How to Spool a Fishing Line onto a Reel

If you are faced with the necessity of a fresh spool of line, the biggest and most important decision is whether to buy a pre-wrapped spool and do it yourself or have a local bait and tackle shop spool one for you.  The answer to this dilemma is quite simple: let a professional spool the line whenever you can.

There’s little doubt that doing this will cost you slightly more money, but what it can save in aggravation will surely make up for it.  Stop and consider the risks – line twist, bad tension, not enough or too much line – and it’s not hard to see why a professionally wrapped spool wins every time.

You can purchase filler spools in a broad range of lengths, in various increments between 125 and 300 feet.  Because each reel is unique, depending on the size of the line you are utilizing, each will hold dissimilar lengths.  As a result, it becomes practically inevitable to wind up with either too much or too little.  This problem causes further troubles, and soon your reel will not operate in any way.

At some point, you are likely to find yourself in a situation where filling your reel becomes a necessity instead of an option.  When this happens, there are some simple steps to be aware of.  They can mean the difference between successfully filling your reel and seeing your reel fail at a most inopportune time.

You are likely familiar with the aggravation of twisted or tangled line, but this is preventable by simply having a professional roll it.  Nonetheless, you can avoid a twisted line even when you decide to wind the line yourself. These straightforward steps will help put a stop to twisted lines by creating a spool holder using only a can and pencil. First, you start this project by drilling holes into the sides of a can. Force a pencil/thin stick through the holes with the spool on it.  As easy as that! If you have someone to help you, you can thrust a pencil or stick through the middle of the roll of line with some help.  Fill the reel while your help holds the roll.

From time to time you’ll find that the drag or tension in your line isn’t quite right for the fishing.  When a reel is filled in a professional shop they’ll often use internal measures to ensure that tension is maintained during the spooling process to help create drag on a line.  To ensure that a home-rolled line has the proper tension, you can use some everyday items.  Take an old phone book, place the line between the pages and then put a couple of books on top of that.  This creates just enough drag to ensure that your line is rolled with the right amount of tension allowing you load your reel snugly.

There are a few brands of line (such as Daiwa, Avet, Shimano and Van Staal) that regularly offer you with a suggested weight and length perfect for your specific reel.  Nevertheless, a rule of thumb is to always purchase too much line seeing as how under-spooling can generate more troubles than you wish to think about.  When you are uncertain as to how much line to purchase, think about purchasing a bulk spool, which is obtainable in lengths up to 1500 yards.  Remember that loading your reel incorrectly can devastate your retrieval percentage!

Everyone agrees that a professional spooled reel is almost always preferable to a do-it-yourself. However, if you ever need to do it yourself, these handy tips can help make sure that your reel is loaded properly and you’re able to get the most out of your fishing experience.

There are many types of reels out on the market. Doing research to determine which one is right for you is extremely important. Some of the most popular reels out there today include Saltiga 30T and Shimano Calcutta 400B.