change mono before every tournament. Sometimes, I will prefish 3 or 4 times on the same line. It depends, is money on the line or are we just having fun.

Skipper

Tom W. · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2003, 07:00:32 PM »

I'll change at the start of the season, and check the line often. I generally peel off about two or three armlengths and tie an overhand knot in it and see if I can easily pop it.If so , I'll continue untill I can't. If I don't get to fresh line pretty quickly, that rod gets retired untill I can respool.I seldom fish tournaments anymore, but it's still just as important to have good line on my reels. I detest losing a lure or fish because I was too cheap to spend a few dollars on good line. With Spiderwire, I'll check for frays at the terminal end.I also learned to tape this line to my reels rather than tie it as I would mono. I'd not like to break my spool arbor or lose the outfit should something go wrong. I also take an old woodem hammer handle to pull free snags and hangups with the spiderwire. It's better than a boat cleat. I once tried wrapping it around an empty Pepsi can. That was a lesson. Cut it faster than I thought possible!

Skipper · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2003, 01:30:13 AM »

One of the first times I was using braid, was in a night tournament on Dale Hollow. I was fishing a jig and you know how you put your finger under the line just above the reel for that extra feel? Well, with that braid, 1 time will teach you to remove your finger before setting the hook. I sliced my finger all the way to the bone. Here I had a smallmouth, and a good one on one end, me on the other and that line was sawing my stuck finger in two. I ended up shaking the fish off. I just couldn't take it, and seriously didn't know if I would have had a finger by the time I got the fish in if I had continued.
I sure wish my pocket knife would stay that sharp

Skipper

1911crazy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2003, 02:54:22 AM »

Since I have more rod setups now 12 spinning and 6 baitcasters I notice I change my line less, maybe once last year on one rod, the one I use the most mainly because of snags/break off's and cutting bad sections off, I lost line. You can also feel the last ten feet of line for abraisions, I like to check my line often and cut and remove the bad section. Fishing from shore I take 6 to 8 rods with me all setup with baits. You have to remember I fishing off a low bridge in a channel along side two points and weeded both sides. Both sides of the bridge are close to the same thing except one is a shorter cast because of weeds the open water looks like the state of florida about for 50' the other side is open for about 200yds. It seems the bigger fish are in the shorter side because of cover. Another line thing is how often do you change your knot on the end?? I use locking snap swivels except where some spinnerbaits are used and you have to tie. But I have also noticed that knots can wearout if left tied too long. I have had big strikes when this has occured and lost double digit fish for sure. My first time was at 6am in the fog with a 2 3/4" rapala the hit was so strong it bent my 5' rod in half and I never had a chance to set the hook and it was gone lure and all. Do you use a line lube?? I use "reel magic" it makes longer casts and the line did last longer before I added more rod setups. But my biggest improvement was switching to a better line from the .99 cent spool to Excaliber Silver Thread. I also have noticed that using a 5/8oz lure the 12lb and 14lb test casts as far as the 8lb test with the same lure. I see that no one mentioned how they put on line my older brother who took me fishing when I was 5 showed me to use a telephone book to get the right line tention on the spool too loose or too tight causes problems the telephone book makes it just right. If your book is small you can add more weight on top just another book will do. Not too tight and not too loose will do just make it right and you will never have problems. Please practice catch and release!!!
BigBill
Sorry for the fishing 101 but there maybe new fishing guys(little guys) reading this too, its tough being new at something and any help will do.

Savage · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2003, 04:01:40 PM »

I find it interesting that some of you find it necessary to change your line so frequently. Back when I fished two tournaments a month I would respool about every other month. As I understand it, abrasions, nicks, kinks, and UV rays are the primary cause for mono degradation. I do good to fish 3 or 4 days a month now so a couple of respools a season should do me. I check my line frequently for nicks and abraisions and retie often. While I usually have several rods on the deck with me when I'm fishing, it's doubtful the line gets enough UV exposure to hurt it. I've lost some good fish over the years because of line breakage and a lot of them were with fresh line. Could it be that I put too much pressure on too soon? Or perhaps that old "Cross Their Eyes" hookset was the problem?
Naw----had the be that old line that I had on my reels for a couple of weeks! Wish I had bought that stock in Berkley and Dupont!
Good Fishing,
Savage

Skipper · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2003, 05:25:13 PM »

The older ABU's hold 200 yards of line, the newer reels only hold about 100. What's the difference? Well, with the older reels, you could peel off about 15 yards of line to get down to fresh line without nicks and abbrasions and not loose anything. Taking 15 yards off the smaller spooled modern casting reels really effects them, mainly in the casting department. Not that anyone's going to cast 85 yards and spool the reel, but you loose so much speed on the spool taking about a tenth of an inch off that is is very noticable. Then if you happen to break off deep and loose another 20 or 30 yards of line, you are really hurting.

Cost is the reason I use Cabellas Pro Line or Bass Pro's Excell. At 7 bucks for a 1100 yard spool, its the cheapest thing I'll buy on the trip.

Skipper

Savage · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2003, 02:01:40 AM »

Skipper,
You're right, I change my line more often because of breaking off due to hangups. Especially on the rods I use the most. Like everyone else I guess, I carry more rods than I need so when the line starts to get short I retire it for the day and respool before the next outing. Maybe thats why I don't worry so much about line changes. In the lakes and rivers that I fish the most, hangups are a common thing so the line never stays on the reels for long----------I primarly use Silver thread in two sizes 12# & 20#
in the low vis silver or green. I buy it in bulk spools and it's quite reasonable that way. Stored in a dark temp. controlled environment it's good for years.
Good Fishing,
Savage

Skipper · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2003, 05:37:25 AM »

We fish relatively deep around here in the highland type reservoirs. Fishing shallow water, a break off might not be as critical, but when you are fishing 30 or more feet deep, you have a lot of line out to get your lure to the right depth. It doesn't happen often, most breaks are at the knot, but if you happen to break the line off at the rod or in the reel, it makes the reel useless till you get some line on it.

Skipper