How long do you keep line on reels? 2024
dgkasper58 reply :
I have read a lot of people will put new line on every season. I have been fine keeping my line on for multiple seasons until it gets ruined by either UV or heavy use/ too short. I was wondering on average how long does your line last?
I tend to run the line out at the beginning of the season to help with some memory that may have worked its way into the line. I also do flip my braided line reels once they are getting broken down but other then that I try to keep my line as long possible and rarely have line issues.
Just was not sure if everybody stripped down to backing and then put new line on yearly or what everyone else was doing.
TIA
A-Jay reply :
Good Question ~ My 'line care' has changed a bit over the years.
When mono was the deal - It would get changed when it needed it - that depended on how hard I fished it.
Might be weekly or monthly but either way, it was always fresh starting out each season.
Don't hardly use it anymore.
Braid mainline routinely lasts several seasons - Leaders are changed every trip (when fished).
Fluorocarbon (Seaguar InvisX & Tatsu mostly) - I will monitor how "hard" it gets fished and change when needed.
If it's not too short - I'll end for end the spool near mid-season.
And when it gets beat up or too short - I replace it.
Finally - I HATE equipment failure and there's nothing more final than broken line when fighting a fish.
When one considered what may be spent ($$, effort & time) pursuing these little green & brown fish, line cost & replacement is just part of the deal.
A-Jay
Fishingmickey reply :
Well DG,
I am not like a lot of people then. I may change the line on some of my heavy use rigs two or three times in a year (mono or fluorocarbon). Braid I will cut back 8-10' when it starts looking a little fuzzy and change it completely out after a couple of years.
I don't know how much you fish or how many rigs you use when your fishing. Those factor in to line change equation. The other thing that will make me change line is bird's nesting (bad severe one's-the expanded verbiage type), line getting stretched by having to turn a big fish, strained from trying to unsnag a lure, dragging that shopping cart up from the depths or being drug over rocks, concrete walls and such. Fluorocarbon really hates to be kinked in my opinion. the biggest culprit of that is if your trying to pick out a birds nest and you pull hard on the line. The loop that is preventing the line coming off the reel gets tension-ed and kinks badly and will break at the next available opportunity or sooner. Subsequently I pick my fluorocarbon birds nests out gently
If you fish a lot and are hard on your line. you really should change out your line more then once a year. If your not fishing much and you mostly fish clear (meaning not many obstructions) clean water. You store your rigs indoors out of the sunlight. You probably don't need to change your line every year.
Me, I personally hate not knowing if my line is in 100% best shape. the chance at losing that personal best or filling the winning stringer or nailing down that big bass award ain't worth going cheap on the line.
Regards,
Fishingmickey
Daggummit A-jay... you beat me to it.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 5:21 AM, Fishingmickey said:Well DG,
I am not like a lot of people then. I may change the line on some of my heavy use rigs two or three times in a year (mono or fluorocarbon). Braid I will cut back 8-10' when it starts looking a little fuzzy and change it completely out after a couple of years.
I don't know how much you fish or how many rigs you use when your fishing. Those factor in to line change equation. The other thing that will make me change line is bird's nesting (bad severe one's-the expanded verbiage type), line getting stretched by having to turn a big fish, strained from trying to unsnag a lure, dragging that shopping cart up from the depths or being drug over rocks, concrete walls and such. Fluorocarbon really hates to be kinked in my opinion. the biggest culprit of that is if your trying to pick out a birds nest and you pull hard on the line. The loop that is preventing the line coming off the reel gets tension-ed and kinks badly and will break at the next available opportunity or sooner. Subsequently I pick my fluorocarbon birds nests out gently
If you fish a lot and are hard on your line. you really should change out your line more then once a year. If your not fishing much and you mostly fish clear (meaning not many obstructions) clean water. You store your rigs indoors out of the sunlight. You probably don't need to change your line every year.
Me, I personally hate not knowing if my line is in 100% best shape. the chance at losing that personal best or filling the winning stringer or nailing down that big bass award ain't worth going cheap on the line.
