What would cause my line to do this?

[DFWO]

I'm using a spinning reel, and sometimes when I make a long cast, I feel this tangle form in the line.  Not on the reel, but just the line forms a tangle between the rod and my bait.  I can feel a tug when it happens.  There's just suddenly this bird's nest out on my line.

 

This was an example, but sometimes it's a lot worse.

 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

One of a couple possible reasons I can think of off the top of my head

1: The spool is over-filled and it's pulling loops off

2: The line isn't tight on the spool...and it's pulling loops off.

[a1712]

Line twist. Untwist your line and check your line roller for proper operation. Brian.

[DFWO]

3 minutes ago, a1712 said:

Line twist. Untwist your line and check your line roller for proper operation. Brian.

 

Untwist the line?

[dodgeguy]

And that is why I only use baitcasters.

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, DFWO said:

 

Untwist the line?

If you have a boat - lay out about 60-70 yds behind you without a lure on. Troll slow, pinch the line just behind the first guide and reel it in.

 

On land - connect end to a swivel, tie that to a tree or fence post...pull it slightly taunt, then pinch and reel in as you slowly walk to the swivel.

[a1712]

1 minute ago, DFWO said:

 

Untwist the line?

Walk the line off your reel to the knot, pinch the line between your fingers just behind the stripper guide, I like to use a piece of folded paper towel soaked with L&L to pinch the line, reel it back on with some tension. If you're on a boat, just let the line out behind the boat and reel back on with tension. Brian.

[DFWO]

Ok, I'll try that.

 

Is it caused by the line being put on wrong?

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, DFWO said:

Ok, I'll try that.

 

Is it caused by the line being put on wrong?

Na - it's a general thing caused by lures spinning at the end...bad side of any spinning reel.

 

Saying that - I've got 4 spinning rigs I use frequently for bass fishing....but after 50+ years of using spinning gear, I'm kinda use to the 'maintenance' part of line management.

[DFWO]

Ok, thanks.  I've been fishing all summer with cheap, generic mono and never had this happen.  I switched to Trilene XL last week and now I'm getting these tangles.

[MN Fisher]

Weird - I never had an issue with XL but did with cheap-generic stuff.

 

Just make sure your line is snug on the spool and it's not overfilled.

[DFWO]

I'll do that in the morning, hopefully that'll clear up the problem

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

40 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

If you have a boat - lay out about 60-70 yds behind you without a lure on. Troll slow, pinch the line just behind the first guide and reel it in.

 

On land - connect end to a swivel, tie that to a tree or fence post...pull it slightly taunt, then pinch and reel in as you slowly walk to the swivel.

Every new spool of line on a spinning reel gets this treatment.    Ever since I started doing this, I've never had line twists on spinning reels again.  

 

Agree with others in regards to OP's question......typical line twisting commonly found on spinning reels.

[WRB]

37 minutes ago, DFWO said:

Ok, thanks.  I've been fishing all summer with cheap, generic mono and never had this happen.  I switched to Trilene XL last week and now I'm getting these tangles.

What lb test?

Line loops are often caused by using the reel to flip the bail over. Always flip the bail by hand keeping the line snag on the spool.

You state you are familiar with spinning reels yet don’t recognize line twist?

Another common problem is spooling the line onto the backwards. Suggest using a mandrel (pencil) and take the line off the bottom of the spool not the top so it spins counter clockwise.

My personal rule is use line under .010 dia and use line conditioner with spinning reels.

Tom 

PS,8 lb Trilene XL is .010D.

 

 

[Woody B]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

Line loops are often caused by using the reel to flip the bail over. Always flip the bail by hand keeping the line snag on the spool.

 

I know for a fact using the reel to flip the bail causes this.   My wife's spinning reel was always having this problem.  I had read this but was skeptical.  I ran the line behind the boat then fished with her rig for 15 minutes or so and had line loops.  I ran it behind the boat to untwist it again, then started closing the bail by hand.  I fished with it for 30 minutes with no line loops.  She's used it a BUNCH since then closing the bail by hand with no line loops. 

 

I haven't figured out (or tired to figure out)why letting the reel close the bail causes problems, but it does.   

 

I prefer baitcasters.   

[bulldog1935]

You cause your line to do this by using crank-bail-auto-close.

Read about proper manual bail technique and use it. 

 

The problem the OP is having is caused by trying to pick up loose line by cranking the reel - this is the only correct answer on this thread. 

[casts_by_fly]

4 hours ago, Woody B said:

 

I know for a fact using the reel to flip the bail causes this.   My wife's spinning reel was always having this problem.  I had read this but was skeptical.  I ran the line behind the boat then fished with her rig for 15 minutes or so and had line loops.  I ran it behind the boat to untwist it again, then started closing the bail by hand.  I fished with it for 30 minutes with no line loops.  She's used it a BUNCH since then closing the bail by hand with no line loops. 

 

I haven't figured out (or tired to figure out)why letting the reel close the bail causes problems, but it does.   

