Respooling Question

[Teri C.]

I did a forum search and didn't find anything so pardon me if this has already been covered....



Several of my reels are about half full with line. I have a tournament coming up so I started the respooling process last night. It seems like I am always putting new line on which gets expensive. So my question is...



I've read that people would put new line over whats already there instead of stripping all the line off and putting all new on. The thought of doing that doesn't sit well with me but maybe this is more common than I think. Is this ok or should I continue to take perfectly good line off and start the respool from the beginning?

 

[Texas Transplant]

When I respool, I respool completely for many reasons. Not the least is that I simply am not that proficient with joing lines together - and I don't want a 'knot' down in the middle of my reel.



Tex

 

[Bill McElroy]

Deffinitely respool over the top of your older line, using a blood knot to join the two.....just make sure you take enough of the old line off to make you feel comfy about it. If your spool holds 150yds of 12lb....take atleast 100yds off. The extra 50yds left on will save you a bunch over the long haul!!



If I'm using 12-17lb test mono on a baitcaster, I will take all the old line off,...but on a spinning reel, especially with 6-12line (and most deffinitely with braid), I will use the old line as a spool arbor or filler,.....braid is expensive and I'll make it go as far as i can!!

 

[Randy Walls]

Teri I also take off about 2/3 of the line when I respool. Like Mac, I also use about 1/3 mono as a backer for braid. In the long haul it can save. The places I fish are so wood and "other things" jammed that I break off a lot.



Randy!

 

[Chris F.]

I always re-spool over my old line. When the knot starts to show at the end of a long cast, strip it off and re-spool again. Chris F.

 

[Dan J.]

To keep from having a lump on the spool from the knot (particularly heavy lines), cover the old 1/3 spool with a wrap of tape. (Type really doesn't matter, but friction tape is easy on and off.) Then put the new 2/3 on top just like a new, bare spool. Good luck!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Teri,



Either a blood knot, or my favorite, a double uni-knot to join two lines, but also glue the knot with "Fishin' Glue". I buy a 20# mono backer line, Capt. ????, and spool up about 1/3 to 1/2 (whatever leaves about 50-60 yards of primary line yet to go). Just remember that while the braid can be reused (turning it around so that the top is now the bottom) the Mono backer should be replaced annually. Respooling and/or just checking about 100 rods starts in late January and usually takes me till Late February or March... I use several old Shakespeare trolling reels to pull and store line for reel to reel transfers, if necessary.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Once you get the hang of tying a blood knot...they're strong.

 

[Marty Klein]

Agree with those that add new over old. A good knot joining the sections rarely causes issues unless you are tied to close the the fighting end of the new line. I've never had a wiper hybrid, large drum, large cat, large bass or tiny crappie ever run out the line past the knot.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I also take braid and tie it to another reel/spool that fits the rod I am taking it off of. Just wind from one spool to the next and all of the new line is now on top with the old next to the spool.



TOXIC

 

[Chris Castineira]

I have taken the worn/use end of the braid and srung it backward on another set up so I can use both sides of the line, that way you get use out of the hole length of braid.



CHRIS CAS

 

[Berry Lindley]

Other than saltwater and striper gear, I ALWAYS spool over old line. If you can't tie a uni just tie 2 clinches. That works just fine. I will take my fingernail and make a plae to sort of poke the knot in. A few wraps of line covers it in a snap. I've never lost a fish due to a splice in 30 yrs.

 

[Texas Transplant]

I guess that I'm simply in the minority on this one. Interesting comments though.



Tex

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Unless I'm tourny fishin'...it's not really necessary. I bet you go thru alot of line Tex!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Well, not really. I'm not fishing club T's or Federation T's anymore (at least not now). I averaged respooling about twice a year. I do have my 'braid' reel rigged with a mono backing, but other than that I strip it all off and put on fresh.



Given that we have taken up at least a small amount of fly fishing, that experience may well have me changing my mind though.



Tex

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Tex, I am with you. When I respool, I respool the entire rig. I also end up respolling most rigs 2 times per year. The ones I use a bit less, I can go the entire season without respooling.

 

[Derek Chance]

I also use backing on my reels. I connect them with a double uni knot also. another big overlooked factor is the use of KVD Line and Lure conditioner. I think its biggest benefit is that it keeps my line fresh for a lot longer time which means I don't have to respool near as often. this saves me big money in the long run not having to buy expensive fluoro.

 

[T AMBURGEY]

All my reels have a backing, some of the backings have been on there for years, but I change line often

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Under tournament conditions after every day, I would respool 10 yrds past my longest cast, now that I only fish for fun I am thinking only once a year and that will be right before the BHAM this year if it happens..



BF

 

[Jeff Daubert]

I have many reels that hold the same amount of line. When I use braid, since it has little to no memory, I tie the end of the used line to another reel and reel it all back onto that reel. On most of my reels the the line from the bottom half of the spool never gets wet, so once I do this I can use that portion of the line, which is esentialy new. I can get a season out of the amount on one spool by changing the ends like this. I don't do it with mono or even floro because of the memory though.

 

[Teri C.]

I must have a serious problem (lol, shut it MVM....I know I have "issues)with line. Seems like after every tournament I have to respool at least 2 (out of 5) of my reels. Last time, one was due to a big bird nest (operator error) and the other was due to break offs. My pros are not so nice about going to get my stuff when it's stuck. I've been taking all the line off and putting all new on. Before I tournament fished, I was a once or twice a year on one maybe two reels. Not sure about spooling over line. I might have to ease into that one. At $11-15 for 200 yards it gets expensive.

 

[Dan J.]

Teri - FWIW, most every line mfr. over spools fill packs about 10%. (200yd pkg. usually has 210+ yardage) With your reels 1/3 backed (taped, tied...whatever) you should easily get three respools (about 70yds ea.) out of one 200 yd. pkg. That's less than $5 a reel for a quality line respooling.

 

[Bill McElroy]

Exactly,...and remember...by the time your spool ever got low enough to where you could "feel" the blood or uni-knot holding the lines together,......then you'd have to add more line anyway. Whenever I had new line over old line..I always remove the line down to the blood know anyway and re-tie there......as Dan said,..it's 60-70yds of new line going on and that will last quite awhile!!