A Bad Spool

[Mobasser]

I've heard the term " bad spool" used here on BR, and by some local fisherman I know also.                                      The complaints go like this:                                                  1. The line breaks too easily.                                                2. Poor knot retention.            3. Twist easily, and hard to manage.                                      4. Faded or poor color.              I used to think I had gotten a " bad " spool, mostly when using spinning reels. Once I learned how to properly spool my reels, much of the problems went away.                                                  There was a show I've watched occasionally called  How It's Made. The show focused on manufacturing all sorts of things. One episode was about nylon fishing line. The line is manufactured to tight tolerance. And the sheer number of yards that can be made in one day is staggering.                                 Two years ago, I spoke with a rep who worked for a company that made Stren and many other lines, both mono and flourocarbon. He told me that today, the lines we're buying are far better than any lines made in the past, going back to the 1950s and 1960s. He also mentioned that the Japanese have perfected the manufacturing process, and, in his opinion, make the best quality lines available.                                             In all my years, I cant honestly say I've gotten a bad spool. I've had a couple that I wondered about, but I used them and they fished ok. I'm sure it's possible to get a bad spool of line. It could happen, with any brand. In your experience, have you ever gotten what you perceive as a " bad" spool of line?

 

 

[T-Billy]

Never. Well... except for flouro, those are all bad spools. ?

[PressuredFishing]

bad spool of line or bad reel design of spool? two different things

[Woody B]

I normally use (original) Stren or Trilene XL.  A couple weeks ago I needed line.  My local tackle shop was out of Stren and XL.   I bought a spool of Trilene Big Game.  (People around here rave about it)

 

I think I got a spool of flouro.   Knots slip, it's stiff and is super weak if it get's a nick.   Oh....... it sinks too.   

 

 

"How it's made" is a super show.  I haven't the fishing line one though.   

[newapti5]

I once bought two spools of fluorocarbon from the BPS annual sale. Same brand same series, just different test pound. One spool of 12lb was very strong, and the other spool of 10lb was so weak that I could easily break it with a little pull.  So yes, I believe "bad spool."

[MickD]

Never had a "bad spool" of line, as I think you are defining it.  I've had trouble with FC, but it's FC, not bad quality.  I've had fish vanish with Vanish, but that's not bad quality, it's just Vanish.

 

I think almost all references to "bad spool" are untrue.

[MN Fisher]

Never had a spool of 'bad line'...course I only buy line from reputable places...never Amazon, never E-Bay.

[Log Catcher]

I have had bad spools of line. Years ago I bought some 10# Stren from one of our local box stores. I could break it with my hands very easily. I went to a tackle store and bought some Abrazx  which I know people love. I would break on the hookset some where in the middle, not at a knot. This is the only line I ever had that problem with. I had some Sufix Invisible florocarbon. It started shredding when I used tungsten sinkers. Never had that problem with any other line.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I’ve only come across one bad spool. I don’t want to bash the brand so I won’t say the name, but it rhymes with Stren. 12# clear blue monofilament. Normally it’s great, but dang I shouldn’t be able to break 12# with my hands without cutting myself. 

[Lead Head]

Some years ago, I used pline floroclear almost exclusively. One day, after a fresh respool of 15lb, my line failed on every hookset. I tried every knot I could think of, stripped off 30' of new line, changed brand of hooks... still breakoffs, at the knot, on every hookset. Finally stripped all the line, and respooled with my "emergency" filler spool of line (it was still 15lb floroclear) I keep in the tackle bag. Problem went away. After the 3rd time I experienced this same issue (out of 7 total spools, 1 from academy and 2 from Walmart) I completely abandoned pline. It was odd because in the previous 2 years I had no problems. I don't know if they had a bad run, if they changed something, or if I was just extremely unlucky but they completely lost me as a customer. 

 

So to answer your question, yes, I believe I have experienced a few bad spools of line. 

[FishTank]

Sure. I have had several over the years

 

Sunline FC Sniper, Trilene XL and 100% FC, P-Line Fluoroclear,  Power Pro, Big Game, YoZuri Hybrid and Ultrasoft, and Seaguar Red Label.  

 

These aren't lines I disliked. They are ones I have tried on multiple occasions and it was fine. I have then bought new spools and they seemed different, damaged or reformulated.  

 

[Jar11591]

I’ve tried lines that I ended up throwing out because it wasn’t working for me, but I don’t know if they were bad spools, or just the nature of the line. And I won’t be trying them again to find out. The main lines I use, Trilene XL, Yo-Zuri Hybrid and fluorocarbon, and Power Pro, I’ve never had bad spools of. 

[Spankey]

Stren and Trilene I’d never dis. Can’t say I’ve ever had a crap spool of it. I’ve most likely thought a spool may seem to have been superior to a previous one. Still use a lot of both. 
 

I have a few set up that are spooled with SunLine Super Natural Mono. I feel a step above the others mentioned.

 

My biggest beef with the SunLine is I can’t seem to buy it in bigger bulk spool size. I’m not interested in 300-600 yd. spools.