Reel spooling question

bkwapisz

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Well today it was 75 degrees up here in Northern Michgan and I decided to respool the reels for the upcoming season. I spooled up my new Pflueger 8040 spinning reel with 12lb test Mono and noticed that it didn't spool evenly, even though the spool itself moves in and out nicely as it works. There is more line towards the reel than there is toward the outward edge of the spool.

Why is this? And yes I did hold the feed spool correctly to ensure there wouldn't be twists.

Any help would be apreciated.
 

MRS

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Re: Reel spooling question

If you did not keep the line tight going into the spool even for a second it could make just enough slack to let it build up in one spot. Take it to the water and give it a few easy cast and rewind tight plus you might have alittle to much line on the spool.
 

bkwapisz

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Re: Reel spooling question

If you did not keep the line tight going into the spool even for a second it could make just enough slack to let it build up in one spot. Take it to the water and give it a few easy cast and rewind tight plus you might have alittle to much line on the spool.

I'll throw a casting lug on there and give her a go. right now there's about 2mm of the back side showing, but over 1/4 of an inch on the forward side.

I had a light drag on it, do I want a really tight wind on that one?
 

MRS

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Re: Reel spooling question

Yup tight is what you want you should pinch line in your fingers just ahead of the reel while winding line on to the spool.
 

Mark_VTfisherman

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Re: Reel spooling question

Spinning reels can be tough the first "load." One way to avoid this is to go to your local competent tackle shop and have them apply the line you bought from them with a line-winder machine. Good tackle shops do not charge extra for this service.

You could even ask if they have your line choice on a bulk spool. Might cost less than the packaged spooll your are buying.

No, you won't get that kind of service for the $1- $2 you will save going to walmart or buying online at BPS or Cabellas :)
 

bkwapisz

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Re: Reel spooling question

Spinning reels can be tough the first "load." One way to avoid this is to go to your local competent tackle shop and have them apply the line you bought from them with a line-winder machine. Good tackle shops do not charge extra for this service.

You could even ask if they have your line choice on a bulk spool. Might cost less than the packaged spooll your are buying.

No, you won't get that kind of service for the $1- $2 you will save going to walmart or buying online at BPS or Cabellas :)



But basically I need a fairly good amoutn of tension on it when spooling it up? I thought I only needed a 'fair' amount of tension, not a whole lot, and I'm getting that maybe I needed it a fair amount tighter...? And believe it or not there aren't many tackle shops around here. I'm more of a DIY guy anyways so I 'd like to learn to get it right myself.
 

Mark_VTfisherman

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Re: Reel spooling question

But basically I need a fairly good amoutn of tension on it when spooling it up? I thought I only needed a 'fair' amount of tension, not a whole lot, and I'm getting that maybe I needed it a fair amount tighter...? And believe it or not there aren't many tackle shops around here. I'm more of a DIY guy anyways so I 'd like to learn to get it right myself.

OK- on a spinning reel, simply having a fish on pulling drag can introduce a lot of line twist. And you can get a lot of line twist trolling many lures without a swivel somewhere, or casting a spinner repeatedly without a swivel. Spinning reels can gain line twist which creates loops around the rod tip, impedes casting distance, and can impede the lure depending on what it is. you probably already knew this.

I said all that stuff to say: when we start loading fresh line on a reel, we want it to lay on as smooth as possible, with no line twist, and with as little stretch as possible without it being loose. Mono can go on "stretched" and leave an impression in the underlying wraps of line.

Because a spinning reel loads on over a rotating frame with a roller, by nature it introduces line twist. When you load on a machine, you can roll off the bulk spool directly onto the reel spool. No twist, and the line is tight, almost stretched but not actually stretched.

