How often do you re-spool?

[scott k]

 Just wondering how often you guys re-spool your reels.  Do you go by your gut feeling, when the line starts acting "not new anymore", after you've had a few snags and you needed to break them off, after fishing in and around lots of cover, once a year, the first of every month... Does the same apply in this instance whether it be mono, braid, or flourocarbon?

 I think I read once that KVD re-spools his reels after every single day of fishing because he feels it's that important, and let's face it, although he probably gets his line for free the cost of new line is still a very small fraction of the total fishing expenditures for the rest of us.

[Raul]

Nylon every two or three trips.

Fluoro, can 't say, don 't use fluoro

Copoly every foutr to six trips

Braided, can 't say, I usually tie a 4 ft leader, that goes away several times during a trip.

[roadwarrior]

Much depends on the type of line you use and where you fish. For example, fluorocarbon is an inert crystal and does not get old. Still, the line can be nicked or kinked from backlash.  Monofilament is effected by both water absorption and UV light which weakens the line which means you might need to change it out frequently.  Braid will last indefinitely, but is susceptible to abrasion.

I use fish Yo-Zuri Hybrid and Hybrid Ultra Soft which is a bonded (not coated) fluorocarbon/ nylon copolymer. I change the line "as needed", but it never gets "old." Kinks from backlash can weaken the line and that MUST be replaced, but otherwise I don't change my line on any schedule.

[Taliesin]

I don't really have a set schedule.

It all really depends on how much I have been fishing, what the weather has been like, whether I was fishing at night or in the day, what kind of cover I was fishing in.

Mono gets changed after around 100 hours of sunlight exposure, lowered for heavy cover, number of backlashes, and how heavily I used that reel.

Braid... Totally different story. I put it on the beginning of last year and ain't changed it yet. I do take off a foot or two after each trip to get rid of any "hidden" abrasions. It is getting time to replace now, but I might just take it off, replace the backing (adding about 30 yrds more) and put the braid back on reversed (terminal end now tied to the backing).

Haven't used flouro yet. Thinking bout replacing my mono with it.

Right now I have mono on all my baitcasters and a couple of spinning reels, with braid on the rest of my spinning reels.

[Zel]

Hmmmm.. What year is it?

Sad to admit, but some of my rods have line on them from several years ago. Most rods get spooled at the beginning of the season then some get respooled when we transition from spring into summer and I want a heavier pound test, some when too much line has been lost off the reel, any time the line breaks when I feel it shouldn't, any time too much memory is in it, when my wife is driving me nutz, or as in most cases whenever I feel like it.

Jerry McKinnis asked me that very same question in one of his seminars... he got the same answer as above from me. Actually it was just the type of answer he was looking for, and proceeded to talk about the importance of changing line on a regular basis something like line is the most important element between two jerks on either end.

[Chris at Tech]

I'm not as scientific as these guys

Mono and copoly get a new spool every winter, and another new one in summer.  I generally keep braid until the reel starts getting a bit low from retying, etc.

However, of course, if I have a reason to respool off this schedule, I do it.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I use big game often and i made a post a while back about some biggame i found on my brothers reel after a hurricane ...a year later,,,, it lasted the winter the spring well into the summer under extreme conditions it did lose its color but the knot strength and tensile strength was still there. As far as knicks and such i change mine when needed and like i have said in many post i never had a fish break my line or my knot fail

[Marty]

Unlike Zel, I'm not sad to admit that I have some reels with line that's years old. I do that because it hasn't caused me problems. I've never used fluoro, but with both braided and mono, I change when I've cut off enough line from nicks, retying , etc. that there's not enough left for my longest possible cast plus a few yards to spare.

I'm strictly a recreational angler and comparisons to KVD don't apply to me. He has to do everything he thinks he needs to do to catch every fish that strikes. Paranoia is a necessity in his business and, as has been pointed out, he pays less for his line than I do.

[Cajun1977]

every reel gets respooled at least once every 3 months ,no particular reason than knowing i have good line on when im at the tourney

[skillet]

 Usually about twice a year with the amount of fishing I do...

