by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: June 18, 2010   Last Updated: June 24, 2010

When we go fishing, the inevitable snag will occur.  The lure, with the help from a wayward gust of wind (or just a horrible cast, but we’ll pretend that never happened) gets stuck to a branch on a tree on the shoreline (otherwise known as a shore trout), or to a rock or a log on the bottom of the water body.  Snagged!

We try so desperately to save our lure or baited hook and leaders, that we do a lot of damage to the fishing line, and risk losing both.  Following the basics for putting line on a fishing reel will help you to keep fishing longer, and maybe try to retrieve those shore-caught lures a little later, maybe when the fish stop biting, or during the inevitable shore lunch.

When putting new line on a fishing reel, first make sure that the line that you are using is the proper weight class for your fishing needs.  If, for example, you are fishing lake trout, use an eight to twenty pound weight class line.  If you are trolling or casting, different lines are required, but a braided line is a good all-purpose fishing line.

Take the new fishing line, and thread it through the eyelets of your fishing rod, from the tip on down to the rod handle, and then pull about 3 more feet through the eyelets.  Open the bail release, and release the spool from the reel.  Tie the line’s end in a single or double slipknot on the spool, and then firmly wrap the line around the spool eight to ten times.  Slowly pull the line so that it becomes tight on the spool, and replace the spool back onto the reel.  Then close the bail by spinning the reel a few times, and adjust the drag to a medium to low setting.

Now that the new line is threaded through the rod’s eyelets and tied firmly to the spool, reel in the new line until it fills the spool to the point shown on the inside of the spool.  The lighter the line, the more line you will be able to load on your spools.  Your best option is to load three spools with different weight classes of fishing line for each rod and reel you have, so that you have the right gear for the right conditions at all times.

When you leave for your fishing trip, you should have at least one filled spare spool for each rod and reel set that you bring, so that you can have a quick change when you need a fresh spool of line.  Following the basics for putting line on a fishing reel will help you to keep your line on the reel, and not bunched up between the spool and the bail release in a huge bundle of what seems like spider webbing that just won‘t straighten out.

We try to retrieve our lost, but still seen lures by pulling back in a whiplash fashion, putting undue stress on the fishing line by snapping the line hard with a quick but hard movement, or by pulling up hard and steady to try and free our lures from the depths of the water.  By doing so, we may be saving the $2 to $25 that we spent on that new lure, but at the same time we are costing ourselves dear fishing time, as well as an expensive roll of fishing line.

Fish safe.  Fish on!

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