Respooling Reels, how often?
derekrusty
Posted 3/13/2011 11:24 AM (#486748)
Subject: Respooling Reels, how often?





Posts: 186


Location: Waconia, MN
Hey Guys, Curious as to how often you all respool your muskie rigs? I typically throw 80lb PowerPro and Tufline XP, and respool at the beginning of each year. Is this overkill? Could I go more than 1 season with the same line? Thanks!
Don Pursch
Posted 3/13/2011 11:29 AM (#486750 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: RE: Respooling Reels, how often?




Posts: 112


Location: Nielsen's Fly-In Lodge, on Rowan Lake
depends on how much time on the water but you do hane backing on your reel so switch ends and your good to go good lines now a days not like the old black stuff Don
muskie! nut
Posted 3/13/2011 11:38 AM (#486751 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?





Posts: 2894


Location: Yahara River Chain
Yes it mainly depends on how much you fish. If you aren't fish every day, then you should be able to get a couple of years out of a spool of line (one end). Of course like Don says, flip the line and use the other end as its new line.
JimtenHaaf
Posted 3/13/2011 11:38 AM (#486752 - in reply to #486750)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?





Posts: 717


Location: Grand Rapids, MI
I reverse or respool before the opener every year. But, throughout the year, I take off the last 10-15' whenever it starts fraying bad.
whynot
Posted 3/13/2011 11:43 AM (#486753 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?




Posts: 897


I like a full spool so I respool whenever I feel like it's getting low. That said, I only put about 75 yards of braid on each reel and fill the rest with 20lb backing so the I'm not wasting a lot of money.
derekrusty
Posted 3/13/2011 11:54 AM (#486757 - in reply to #486753)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?





Posts: 186


Location: Waconia, MN
Whynot - You bring up another question of mine, the line backing on the reel, does anyone have a preferance as to size and type, or does it really not matter?
Ryan Marlowe
Posted 3/13/2011 12:39 PM (#486762 - in reply to #486757)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?





Posts: 143


Location: Lake of The Woods
Exactly what whynot mentions, but i use 17lb.
MuskieTom
Posted 3/13/2011 12:46 PM (#486766 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?




Posts: 146


Location: where the fish are...
I use a fair amount of 12lbs mono, I bought a huge spool of calcutta line that was insanely cheap and thats what i back with, Then i respool every year, but i take off about a cast length every 1/4 of the season plus about 4-5 ft when i swap leaders. I am wasteful with line im sure but id rather loose a fish because she came unbuttoned than a equipment malfunction.
esoxcpr
Posted 3/13/2011 1:17 PM (#486771 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Backing Line




Posts: 149


When using a backing line, pound test is not relevant. You want to match up the line diameter of the backing to the line diameter of whatever line you are putting on top of it, or get it as close as you can. I use 80 and 100 lb Power Pro on all my musky reels, which are 0.17 and 0.18 diameter respectively and I use one of the cheap large spools of Ande 20 lb as backing / filler as it's very close to the same diameter.

You can use any line you want, as it's simply backing that will never be exposed or needed. It's role is to take up space on the spool so you don't use as much expensive superline to fill it. I use the large Ande spools because they are extremely cheap and it doesn't matter anyway.

For respooling, superlines can last indefinitely. Superlines dye may fade, but the lines themselves do not degrade or weaken over time like traditional braided, mono or florocarbon lines do. Just reverse the line each season by attaching the used end to an empty reel (or one with backing on it already) and you'll get the 'less used' portion on top for the next season. I found that after I cycle through each end twice, meaning 4 seasons use out of a spool of superline I've cut enough off the ends by retying, etc that there isn't enough left to properly respool how I'd like and so I go with new.
whynot
Posted 3/13/2011 2:36 PM (#486798 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?




Posts: 897


The way I do it doesn't allow me to "recycle" the line to another reel because it won't be enough to fill any of them. What I do is put it back on a spool and use it for tip-up line, for measuring the girth of fish, mending my net if holes develop, and whatever else comes up.
kyleharty
Posted 3/13/2011 4:16 PM (#486820 - in reply to #486748)
Subject: Re: Respooling Reels, how often?




Posts: 56


Location: Southern MN
I've ended up respooling a little more often than most of you guys it seems, I cut off line if I have any doubt on it's strength. Any nicks, bad backlashes, stuff like that; probably happens to me more than you guys that have been doing this forever! The reel I used last season didn't have a ton of extra capacity so I ended up respooling it a couple times last season.

The way I look at it the line may not be "cheap" but compared to $20-30 lures I'd rather replace the line than lose a bait, especially if it were to be stuck in a fish's mouth.

Edited by kyleharty 3/13/2011 4:18 PM