When to respool? 2025
Scuba Steve reply :
Hey guys, curious for some opinions.
If your line breaks off on your baitcaster, be it 20, 50, or 100 feet, how low do you let it get before you completely respool? Do you let it be until you break off a few more times? Until you run out of line during the cast? I run straight 14# mono on mine. Just wondering what you guys do, or if anyone is as ocd as me at keeping a full spool.
Thoughts?
Shimano_1 reply :
I'm pretty OCD about mine as well. I usually over fill just a hair so I have a little extra for cutting off etc. I respool when I think its either too little line or been on long enough to need new. Just an eye test for me. If it's much more than 1/8 inch showing on the spool I'll put new one. Depends too on the setup. My flipping rods I dont worry so much cause I'm rarely making long casts. If it's a rod I'm slinging a trap or something on I want a full or close to full spool
WRB reply :
I keep my reel spools as full as possible and start with the line wound tight about a penny thickness (1/16") below the top edge of the spool and respool if the line drops below 3 pennys (3/16") both bait casting and spinning reels.
Line is the only thing between you and the fish, it's too important not to change it often.
Tom
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
The heavy coil on the bottom of you spool will restrict a good cast. I don’t really care much about IPT so I don’t keep my spool full all the time, but I’ll look for when it get down to heavy coils. If the line is expensive and fixable with line conditioner then I’ll add backing (cheap mono or braid) to the line and keep using it until it get past backing.
But if you follow majority here then you should re-spool fresh line every trip/month/quarter/season since one of those fish of a life time might be on the line or Line is cheap.
I don’t fish tournament nor try to beat the world record so I don’t care much. If I loose the fish today of course I’ll get mad, sad and frustrated but there will always be tomorrow. That is part of the game and also the fun of fishing AND I AM CHEAP LOL.
jimmyjoe reply :
For me it's purely a matter of how well it casts. In other words, I don't look at the spool; I look at the cast. I don't use backing, so that's not an issue. Naturally, heavy line gives me problems much sooner than low-diameter lines. I have inadvertently spooled myself on the cast with heavy spoons. That's why I keep line with me, not sitting at home. I have noticed, however, that fluoro (InvizX) can get lower than mono or braid before the cast drops off. That really surprised me. jj
Bankbeater reply :
I put a piece of tape on the line when the spool is about 1/2 full of mono. Anything below the tape is used for backing.
If I can see the tape after a cast, or if the line starts breaking when I retie then I know it’s time to respool.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 6:19 AM, JustJames said:The heavy coil on the bottom of you spool will restrict a good cast. I don’t really care much about IPT so I don’t keep my spool full all the time, but I’ll look for when it get down to heavy coils. If the line is expensive and fixable with line conditioner then I’ll add backing (cheap mono or braid) to the line and keep using it until it get past backing.
But if you follow majority here then you should re-spool fresh line every trip/month/quarter/season since one of those fish of a life time might be on the line or Line is cheap.
I don’t fish tournament nor try to beat the world record so I don’t care much. If I loose the fish today of course I’ll get mad, sad and frustrated but there will always be tomorrow. That is part of the game and also the fun of fishing AND I AM CHEAP LOL.
This happened to me earlier this year. Got out to one of my spots, 3rd cast picked up a lazy mid 40’s muskie. 30 seconds in the line snapped. Should I have had a leader or heavier line? Probably. But it was still awesome.
Good stuff so far, thanks everyone. I need to respool my baitcaster tomorrow.
The Maestro reply :
I HATE throwing away brand new line so I'm pretty OCD about maximizing it. I've come up with a system to minimize waste. It's a bit of a hassle but worth it to me.
-I will first look at how many times a new spool of line should be able to fill my reels. I'll strip the reel down to the minimum amount of backing and then wind on the line with a line counter on the rod. If the reel will take 100 yards I know I can get 3 refills out of a 300 yard spool. If I have a 150 yard spool, I'll measure out 75 yards and add more backing to make up the difference.
- Then as the line is consumed, I'll strip it off by hand winding it onto a spare spool and add more backing to keep it full and then wind the line back onto the reel.
-When it gets too low I'll put on fresh line. There will always be some unused line getting thrown away but this is the best way I've found to minimize waste.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 8:26 AM, The Maestro said:I HATE throwing away brand new line so I'm pretty OCD about maximizing it. I've come up with a system to minimize waste. It's a bit of a hassle but worth it to me.
-I will first look at how many times a new spool of line should be able to fill my reels. I'll strip the reel down to the minimum amount of backing and then wind on the line with a line counter on the rod. If the reel will take 100 yards I know I can get 3 refills out of a 300 yard spool. If I have a 150 yard spool, I'll measure out 75 yards and add more backing to make up the difference.
- Then as the line is consumed, I'll strip it off by hand winding it onto a spare spool and add more backing to keep it full and then wind the line back onto the reel.
-When it gets too low I'll put on fresh line. There will always be some unused line getting thrown away but this is the best way I've found to minimize waste.
