Please help me understand problem with new spinning setup

[Skeeloco]

Hello, new to the forum. I've found a lot of good info on here through Google so figured I should sign up for some advice.

Recently I got a new spinning setup. St. Croix Triumph 6'6" 2 piece rod and a Mitchell 308 Pro. I have to say I am really liking the setup except for one major problem...getting some absolutely nasty tangles when casting. They're usually so bad I lose at least 20 yards of line each time. It's almost like a bird nest outside the reel. 

The only reason I can come up with is that the line is somehow getting hung up on a guide. It's almost like a bird nest outside the reel. When casting, I'll hear a clunk, the line will bunch up...yet somehow still make it through the guides. I'll reel in and have a giant clump somewhere in my line. I've inspected the rod, can't find any problems with it. On my previous reel, a Pflueger president, I'd sometime get similar tangles after over-spooling the reel. However after losing so much line on my Mitchell, it is still happening with 1/2" or more of space between the rim and line on the spool.

At first I thought it had to do with line memory, so I switched from fluoro to mono, 8lb test or 10lb if it has the same diameter of 8lb. Tangles still happening. Tried Berkley Nanofil yesterday, some very low memory line. However 3rd cast with a brand new Rapala, line clumped up and lure snapped right off and flew into the middle of the lake. Later realized that top piece of rod wasn't completely lined up with guide on bottom piece of rod, so made a small twist to get it lined up better. Few casts later, whipped a Zoom fluke...felt a tiny bump when casting, no tangle. However reeled in the bait and the line just came right apart, leaving about 20 yards of line and my bait in the water. Needless so say, I'll never be touching Nanofil again.

Anyone have any ideas as to why this may be happening? As I said, I've looked over the rod and can't find any issues. Can't be an issue with my casting, or at least I don't think? This is a medium power rod, and my previous rod was a Shimano MH rod, same length and never had an issue. Stumped and really bummed as I spent $90 on this rod, so really looking for any suggestions I can get as to what might be going on here.

[Scott F]

It sound like you are getting what some call wind knots. Over filling the spool with line can give problems when the line spills off the spool when you make a cast. After you cast, a small loop of line is left at the reel. You should get in the habit of pulling the line tight right after you close the bail. Many guys will close the bail by hand, and give a tug on the line to be sure no slack exists before cranking. 

[Bass Turd]

Welcome to the forum. When you get a second post a little about yourself in the "New Member" section. Can you tell us how you spooled up your reel? Most people tell you to put the line on the reel in the same orentation it comes off the filler spool. In other words if the filler spool is label up and the line comes off clockwise make sure the reel spins clockwise too. If it doesn't match up flip the filler spool over. Flourocarbon gives lots of trouble on spinning reels. Lots of people have switched to braid to eliminate most line problems on spinning reels. However, mono shouldn't give you any troubles. Tell us more. 

[Glenn]

A couple things. 

First, here's how to remove line twist from spinning gear:

 

 

Second, here's how to eliminate line twist from ever happening (assuming the line is correctly spooled on the reel in the first place):

 

[blckshirt98]

Overfilling and spooling the line incorrectly with fluoro and mono would definitely cause the issues you described, but the fact that it happened with Nanofil is surprising (granted I don't like Nanofil myself).  For the mono, if you just open the bail indoors with no lure to keep the line taught on the spool, does it shoot out like a slinky?

[fishnkamp]

Skeeloco do you live anywhere around MD, Va.Pa. De. If so maybe we can meet and I can try to help you. What I would do is inspect your rod, try casting it with one of my reels and have you cast one of my setups to help identify the issue. I know my wife had a problem with certain lines. I changed her over to Berkley FireLine in 14 pound test. I made sure after her cast she closes the bail by hand and slightly lift the rod tip to tighten the line on the spool. these changes have eliminated the problem. One other suggestion would be this. I use a Berkley line Winder to hold my reel securely and hold the line spool under tension. To fill a spinning reel mount the spool with the line coming off the bottom of the spool and a baitcaster with the line spool set up so the line comes off the top. This tool only costs $20 and makes it easy to properly fill the reel correctly. Here is the tool I speak of

http://www.cabelas.com/product/fishing/fishing-line/line-winders-strippers-tools|/pc/104793480/c/104719680/sc/103939380/berkley-reg-line-winder/1729189.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fline-winders-strippers-tools%2F_%2FN-1100388%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103939380

