How To Replace Your Fishing Line

Now that you have learned what to look for in a new rod, you're ready to attach a reel and tie on some new line. If your reel is not new, then you must first remove the old line. After that, feed the new line from the tip of the pole down through the eyelets and tie the line around the reel. Note that it always pays to buy the highest quality line. Cheaper line has a tendency to coil up and cause a lot of knots. If your reel is a closed reel, slide a pencil through the center of the fishing line spool, and have someone else hold the spool to keep tension on the line as you begin to reel it in.

Never place too much tension on the line as you are reeling it in or it can cause the line to stretch, twist and cause knots. If you have an open-faced reel, then just put the spool on the floor and let the reel keep the proper tension. Be sure to have the spool facing in the direction so that the line is feeding off of it in a counterclockwise manner. All you need to do, is let the line feed through your fingers as it goes on to the reel. Crank 20 times or so and then check to see if the line is twisting or not. If it is, try turning the spool of line over. Then continue reeling in the line until it fills the spool on the reel within 1/8 of an inch from the edge.

Periodically check your line to see if it is still in good shape. A good way to do this is to strip off a lot of line and then reel it in through your finger tips. This way you can feel if there are any tiny knicks or knots in the line. Over time, rocks and sticks in the water knick the line and cause these weak areas. Also, visually inspect the line as you are reeling it back in. Note that when stripping off a lot of line you run the risk of creating a rats nest out of your line. One way to avoid this is by tying your line on to another fishing reel and reeling it on to that one. Or, if you are fishing in a river, just use a floating bobber and let your line be taken downstream until you reel it back in. This way it won't get tangled.

If you find some of these weak spots, either replace your line, if the knick is way down the line, or just cut the line at that point. If you cut off too much line, then you could have trouble casting long distances, as the line won't feed off the reel as smoothly. For this reason, it's wise to keep the spool on your reel full up to 1/8 of an inch from the edge. Since fishing line is cheap, as a precaution, replace your line every year. It's better to avoid having your line break just when you have caught that gigantic salmon, bass or catfish!

Don't forget, when stripping off your old line, clip it up in to tiny pieces and throw it away. Too many fishermen leave it on the shore to entangle the local wildlife.