Similarly, when you load off a bulk spool at home by winding it on with your reel, here is the best way I have found to do it:

Place the spool flat on the floor in front of you, run the line up through the first guide from the reel and tie it on the reel with the bail open. One wrap of electrical tape under the loop can keep if from slipping, OR I often tie the line on with a simple square knot, and then start reeling with the line pinched in my fingers between the guide and the reel. After a few wraps have "locked" the line in place, I increase my pinch, stretching the line, and make about 10-12 cranks of the handle with A LOT of tension on the line. Then I ease up the tension to where the line is not stretching and keep cranking. You can use a little body english with the fingers holding the line to direct it on the reel. As you reel, you will notice that the "free" untensioned line between the bulk spool and the line guide will start to show twist. Simply flip the reel over and that twist will counteract and go away. At that point, I start flipping the reel as my watching of the line shows that the line twist is building... Pretty much that does it. Line twist will gain more in one direction than the other, and to be honest I never can remember by looking- if I start cranking and the line twist builds too fast I know I started wrong! I just correct and don't worry a lot since that is the 'backing' end of the line to me.

Once the reel is full, I run the line out through the remaining guides, tie on a nice swivel and attach that to a tree or something, and then walk away with the bail open about 150 feet. Then I close the bail, put some tension on the rod, and pluck the line about a dozen times. That unspins whatever twist is in that casting part of your line. Then with a little rod-bend, I reel up to the swivel and I am ready to go.

Others have "special" ways of unspooling their bulk reels or flipping the spool every ten revolutions or whatever, and I know one guy that can take a half-hour explaining how it "should be done", but this method has served me well.
 

bassman284

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Re: Reel spooling question

Two thiings I've done:

If you have a boat, drop the bare line in the water and head off with the trolling motor (or idle off with the main) and strip off most of the line. Stop and reel in. Your twist will be gone.

If no boat, set bare line on the ground, set a rock on it to hold it in place, and walk off a 100 yards or so, pull the line free and reel in.
 

John_S

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Re: Reel spooling question

I suspect your problem was caused by not enough tension and the drag was too loose. Need to tighten the drag to at least how you fish it. This will make sure it is seated on the shaft. I am not familiar with your reel, but some spinning reels come with shims to adjust how the line lies on the spool. If that was the case causing your problem, you need to remove one.

BTW: I load my reels using the same method as Mark described. I do spray the line with "reel magic" after spooled.
 

gonefishie

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Re: Reel spooling question

The line needs to be thread thru the at least the guide closest to the reel. I put them thru all the guides. Is it necessary? no but since you're gonna do that after the reel is filled anyway, why not? I put a stick thru the middle of the spool and the ends of the stick between my feet. You can apply tension on the spool by controlling the amount of contact between floor and spool. Line goes on evenly every time and no need to pinch th the line this way. Tension needs to be just enough for the line to lay on the reel tight. Letting the line out behind the boat is the best way to fix line twist.
 

yourkiddin

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Re: Reel spooling question

so are you guys pulling the line from the top or bottom for the spinning reel?
 

Mark_VTfisherman

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Re: Reel spooling question

so are you guys pulling the line from the top or bottom for the spinning reel?

Neither. I lay the spool flat and start cranking it onto the reel. As twist develops, I flip the spool which untwists the line. I never remember which way to start - so I just start cranking and watch for twist, flipping the spool over if/when twist shows up.

If you have a way of holding the spool, winding the line on reel-to-reel style (which is how the line winder machines work) is the best method. But if you crank off the spool (on a shaft) onto a spinning reel you will need to use one of the methods suggested below to untwist the line to minimize "coiling."
 

tpcowfish

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Re: Reel spooling question

My grandson had that happen while out fishing, drag was set to low, and line wrapped around an eye causing uneven pressure. I cast it back out ,let all line out , and reeled it back in with drag set properly, it has been fine since
 

bkwapisz

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Re: Reel spooling question

Neither. I lay the spool flat and start cranking it onto the reel. As twist develops, I flip the spool which untwists the line. I never remember which way to start - so I just start cranking and watch for twist, flipping the spool over if/when twist shows up.

If you have a way of holding the spool, winding the line on reel-to-reel style (which is how the line winder machines work) is the best method. But if you crank off the spool (on a shaft) onto a spinning reel you will need to use one of the methods suggested below to untwist the line to minimize "coiling."