 

I prefer baitcasters.   

 

Because when the line isn't tight and the reel flips the bail over, there will often be a loop on the spool face that isn't on top of the other line loops.  Then when you crank the bail a rotation it just gets pushed around the spool which causes 1 full twist in the line.  Do that a couple times and you've got a concentration of twists on the spool that you're not usually casting out (you're probably casting about the same distance across a set of casts).  Do it all day and eventually you're going to have a wind knot tangle.  A really long cast every now and then will release it if you're lure's not adding twist.

[FrnkNsteen]

^^Agreed^^

 

Whenever using apinning reels, I always close bail by hand, not with the reel handle. Then give the line a quick tug. After awhile it becomes second nature. 

 

I do this and almost never have these issues with my spinning reels. My wife claims to, but doesn't, and regularily has these issues. Ive stopped fishing to watch her while saying I was just taking a break. She does it right about half the time, and eventually has it happen. Especially later in the day as she starts to get tired ( and or bored ?).

 

Trick to undoing it if still on the spool. Don't keep pulling with the bail open, it will just get worse. Instead,... Keep your bail closed and loosen you drag way up so line easily peels off. Slowly pull the line until the loop clears itself. Then tighten your drag back up.

[Conclusion]

Just wanted to chime in that this isn't just caused by closing the bail with the handle instead of your hand. I had this happen to me last month on a week of trout fishing and I was trolling the whole time. I only use my hand to close the bail and this was consistent happening. I thought it had something to do with my setup and the swivel not keeping up to the rotation of the Toronto wobbler spoon flip. I'm still struggling to find the cause, my grandfather had been fishing for decades and never had this problem, unfortunately he passed a few years ago and my dad and I can't figure out what he was doing differently. He was definitely not conditioning the line or doing anything fancy when spolling it.

[TOXIC]

Y’all gave great advice regarding line twist but unfortunately his picture is of line loops.  Look closely, there’s no “twists” just loops pulled tight.  He’s got too much line on his spool would be my guess.  I’ve seen it hundreds of times and done it myself a few.?. Feeding out and respooling some line will help until the line conforms better to the reel or he knots it up enough to cut off the excess.  Also, by the looks of the line in the picture he’s not got too large of test and it doesn’t look like fluro.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

He’s got too much line on his spool would be my guess.

That was one of my 'checks' at the top of the thread.

 

6 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Also, by the looks of the line in the picture he’s not got too large of test and it doesn’t look like fluro.

Ya, he didn't mention what #test he's using - if it's mono and over 8#...that'd be a worry

 

As Tom said - keep it to .010 diameter or less on a 2500 or smaller reel....I've gone to .012 on a 3000 without issue...but it's pushing it.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Conclusion said:

Just wanted to chime in that this isn't just caused by closing the bail with the handle instead of your hand. I had this happen to me last month on a week of trout fishing and I was trolling the whole time. I only use my hand to close the bail and this was consistent happening. I thought it had something to do with my setup and the swivel not keeping up to the rotation of the Toronto wobbler spoon flip. I'm still struggling to find the cause, my grandfather had been fishing for decades and never had this problem, unfortunately he passed a few years ago and my dad and I can't figure out what he was doing differently. He was definitely not conditioning the line or doing anything fancy when spolling it.

 

 

Are you getting the same twisty loops as the OP when trolling?  Like noted above, the primary cause of excess line and casting it.  If that's not the problem, then the bail issue is the next cause.  Twisting lures will also do it, but you need slack in the line when its cast out for the twist to build up deeper into the spool.  I'd think with trolling you're just letting line out slowly and not casting.

[DFWO]

It's definitely not the bail, I close it by hand 100% of the time.  And it's not too much line, it's probably 60% full now, due to cutting off line from other tangles.  I think I was reeling in slack at times.  I tried to make sure my line was nice and tight this morning, but still had the same problem.

 

I'll make a long cast, and I'll feel a thud, and I can see this tangled bird's nest before it hits the water.

 

And I'll throw out something odd I noticed this morning.  I bought a new rod, and put line on both of my reels at the same time (10lb Trilene XL).  Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's only happening on the reel with the new rod.  I suppose I could swap reels and see if I'm having the same issue.  But I just can't see how it could possibly be related to the rod.

[PhishLI]

35 minutes ago, DFWO said:

I think I was reeling in slack at times.

35 minutes ago, DFWO said:

I tried to make sure my line was nice and tight this morning, but still had the same problem.

Once you've twisted the line enough to cough up furballs there's no coming back with XL, and 10lb XL is not great on smaller spinners with light baits and slack line. Drop down. It has nothing to do with your rod.

[volzfan59]

Matt Stefan has an excellent tutorial on his YouTube channel concerning getting the knot's out of you spinning tackle. I would link it, but I don't know how. 

 

I'm like @MN Fisher, I've been at this way more years than I care to think about so I rarely (knock on wood) get any knot's in my line. On the few times I have, Matt's method works.