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.