The Complete Guide to Putting on New Fishing Line

Does outside look like this, or even worse? Well, while you wait for it to melt and go away why not get your fishing tackle ready for the much anticipated Spring.

This is the complete guide to putting on new fishing line on the sweet combo of yours.

This guide uses a baitcaster as an example, but you can use this for spinning reel all the same with a few different alterations.

***Remember***

You can checkout me at https://www.instructables.com/member/ABCass1/ for more instructables.

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Leave me a comment or question and I will get back to you.

Author's Note***

This rod is my Frog Rod, I put 65 lb. braid on it.

If you want me to tell you which I like better between monofilament, fluorocarbon, braid etc., thats a whole another instructables.

If you like me to show you how I clean my equipment, thats another instructables. (Coming Soon)

Its a Shimano reel, if you want me to talk about best company to use, that is another instructables.

Its a Berkley Rod, if you want me to talk about the best company to use, again, another instructables.

The sport of fishing is all about the Benjamins. Professionals are paid by sponsors to say they use their product and its the best, but when it comes down to it, they are going to use what works best for them and catch fish.

Follow me you never know what I might do next.

Tips like the one you are about to see, are the difference between professional anglers and the weekend warrior, use them to your discretion.

Ok get that sweet combo of yours.

Remove the lure attached from last season and put it to the side.

For baitcasting, pushing down on the bail to free spool

For Spinning, flip the bail to free spool

Prop your rod and reel so you can begin stripping line.

Loosely pull and wrap the line around your fingers, periodically pull the line off your fingers so you don't cut off you circulation.

Stop when your line goes tight.

Carefully snip the knot on your spool

For baitcasting, remove the side panel of your reel housing. All reels are different, check your owners manual for the proper way to remove the side panel. Some are twist knobs, some are pull pins, depends on the manufacture of your reel.

For Spinning, twist the drag cap loose on the top of your reel. If your drag is at the bottom, then you can just twist the cap from the top of the reel.

Carefully, remove the spool from your reel housing. Put it off to the side where its not going to fall or get dented (that is bad news).

With the spool removed grab some supplies.

Your line and masking tape

Optional: Writing utensil, razor blade or scissors

Some Professional will tell you the back their spool with some type of line to prevent slipping. Slipping is caused when the deep part of your line on the spool spins beneath itself causing twists, backlashes, knots, etc.

I use masking tape. Masking tape is light and will hold your line tighter than anything else.

Ok, take your masking tape and wrap slowly around the spool. Just before you come completely around use your writing utensil to mark the diameter of the spool. Peel it off your spool and use it to measure a clean piece of masking tape with clean edges you have just cut with your razor or scissors. Attach the masking tape to the center of your spool tightly.

If you don't care for making it flush, stick the tape to the spool, go around and when the ends meet tear and press firmly. **Note*** over lapping your tape does add weight to one side of the spool which may alter the way your spool spins when casting.

Grab your line and run it down through the guides on your rod to your reel.

At your reel,

For Baitcasting, run the line through the reel eye and out the side panel opening.

For Spinning, move straight to the knot, when attaching your spool flip the bail up, like you are going to cast, and twist the cap back on

Tie the knot.

The Knot is an Arbor Knot (see picture)

1-run main line around the spool

2-make the first overhand knot with the main line running through it

3-Wet knot with Salvia and loosely tighten

4- With the tag end tie the second overhand knot, wet, and loosely tighten

5-Cut the little bit of tag past your second overhand knot

6. Pull the main line till the first overhand knot grabs the spool, you will notice the second overhand knot will then slide to the first knot

7. Put your finger over both knots and pull while rotating the spool till loop snug around the spool

For baitcasting, make sure you do not wrap the line around the axle of the spool when placing the spool back in the reel housing,

For Spinning, again, when attaching your spool flip the bail up, like you are going to cast, and twist the cap back on

Putting the rod butt against your hip, wrap your rod hand's ring and pinky around the rod while holding the line with some pressure with your index and middle finger and thumb. Crank a few wraps around the spool.

See Picture for a visual representation of how reels send and receive line.

How the line comes off your reel is how the line should be put on your line. This prevents line twists and backlashes.

So you are ready to finish your newly lined rod.

For baitcasting, you can have a friend push a round narrow object through the spool of the new line, or you can make or buy a contraption that will hold your line spool.

For spinning, place the line spool on the ground, flat, and you are ready to go

Adjust your drag so that you can pull line from your spool with some effort, but not line-breaking effort.

Crank some line onto your reel while holding pressure with your fingers and thumb ( as explained in the previous step).

Stop every so often to pull line off your reel with drag engaged. This locks the line in around the spool. At this time you can also add some line conditioners and protectants, Just make sure you use the right kind of spray for the right kind of line. Do that until you fill your spool up with line which should be about a centimeter away from the outer edge of the spool. Tie on that lure you put off to the side and...

BlAM! YOUR DONE!

If done right, it will be better than any line machine ever.

Once you get used to this process, you can do a rod ever 5 minutes.

And when next season comes around, you can leave the masking tape on from the previous time of replacement.

Remember,

Practice catch and release, once they're gone, they're gone

If you gotta eat, take the little ones, let the big ones go, they'll make big babies.