Wow, havent heard that method yet!
WRB reply :
You all realize that Berkley Big Game mono is less then 1 cent a yard.
Tom
Hammer 4 reply :
Having fresh line, and possibly getting a PB, is more important than saving 5.00 to me. 
The Maestro reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 8:31 AM, Scuba Steve said:Wow, havent heard that method yet!
It looks like more work than it actually is. A 300 yard spool of 65lb Power Pro is probably about $60 after taxes here so it adds up to a lot of money being literally thrown in the trash when you're tossing away brand new line.
Scuba Steve reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 9:12 AM, Hammer 4 said:Having fresh line, and possibly getting a PB, is more important than saving 5.00 to me.
Agreed!
On 7/18/2019 at 9:23 AM, The Maestro said:It looks like more work than it actually is. A 300 yard spool of 65lb Power Pro is probably about $60 after taxes here so it adds up to a lot of money being literally thrown in the trash when you're tossing away brand new line.
Very true. Every reel i have braid on has half a spool of mono. Ive just been running into the problem with my straight mono reel. I get broken off a few times then im left with a questionable amount of line.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 9:05 AM, WRB said:You all realize that Berkley Big Game mono is less then 1 cent a yard.
Tom
Even less when you get spools in the Walmart clearance section for $3
I cleaned them out last year. Still have 4 full spools left. Great line for not worrying about loosing fish or wasting too much money respooling.
WRB reply :
This post is about mono line not braid. I have FINs braid that is over 25 years old on my reels, you don't need to change out braid, just turn it around.
Monofilament line takes a set deforming under pressure and weakens the line, you shoul change it often and at 1 cent a yard no excuses.
Tom
The Maestro reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 9:36 AM, WRB said:This post is about mono line not braid. I have FINs braid that is over 25 years old on my reels, you don't need to change out braid, just turn it around.
Monofilament line takes a set deforming under pressure and weakens the line, you shoul change it often and at 1 cent a yard no excuses.
Tom
The useable life of braid (or any line) totally depends on the type of cover you're fishing with it.
WRB reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 9:38 AM, The Maestro said:The useable life of braid (or any line) totally depends on the type of cover you're fishing with it.
Not true!
Tom
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 9:05 AM, WRB said:You all realize that Berkley Big Game mono is less then 1 cent a yard.
Tom
And how many bass anglers using big game mono?
onenutinthewater reply :
If I think it is to low or braid has any sign of fraying. I spend $20-$50 in gas to reach any decent water so why try and save a few $ on the most important piece of equipment between me and the fish? I have a lot of partial spools I need to pass along...............
jimmyjoe reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 10:07 AM, JustJames said:And how many bass anglers using big game mono?
How high can you count? jj
Scuba Steve reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 10:07 AM, JustJames said:And how many bass anglers using big game mono?
Big game is my backing line. Havent had much luck with it on the frontlines. But maybe its just me.
WRB reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 10:07 AM, JustJames said:And how many bass anglers using big game mono?
I still use 12 lb Big Game for my deep diving crank baits. 4 of 5 giant bass listed were caught on either 10 orc12 lb Gig Game, only thec18.6 lb Casitas bass was caught on 10 lb Trielene XT....all mono line fish on jigs casts over 40 yards.
I believe Catt still uses 15 BG line.
I am transitioning to Sunline Armillo Diefer mono for most my cranks, top water and swimbaits the past few years.
Tom
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 10:45 AM, WRB said:I still use 12 lb Big Game for my deep diving crank baits. 4 of 5 giant bass listed were caught on either 10 orc12 lb Gig Game, only thec18.6 lb Casitas bass was caught on 10 lb Trielene XT....all mono line fish on jigs casts over 40 yards.
I believe Catt still uses 15 BG line.
I am transitioning to Sunline Armillo Diefer mono for most my cranks, top water and swimbaits the past few years.
Tom
I know Catt still using his big game, I have 12lb on reel for topwater and still have 25lb full spoon for my swimbait.
On 7/18/2019 at 10:20 AM, jimmyjoe said:How high can you count? jj
As high as my ten fingers and 10 toes around. Wait a minute oh I’m normal.
Catt reply :
On 7/18/2019 at 3:31 AM, Scuba Steve said:If your line breaks off on your baitcaster, be it 20, 50, or 100 feet, how low do you let it get before you completely respool?
As soon as I get home!
I fish a lot of heavy cover & respool after every other or every 3 rd trip.
Johnbt reply :
"Monofilament line takes a set deforming under pressure and weakens the line, you should change it often and at 1 cent a yard no excuses."
I bought 6000 yards of Trilene XL from Dick's when they sold 1000-yard spools for $5.50. And it was this year's line. What's that, a half a cent a yard? I love XL too.
I love good braid more and it does last decades.
soflabasser reply :
I cut off any line that shows signs of abrasion and fill my spool with line when needed.
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