How to Spool a Baitcaster

Experienced anglers spool new line on their baitcaster reels before the start of fishing season. Fresh fishing line means fewer snarls and snags, which are the bane of a baitcasting reel, and more landed fish. It takes less than half an hour to load a baitcaster reel with new line if you follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Bait casting reel and rod
New spool of line
Scissors
Wooden dowel or pencil

Step 1

Strip off the old fishing line from the baitcaster reel and cut the knot with a scissor.

Step 2

Insert the end of the new fishing line through the baitcaster level winder. This is a wire loop that moves back and forth over the surface of the spool during retrieval to ensure that the line rolls on the spool evenly.

Step 3

Wrap the line around the spool three or four times and tie it with a simple loop knot, then cut the extra line close to the spool.

Step 4

Push a wooden dowel or pencil through the hole in the center of the plastic spool holding your new line. Ask a friend to hold the dowel or pencil for you to keep the spool from rolling around and getting tangled.

Step 5

Fill the baitcaster reel with fresh line to the level recommended in the owner's manual or check the mark lines inside the spool edge to determine how much line the reel will hold. You will get more 10-pound line than 40-pound line on the same size baitcaster reel.

Step 6

Tie a snap swivel to the end of the line and clip the snap on the line guide or the reel handle until you are ready to fish; this prevents the line from unspooling in big loops.

Article Written By James Clark

James Clark began his career in 1985. He has written about electronics, appliance repair and outdoor topics for a variety of publications and websites. He has more than four years of experience in appliance and electrical repairs. Clark holds a bachelor's degree in political science.

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