                               As Ever,

                                skillet

[jdw174]

When I see my spools getting low from re-tying, or having to break off a snag, etc., then I'll splice in fresh line and fill it back up.  Usually I pull off enough so that I can add about 50 yards of fresh.  Other than that, I don't bother.  I use nothing but Silver Thread Co-polymer.

[Catt]

Every other trip  

[Bass Hammer]

I always cut off some line as I re-tie. When I see my casting distance going down and start seeing my uni to uni knot showing I'll take it the rest of the way off. That is usually about once a month.

[Tpayneful]

I respool mono twice a year but I don't know what I will do with Fluorocarbon.  I have two baitcast reels spooled up and don't know when I will respool them.  I have heard discussions of unspooling the Fluorocarbon and then rewinding it onto the spool backwards.  I might try that before I buy more line.  KVD and Ike get line for free so they can respool as often as they want without paying a dime.

[roadwarrior]

I respool mono twice a year but I don't know what I will do with Fluorocarbon. I have two baitcast reels spooled up and don't know when I will respool them. I have heard discussions of unspooling the Fluorocarbon and then rewinding it onto the spool backwards. I might try that before I buy more line. KVD and Ike get line for free so they can respool as often as they want without paying a dime.

You need to check your line frequently for nicks, scrapes and kinks that appear as weak spots- line with these imperfections needs to be replaced. Otherwise, fluorocarbon will last indefinitely, it does NOT get old.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

RW i have a spool of that Hybrid on a rod and reel and your right it last forever i had it on there for over a yr now same color and same strenght as brand new .I hope no one sees this cause im a big  BIGGAME user  .But what can i say k mart had them filler spools on clearance for i think $1.50 i shoulda bought more

[harshman]

Personally I re-spool before Every major fishing trip or tourney, unless it is on a reel that is rarely used from it's last re-spooling. To me it's worth it to spend a little more on line and have care free trips and tourneys.....especially tourneys. Who wants to loose time and possibly money when it could be avoided?

Harshman

[Banor]

I respool right before every tourney.  I will practice with the previous tourney's line still on.  I dont know that I respool for any other reason than I have to.  In a good week of practice I will retie so much with changing presentations and nicked up line that my spools are low.

The most important thing is to keep an eye on the condition of your line, no matter how long it's been on the spool.  If you need to retie, retie.  If it just doesnt feel right, respool it.  Simple as that.

As far as braid goes, I still have the same reel spooled with the same braid from the beginning of the season.

B

[lubina]

Nylon and copolymer before each tourney and every 4-5 trips, braid may be 2-3 time a year changing the leader every trip at least.

[Jeff H]

In all my years of fishing, I have never lost a fish to broken line and I've had ONE knot slip. The knot slip happened early this year on brand new line. I will change my line when I need to, check it regularly but usually only spool up new line each spring before I start fishing. If I was fishing tournaments again I'd go back to my old routine of new line for every major event.  The small stuff on the weeknights or the small weekend tourneys I didn't worry about it as much but when there was 10-20 large on the line MY line got changed for those events which was usually 4-5 times a year.

[.RM.]

Every reel, every time out, full spools, no matter if the reel was used or not....

Tight Lines!!!!

[roadwarrior]

Every reel, every time out, full spools, no matter if the reel was used or not....

Tight Lines!!!!

You crazy, mahn...

8-)

[The Next KVD]

I respool every reel before each tourny. the exception is braid which in some cases has lasted me for 4 years now.  

[aggiebassin]

i, like many of you, respool as needed.  i don't get line for free, so i just do it whenever the spool gets low or if it breaks a time or so, or if i just feel like trying something new

[Jigfishn10]

With mono I'm like Bass Hammer, if I see my casting distance go way down, then I know it's time. I take off about half the spool and blood knot new on. I also go by feel, if the line doesn't feel slick or leaves a chaulky residue on my fingers then I re-tie half or about half the spool.

When I get new line at the beginning of the season, the finger/chaulky residue test is usually more frequent as the spool of line has been sitting on the shelf all winter and has had a head start in drying out. Drives me crazy to have to change so frequently at this time, but I'd rather have to spend money on line then replace lures that go flying off after 2 or 3 fishing sessions...LOL...yeah, I learned the hard way.