I made a spooler to hold it so it came of the way it went on, hoping to minimize the twist, but it still loaded unevenly. There's more line on the inboard side than on the outboard side, like the back and forth of the spool wasn't even... I'll seee if I can take a pic, or I have as yet to try the cast-out and reel in method described above...
 

JB Platte

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Re: Reel spooling question

Someone else touched on this already but after respooling all of my reels I always let all the line out while slowly trolling. Don't use any lures or weights just bare line. Let all of the line out. Let the water do the work for you
 

gonefishie

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Re: Reel spooling question

I made a spooler to hold it so it came of the way it went on, hoping to minimize the twist, but it still loaded unevenly. There's more line on the inboard side than on the outboard side, like the back and forth of the spool wasn't even... I'll seee if I can take a pic, or I have as yet to try the cast-out and reel in method described above...

Two thing I could think of that would cause that. 1: sumthin wrong with the bail wire; 2: the line has to be thread thru at least the last line guide (the biggest one)
 

bkwapisz

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Re: Reel spooling question

Two thing I could think of that would cause that. 1: sumthin wrong with the bail wire; 2: the line has to be thread thru at least the last line guide (the biggest one)


I threaded the line thru the last guid but on an old casting reel, so the last guide was very small compared to a spinning rod. Not sure if that makes a difference or not, but I plan on taking the kids fishing this weekend so maybe I'll try it then and see if it corrects itself. Right now the reel is mounted on a proper rod that's only one piece which is why I used the other to load it.
 

Mark_VTfisherman

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Re: Reel spooling question

I made a spooler to hold it so it came of the way it went on, hoping to minimize the twist, but it still loaded unevenly. There's more line on the inboard side than on the outboard side, like the back and forth of the spool wasn't even... I'll seee if I can take a pic, or I have as yet to try the cast-out and reel in method described above...

The issue is that as a spinning reel winds in, it is constantly creating twist since the bail roller rotates about the reel spool axis. Since the diameter is typically 1/2 to 1/3 of a line spool, even if it is cranked straight on the reel will gain twist which will need to be compensated for. That is part of the problem.

Secondly, I think it is your reel that is causing the uneven loading. Higher-end reels are more predictably engineered to wind on evenly. But even some nice reels miss the boat: Okuma spinning reels for example. I gave up on mono or hybrid on mine and use them for braided line now. Maybe your reel is creating more of a problem than what is inherent in spinning reels. Who knows?

The water drag method *does* work well, BTW
 

bkwapisz

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Re: Reel spooling question

The issue is that as a spinning reel winds in, it is constantly creating twist since the bail roller rotates about the reel spool axis. Since the diameter is typically 1/2 to 1/3 of a line spool, even if it is cranked straight on the reel will gain twist which will need to be compensated for. That is part of the problem.

Secondly, I think it is your reel that is causing the uneven loading. Higher-end reels are more predictably engineered to wind on evenly. But even some nice reels miss the boat: Okuma spinning reels for example. I gave up on mono or hybrid on mine and use them for braided line now. Maybe your reel is creating more of a problem than what is inherent in spinning reels. Who knows?

The water drag method *does* work well, BTW

Thanks MarkVT and others. I just got word my docks and lift are in so we're splashing the boat this Saturday for the season, and there's no way I'll get out of fishing this weekend with my 7yr old. I've created a monster there. lol. This kid lam-bastes me every day as to why we're not going out. I'm going to pull that pole out and give it a try. Otherwise I'll despool and retry again using the techniques described here and report back.

Thanks again everyone for all the great input and help for a newb!

Brian.
 

pac city

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Re: Reel spooling question

I threaded the line thru the last guid but on an old casting reel, so the last guide was very small compared to a spinning rod. Not sure if that makes a difference or not, but I plan on taking the kids fishing this weekend so maybe I'll try it then and see if it corrects itself. Right now the reel is mounted on a proper rod that's only one piece which is why I used the other to load it.

i think the prob is the size of the guide. spinning and casting rods are two differant animals. you loaded a spin reel with a casting rod.spinreels need the bigger guides . then deal with line twist when fishing.
 
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