Change out mono?

[N.Y. Yankee]

How often is it really necessary to change out mono like Stren or XL? Do you ever use cheap mono to half-fill your reel and then top off with good stuff?

[NHBull]

You can tell when mono is on its last leg buy the increase of breakoffs, but given its relatively cheep, buy it in bulk.  Don't  bother backing it up with cheaper stuff.

[NYWayfarer]

I use Stren and Trilene. How often I change it depends on how often I fish.

 

After a fishing trip I will break down whatever gear I used for the day. Reel comes off rod and gets wiped down with a wet rag. I then strip of a foot or two of line and cut it off. This is to make sure that the next time I fish I have line that doesn't have any abrasions from the last trip.

 

When my line gets below a half a spool I put new line on.

[Todd2]

2 minutes ago, Finesse Wayfarer said:

I use Stren and Trilene. How often I change it depends on how often I fish.

 

 

When my line gets below a half a spool I put new line on.

This.... Don't mess with cheaper backing. Original Stren is a great middle of road mono in terms of handling..not too limp not too stiff. Good abrasion resistance and great knot strength, it holds up pretty good.

[Crestliner2008]

I use to be heavy user of Trilene XL. From 2# test to 17# test. Good stuff. But you are going to go through a lot of line in the course of one fishing season if you use mono - of any brand. And no, using a cheap mono backing is not going to save you much. Instead, think about using a quality braid as your mainline, with either a mono or fluorocarbon leader. Your sensitivity will be increased dramatically and changing out a leader is simple, quick and economical.

[fullcoupe]

I don't use a lot of mono, but in general I've found the cheaper the line, the less overall longevity. I change if my line doesn't feel slick/smooth anymore, makes a crunching noise when I press down on the spool, or knots/twists itself when I pull 8-10 feet off the spool. 

 

Line conditioner can help tremendously, but that's an additional cost - sometimes it is cheaper just to re-spool. I use straight fluorocarbon on several setups and some of those lines are expensive, so line conditioner is a must to prevent throwing $30 of line away. With conditioner, I find those lines can last 6+ months in some cases. 

 

As Wayfarer mentioned, inspecting the line after you get home (or prior to your next trip) and cutting a few feet off the contact end can prevent problems due to abrasion, nicks, kinks, etc. 

 

Another trick - do this 2-3 days before your trip - tie your bait on (or just clip a heavy sinker), take about 10-12 feet out and place the rod over a balcony, staircase, etc. This will stretch out the contact end and help minimize the coiling, and should make your first cast a little easier. 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Thanks for the advice!

[TOXIC]

Guiding....Every other month all reels got re-spooled.  New reels every season.  My reputation depended on my equipment.  

[scaleface]

I cut and retie my line often and I want a full spool .Usually i change line when I feel it gets low enough to hamper casting distance . I never let it get to half spool . 

[Boomstick]

I usually use Trilene Big Game when I'm using mono. It has a lot of memory, but it's strong and it's so cheap, I can replace it often and come out ahead. Even if I try a more expensive mono, I don't see the point in backing mono with cheaper mono.

[onetime]

I only have mono on a couple rods, I use Big Game, it gets changed every four to five trips.

[fishnkamp]

I guess you need to think of it this way. A 330 yard spool of Stren Original Clear Blue is roughly $8.00.

That works out to $ .024 per yard of line.  So that is less than 3 cents per yard. My 30 series spinning reel holds 130 yards of 8 pound test so it costs less than $3.00 to fill it.  Most lures cost more than that today. 

That is why I only use quality line. I like Stren mono. I use only that line for backing on all of my reels, spinning and baitcasting.  I use Berkley FireLine on almost all of my spinning reels and the Stren backing helps save cost.  As for using Stren for mainline, it is a great line and always has been.  I personally only use mono for topwater though. 

For many anglers replacing mono annually is enough. If you start getting more casting issues, knots breaking etc, than change your line.  Also you could remove 1/2 of the line and just respool that much.

[papajoe222]

I put a lot of time on the water and I change out mono twice a season and copoly once even though it likely wears out faster. I couldn't tell you if or when either 'needs' changing. In the grand scheme of things, the cost of line is right down there with hooks. I won't chance missing, or loosing fish to an affordable, replacement item.  Kind of like replacing the tires on you car. You can hold out to get the full 60K out of a set, risking failure, or change them out at 45K and not concern yourself.

[Bankbeater]

I change line depending on how much I have fished with it.  I find that the smaller test line needs changing more often than the heavier test lines.

[tander]

I use mono on my cranking reels. I usually change out line twice a year or if it is getting low on the spool. I use Sunline Super Natural.

[WIGuide]

I used to use mono for everything and I would change it at the beginning of every season. I never had an issue with it.

[tholmes]

3 hours ago, WIGuide said:

I used to use mono for everything and I would change it at the beginning of every season. I never had an issue with it.

 

I use Trilene BigGame on most of my casting reels. I change the first 100 yards or so at least once per season. 

I see no point in changing the whole spool.

 

Tom

[Catt]

Huh?

 

I throw 15# Berkley Big Game & re-spool every other trip or at least by the 4th trip!

 

Now that's just on my worm & jig rod; spinnerbait, buzzbait, & crankbait rods get re-spooled as necessary.

[crypt]

7 hours ago, Catt said:

Huh?

 

I throw 15# Berkley Big Game & re-spool every other trip or at least by the 4th trip!

 

Now that's just on my worm & jig rod; spinnerbait, buzzbait, & crankbait rods get re-spooled as necessary.

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