Regards,
Fishingmickey
Daggummit A-jay... you beat me to it.
Still Solid Info ~
A-Jay
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
I am cheap, I change my line only when needed for all type. For braid might be forever as long as it not frayed out, color fade doesn’t bother me. For mono/copolymer as long as Line conditioner can fix that line twisted, I’ll keep using it. Fluor, as long as it clear as soft enough.
MN Fisher reply :
Mono and FC I change yearly.
Braid I go 2-3 years between full changes.
Unless they've been abused and I've cut it down to half a spool - then it's a full replacement.
FishTank reply :
I usually change it on the following schedule but otherwise as needed.....
Mono>about every 2-3 months
FC> about once a year but I have just finally changed some Tatsu that I have had on for 3-4 years.
Braid> when it starts to look bad
I use some of the cheapest mono I can find for backing if the reel is new. Depending on the reel, I usually fill the spool with about 50% or less with backing.
Sam reply :
I remove all line from all reels when the winter arrives and I am not fishing.
I put new line on the reels I will be using for tournaments.
I keep this line on the reels while fun fishing between tournaments.
I have been using more and more braid so I leave the braid on the reels during fishing season, even when the green color fades.
I use a mono for backing for all braid line.
Jcj90 reply :
Braid every 2-3 seasons
mono I change when needed. If I’m fishing everyday sometimes I change it weekly but on average about every 2-3months
BassWhole! reply :
I don't have a specific time, I just change it out as required. Sometimes it's after one outing, and sometimes it's like 3 seasons. Most of the time it's something in between.
NYWayfarer reply :
I use a lot of mono or hybrid fluorocarbon lines. I find that I change the line after a month of solid use (3 to 4 trips a week)
I change out the line mainly because it is getting low on the spool from all the retying of lures. Also I peel off about a yard of line after every trip to start the next trip with line free of nicks and abrasions.
If I have line on a reel and have not used it that much I would change it at the end of the year. I like to start the year with fresh line.
Spankey reply :
I have two spinning set up that I fish the heck out of. ML, 6# lines. About every Two outing and I strip it back to a splice knot and respool. I’m anal and I’m not going to loose a fish small or nice one with that haunting me. I buy the XL on a bulk spool.
Admittedly I’m anal and I’m sure it’s overkill.
Others a hair longer. I don’t like sun beating my line up. If something seems off I strip it off. Buying the line in bulk is a true cost savings.
fishwizzard reply :
I use floro as a mainline on most of my rods and usually run very very little line on the spool, usually only a long cast worth plus two full layers of line around the spool. So I end up changing my line about once a season when it gets too short.
Dirtyeggroll reply :
I only keep about 60-80 yards of “high quality” line on my spool at once. I will first fill the spool with something super cheap as backing and then top it off with 60-80 yards of Tatsu or Invizx.
This means I have to replace that top off when it starts getting short due to new ties, nicks and break-offs. This allows me to spool new line at a higher rate without the cringe of the cost.
Additionally this keeps my line/spool diameter closer to the same measurement throughout the year bringin a little more consistency to my cast/thumb control.
I am constantly throwing my baits into the gnarliest cover I can find which takes a toll on the line. I topped off my jig rod (Tatsu) once and my squarebill rod (Invizx) once this year and didn’t find the need to change the others. I am also adding KVD Line conditioner after every outing which seems to significantly have improved the line suppleness and memory compared to last year when I wasn’t using it.
WRB reply :
I change line as needed. If I feel any anomaly while casting and retrieving by running the line over my finger tips it's checked on the water and changed to a back up reel or respool the line as soon as possible. Line is the only thing between you and the fish, the least expensive and most important item you use.
Tom
roadwarrior reply :
"I change line as needed."
