Which way to spool a spinning reel

After the cast the wire, called the bail, is closed by hand or with a turn of the handle. Then an angler can start to pick up the line once again.

The one consistent hobgoblin of spinning reels is line twist. While manufacturers have taken all sorts of preventative measures and developed technological advances to minimize this problem, the number one thing an angler can do to prevent it is to spool their line on properly. Ten pound test monofilament has a much larger diameter than 10 pound test braid, so if your reel is rated for one and you try to spool it up with the other, you may end up with far more or far less line than you expected.

Your spinning reel may hold yards of 8 pound test fluorocarbon, but for many of us the bottom half or even bottom two-thirds of that capacity will never see the light of day during an actual fishing trip.

Accordingly, you can add a bit of backing to your reel to avoid wasting precious line. Thus your line will slip more than your drag would otherwise allow. On subsequent restringings, you can just remove a portion of the line. Some anglers use electrical tape in place of backing, but this is just likely to leave a sticky mess. While there are some inexpensive consumer line stringing apparatuses, and some tackle stores offer more advanced versions, all you really need to string your reel up properly is a spinning rod.

Make sure that your filler spool is lying flat with the label facing up and begin reeling. Continue spooling your spinning reel until your line is one-eighth of an inch from the edge of the spool. At that point, you can cut your line and feed it through the remaining eyelets on your rod. Braided fishing line can be a great choice for anglers needing a strong line in a thin profile.

However, due to its slippery qualities and inability to grip the reel spool, a layer of backing is necessary for fishermen exploring this tackle option. A monofilament backing can help provide a better gripping surface for your braid while being a cost-effective choice, too. Next, thread your braided line through the first eyelet and attach it to your monofilament via double-uni knot.

For more information on how to tie a double-uni knot, be sure to check out these fishing Pro Tips. Once you have the line attached securely, close the bail and pull on the line to tighten the knot.

During this entire process, you will want to keep the line running to the spool taut. Here is where the main step is to reduce the amount of line twist. With the rod and reel facing out at a normal position, check to see which direction your rotor and bail turn.

For the vast majority of spinning reels, it is going to be in a clockwise direction. If so, you want the line to come off the spool in the opposite direction, counterclockwise. Most line manufactures know this and line will come off the spool counterclockwise with the face of the spool facing you.

If not, just flip the spool, so the back face is towards you. You can lay the spool on the ground in front of you or have someone hold the spool, as long as the line is coming off in the opposite direction your bail rotates you are fine.

Now, when you reel line onto the spool, keeping the line tight, line is leaving the spool and coming onto your reel in the same direction is was spooled by the manufacturer. The line has memory, and spooling line in the opposite direction goes against this memory and causes the line to twist. By following the steps we have outlined, you are putting line onto your reel in the same direction it was put onto the spool by the manufacturer.

This is going to dramatically reduce line twist. One thing that a lot of people mess up on when nearing the end of the spooling process is over spooling. You should never put so much line on the reel that it comes out to the lip of the spool.

You can leave some line coming out of the last eyelet, tie on a lure and stuff the rod and reel back in the boat or you can break it down. If you are breaking down the rod and reel for storage, we like to tape down the tag end of the line to the reel with a little piece of tape to keep it from wrapping itself into the reel. And there you have it!