Wind Knots While Using Spinning Reel

[Bazoo]

My only spinning reel has bit the dust. I bought this reel used from a yardsale about year ago, when I got back into fishing. I lost all my previous gear in a housefire about 10 years ago, so I've been acquiring stuff here and there. 

 

 

 

Anyways, It started out working okay, but after a few hours of fishing with it, it developed a wind knot. I'd cut the knot out, and keep fishing, and again, another couple hours of use and I'd repeat. 

 

I know how to check for line twisting when I spool, and if it is twisted it will bunch up so you flip the spool over. I looked up Glenn's video with tips for spooling, and I didn't know about the warm water soak, nor about using a cloth to add tension to the line (I always just used my finger and thumb to give it a little bit, but I added a bit more with a rag), so the next time my spool got low from removing wind knots, I included those tips into my spooling procedure. It worked great right off the bat. Then the wind knots came back, like normal. 

 

I use 10 pound Big Game, and I was doing some research on it and saw where it can cause issues with spinning reels. So I bought some Trilene XL to try, and that made the problem worse. I couldn't get a couple dozen casts in... so I put big game back on and was able to get an hour or so before I started getting knots again.

 

I removed the line roller and made sure it was free of debris. I cleaned and dried it, and then lubricated it with a drop of silicone oil for fine instruments. It isn't bi-directional, so it occurred to me, perhaps I put it on backwards. I inspected it, and I think it was backwards so I reversed it, which made no difference either way to the knots. So I've tried it both directions.

 

I also thought that perhaps something about my rod's eyes were causing or contributing to the knots. Well, I was trying to free a snag and broke the rod (I wasn't using undue pressure, but I'm sure the rod has been abused and stepped on and such). So I had a spare rod, a cheap $10 Zebco brand from Walmart, that I put the reel on, and the wind knots show no change.

 

It seems that the time between wind knots has been gradually decreasing. I just respooled and within 6 or 8 casts I got a wind knot, so I just wound the line back in and retired the real to the van the rest of the trip.

 

I always close the bail by hand.

 

Is there anything I can do that may get my reel back into action? I know it's a super cheap reel and I need to get a better one, but the budget is tight right now so I won't be able to for a while.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, 

Bazoo

 

[WRB]

10# Big Game is .012D the largest diameter mono you should use is .010D. Your line is twisted not wind knotted.

Spinning reels twist line with every bail rotation if the end of the line can’t unwind. Larger mono then.010D has too much memory to untwist.

Suggest Sunline Super Natural 8# @ .009D low memory mono line.

Check the reel bail roller and make sure it free to spin and doesn’t have any grooves cut into it. 

Manually flip the bail over by hand do not engage the bail using the reel handle. 

You fish from shore it isn’t easy to untwist mono line, from a boat it’s easy by dragging about 100’ of line behind the boat without anything tied on and walking speed.

To untwist line at home attach the end of line walk off about 100’ on your lawn. Cut the line off the attachment and lay a soaked wet towel over the line near the rod tip. Fold the wet towel over the line and reel the line back onto the reel. This will untwist the mono.

Tom

[Bazoo]

Thanks for the help Tom.

 

Yes the knots I'm experiencing I guess are just line twist, but it bunches up like a wind knot. 

 

I have checked, cleaned, and oiled the bail roller and it spins easily. I always close the bail by hand.

[Dan N]

I sent a message, I’ll help you out