J.Vincent reply :
Depends on the line I'm using and how often it's used.....but in 2018 I probably went through 4000 yards of monofilament and 400 yards of braid across 10 combos. Easy math tells me on average I re-spooled every 2 months because the majority of my fishing occurs within an 8 month time frame. I was probably pushing the limits of my line , but I never experienced line failure as a result of weathered or worn line. I suppose if I began fishing tournaments again, I would change line more frequently.
Catt reply :
Mono every other trip
Fluoro as required
Braid when I get tired of it
GReb reply :
On 12/19/2018 at 2:00 AM, Catt said:Mono every other trip
Fluoro as required
Braid when I get tired of it
This. Mono is cheap and I love the feeling of fresh line.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Back "in the day", when I used a lot of mono, I'd remove a "casts length plus a bit" twice each season. Nowadays, I'm use nothing but Fireline (fused line) on all my rigs, from heavy deep water jigging for lake trout to delicate trout and panfish. Some of the spools I have this line has been on those spools for 3 seasons. No problems.....no worries. 
the reel ess reply :
When I was young, I could never keep line on long enough for it to get damaged due to professional overruns.
Now I use Berkley Big Game for my mono and I might change it twice in a busy year. The trick is store out of sunlight and away from extreme temps. I keep my rods indoors.
As for braid, that stuff will last multiple seasons. If you want, you can reel it from one reel to another and it's like brand new on the other end. Then you only need to fill one reel with new line. Basically, use it until you're tired of how discolored it has gotten.
I don't use any fluoro.
Bankbeater reply :
Most of my reels are filled with mono. A spool will last me about 3 months give or take a couple of weeks.
Mobasser reply :
I use mono, which is affordable. So, I change pretty often during the main part of the season. It's your main connection to the fish. Good line is a must have
Boomstick reply :
I typically change mono out at the start of every season, and often midseason if I notice it's getting a lot of memory and it's becoming problematic. I can usually use it quite a bit before it becomes problematic, but once it does, it goes fast.
MAN reply :
Mono - once a season unless I get an unusual breakoff.
Braid - Not sure yet...never changed them
RB 77 reply :
As needed. Could be several trips. Could be a single trip depending on the fishing. Basically, all my reels have braid backing and if I can cast to the connection knot its time for a new top shot. That could be after several trips or a single trip if I'm fishing heavy rock and constantly retying due to several feet of frayed line.
WVU-SCPA reply :
Spinning reel with braid and leader- Haven't had the need to ever change the braid unless I didn't like the feel.
Spinning reel with all fluoro- 2/3 times a year the 80 yds of Invizx on top will be replaced.
Casting rod with braid- Every year....only because I'll do something stupid and have to cut a section out.
Casting rod mono- a few times a year by need.
Casting rod with fluoro- Every tournament the top 100 yds gets replaced, so 15+ times this year. The line always doesn't go to waste if its decent shape, it often comes off one reel and onto another or put on an empty spool.
Every reel has some type of cheap or unwanted backing with the desired line on top at maximum casting distance + 20%ish.
Tennessee Boy reply :
Mono - Probably change about every 10 outings.
Floro - I usually get tired of fishing with it after a couple of outings.
Braid - Change it when I get a bad backlash that I can get out. Usually after a couple of hours of fishing. ????
Hook2Jaw reply :
For an undetermined, unspecified amount of time, usually after what I deem to be an unwarranted break. The other half the time I change out line is when I cut off line to the point I don't have enough on the spool. This is usually after a backlash.
Or when I change lines for a specific technique. I only have one rod for jerkbaits and topwater, and I hate mono for jerkbaits and I hate fluoro for topwater.
GeekFisher reply :
On 12/18/2018 at 12:47 PM, Sam said:I remove all line from all reels when the winter arrives and I am not fishing.
I put new line on the reels I will be using for tournaments.
I keep this line on the reels while fun fishing between tournaments.
I have been using more and more braid so I leave the braid on the reels during fishing season, even when the green color fades.
I use a mono for backing for all braid line.
Mine usually get grayish quickly but as long as it's not fraying or too short, it stays on.
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