[timsford]

It definitely sounds like wind knots. Some reels are worse than others with this. I'd try some of the suggestions above and if this still occurs, maybe try a pfleuger, daiwa,  quantum, lews, abu, or shimano spinning reel. There are lots of good reels but I've good experiences with all these. Also i didn't care for nanofil either. Abrades and breaks way too easily and i snapped a few baits off on casts and weak hooksets. Try a quality mono like trilene xl or sunline supernatural in 8 or 10lb, a good limp copolymer like hybrid ultra soft or silver thread an40 in 8-10lb , or if you want braid try 832, jbraid, samurai,  or sx1 in 10-20 lb test

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard!

I spool all of my reels with braid for mainline now
because it is so much easier to manage than the
monos/fluoros/copolys of the world.

I always tie a leader of fluoro or copoly in varying
pound test based on how I'm fishing at the time.

That said, even braid can get hit with wind knots.
Just make sure you are always closing the bail
by hand.

There's one other thing that I saw recently, and
maybe one of the folks here can point to it...

But the angle of the reel and the first guide can
be an issue. Guys, please help me here, I can't
remember all the details. @Delaware Valley Tackle,
@J Francho?

[J Francho]

It's line twist. Let the line out, troll it in the water, or in the lawn, and reel it back up. 

[RAMBLER]

Just reeling the new line off of the filler spool with no tension on the line will do this.  Your line has to be snug on the reel.  I like to wear a leather glove and pinch the line as I reel it onto the reel.

[MickD]

On 9/1/2016 at 3:04 PM, Bass Turd said:

Welcome to the forum. When you get a second post a little about yourself in the "New Member" section. Can you tell us how you spooled up your reel? Most people tell you to put the line on the reel in the same orentation it comes off the filler spool. In other words if the filler spool is label up and the line comes off clockwise make sure the reel spins clockwise too. If it doesn't match up flip the filler spool over. Flourocarbon gives lots of trouble on spinning reels. Lots of people have switched to braid to eliminate most line problems on spinning reels. However, mono shouldn't give you any troubles. Tell us more. 

Are you sure?  I think if you do it that way you are inducing one twist for every revolution.  I've always checked to see what direction the rotor winds, clockwise or counterclockwise looking at the reel spool from the first guide, then make the line come off the line supply spool opposite of that.  I was told that that will minimize twists.

With some reels I've purchased the instructions have been to have the supply spool rotating as line is taken from it.  Then I forget which reels those are so go back to the procedure above.

Braid usually doesn't care if it's twisted some, I guess because it is so soft.  But I suspect really twisted braid will do just what the post describes.  Also, as mentioned, if the line is not wound under some tension, especially on an over-filled spool, that can happen.  This happens most often with finesse techniques that don't develop much line tension on retrieve.

[Skeeloco]

Oops kinda forgot about my post, but looks like some good info here. I always spool the reel in the same orientation that it is on the spool. I use plenty of tension when spooling as well, I usually hold the line against the rod as I"m reeling to make sure it's nice and tight. The fact that it seems to be happening with both mono and fluoro doesn't lead me to believe it's line twist, especially when it's happening with newly spooled line. Line isn't unspooling like a slinky as someone mentioned. I switched to 10lb mono because I had a spool of Trilene Big Game laying around and started getting tired of losing so much line, and I have to say it's been happening a lot less but I really can't stand line more than 8lb/ .26mm diameter. It happened again today, although it was a tangle a lot smaller than I usually get on 8lb line. After casting I heard quick scraping sound, reeling back in the tangle was about 15 ft from my lure and had to cut the line. I think a  wind knot/ loop in the spool is the most likely culprit, and I haven't been making a regular habit of closing the bail with my hand. I should try switching old reel on new rod and vice versa and see what happens but it sounds like it's the Mitchell which kinda sucks, I really like the reel and don't really have the cash right now to try something else. 

I've never once used braid either, but maybe it's time to give it a shot. Thanks.

[dopey]

All great idea above but here's a couple more:

One thing i always do when spooling line is to run it through damp paper towel - all line has a light powder on it. 

This will sound weird, but buy some womans knee highs - run one along the edges of your spool to check for nics and also run them through the guides.  I've done this even after running qtips to see if there's a crack that the line is catching on