Line Twist

[Vitreus]

So, I've been using some frabill straight line reels on some of my panfish rods. While I must say that I am not satisfied with the overall quality of these reels, I do appreciate the absence of a slinky-like line descending from my reel. Maybe it's just the monofilament line I'm using, but I need to do something about my spinning reels. How do I kick the line twist?

[Esox_Magnum]

Buy more inlines...bait choice has alot to do with twist as well as jigging action besides the natural problem of a spinning reel causing twist....

[chrishalvy]

Tough problem. I also battle it.

Make sure the line comes off the spool the same way it is going on to the rod.

Also, just have the reel lined-up at the place you buy your line.

Most decent stores can do this for you.

[Fishin4fun_MN]

Put a good barrel or ball bearing swivel 12-18" from your hook.

[chrishalvy]

I've heard people talk about this.

Does it really work that well?

If so, Size?

[DTro]

Just hand stretch about 6 or 7 arm lengths each time you start fishing. The line will come off straight the rest of the day.

[scott b]

Mono has memory (coils) especially when new, after laying on your reel for a bit. The best way to combat this problem is to pre-stretch the line. Start at the end of the line and grab in both hands about 5 ft apart. Give a good healthy stretch of the line and repeat. Start by pulling the line from the tip of the rod and if fishing deep make sure to give yourself enough space to lay your line out. Reel it all back up putting the line between your thumb and pointer fingers to create pressure against the spool. Repeating this last step won't hurt either! This will also take out the twist even more.

For open water I spool up a reel on the rod, flipping the line spool every time it started to coil. Go out in the yard, open the bail, and walk it out a good (cast) length away. Now all the line is out, and I can just stretch as I go walking from end of the line back to the rod. When I was a kid I would make my friends run out a distance with the line and we could stretch it faster that way.

Fact: Monofilament will stretch up to 40% of it's total length.

Fact: Hearing your drag is not a good thing! Use your back reel switch after hooking a bigger fish. Never reel against a your drag. This will cause insane amounts of twist. I've seen guys have to go home after catching a salmon because they didn't know how to use the back reel option on their reel (or their drag). Their line looked like a rope when they were done.

Fact: I'm sick of writing this and going to bed now. Good luck and hope this helps.

[scott b]

While I was writing a novel, DTro hit it head on!

[scott b]

Another note. Stretching your line makes it more sensitive too!

[Vitreus]

This may sound lazy, but I really wish there was a better line, so I didn't have to do pilates with my line every time I go out. What about superline? Isn't there any low vis superline that is superior to mono/doesn't freeze up bad?

[eurolarva]

Use a baitcaster reel. hardly any memory problems. Just have to be careful to not backlash

[Kyhl]

Superline works indoors. I spooled my rods with it last year.

It does't work so good outdoors when water trapped in the line freezes into the spool or eyelets.

I think the mono memory issue is worse with regular ice rods because they are usually smaller, compounding the problem.

Swivels, I get the smallest I can find and start with a 6' snell. It gets shorter with each retie.

[DTro]

If exercising isn’t your thing, you could just clip on an 8oz sinker and drop it to the bottom. Jig a few times to stretch and reel it back up.

[Gordie]

You can tie your line off to your car/truck,shack, or what ever and then open bail and walk a good distance away from the truck like 75 to a 100 feet then close bail pull hard a few times on the rod to strecth the line out. Then as you walk back to the truck reel up the line keeping it taught as you reel.

I have done this in the winter and in the summer.

[Lawrence Luoma]

Dtro, hit it right on just give your line a stretch. Make sure you are attaching your bait whether live or plastic on straight. Or just add more bait or larger plastic as it won't spin as much.

I don't promote using a swivel as there are too many negatives to using one. One is action win you jig. You think your pounding your jig but actually pounding your swivel. Two is bite detection, when that big bluegill sucks you bait in sideways it will only move the line up to the swivel and not the line to your strike indicator.

[chrishalvy]

Lawrence.

You make great points. I will never consider the swivel again. It seemed a little silly to begin with.

I'll make sure to pass the negatives of the swivel on.

[Fishin4fun_MN]

A guy in a local shop told me this past summer to reduce line memory in mono take the spool out of the box and place in a bowl of warm water for 15 - 20 min. then proceed to spool onto reel. Make sure you spool you line onto your reel the same way it comes off the line spool. He swears by this method.

[Stick in Mud]

Just hand stretch about 6 or 7 arm lengths each time you start fishing. The line will come off straight the rest of the day.

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