Line Twist with Mono...GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[RumRiverRat]

Am I doing something wrong when I put the line on the spinning reel?

After a couple hours the line is twisted and useless.

I have tried letting all the line out while the boat is running and it help for a while but eventually the line is twisted and impossible to fish with.

This is happening with spinning tackle that I strictly cast with no trolling.

Happens when throwing DT's, Husky jerk-baits, Xraps.

Happens with the spinning reel I use for pitching Senko style baits and skipping baits under docks.

[whitebassman]

I believe when you put new line on, try to have it wrap on the spool in the same direction it is on the canister. That should help some. Also, make sure the line weight is in the right range for the tackle you are using. And use good mono, not the cheap stuff. I've always like the Berkley one advertised with minimized line twist when I used mono in the past.

[ANYFISH2]

If it occures quickly after putting new line on it is probably from spooling. After up spool 20 yards of so stop and pull a few feet off a see if it is twisting, if it is, flip the spool of line over and finish filling your reel.

If it is happening over time, it could be that you line roller isn't functioning correctly or more likely that you are reeling against the drag (continuing to reel while fish are pulling drag) this will twist line quickly.

[Neighbor_guy]

Are you manualy closing the bail or just turning the handle?

Just giving the handle a spin will impart twist in the line. Do it over and over and "wind knots", and twist will become a factor.

Another thing to check on is if you reel itself is clean. If the "Roller" or "line pickup" whatever you want to call it is dirty your line will twist as it goes on the real.

[BobT]

Line twist can't be avoided with spinning reels. It's the nature of the beast. The line is wound onto the spool by the bail (spinning reel) or the hook (spincast reel) and this will twist the line. Ever wrap a garden hose or power cord around a spool? It will twist.

This is one reason bass fishermen use bait casting reels. Bait casting reels roll the line onto the spool inline rather than wrapping it horizontally. No line twist from bait casting reels.

If you're casting and reeling a lot, use a bait caster not a spinning reel.

[swampbuck]

You can avoid it to some extent MAKE yourself manually close the bail dont reel to close another trick is to give ashort pull on line after manually closing the bail on the line before retreiving once you get in the habit you do it with out thinking too.

[Ed Carlson]

Make sure the line roller on the bail is free and not sticky. The roller bearing is often overlooked but a critical part of keeping your line in good shape on a spinning reel, clean and oil it.

If it is sticky or not rolling properly with the line, it will build up line twist very quickly.

[Hoffer]

try the xl (xtra limp) type line.

my favorite has always been the low vis xtra limp green.

when you put on the new line...lay the spool on the floor below your rod and reel. make sure the label on the spool is facing up. (one side of the spool should have a paper label over it - and the other side should just show the spool).

I have never had twisted line - spooling on xl and also making sure the label is facing up. I also keep the line between my fingers very tight as I am reeling the line on.

Last, make sure you dont reel too much on...make sure there is a little room left between the lip of the spool on the reel and the line. Not too much or it will interfere with casting...but just enough of the lip showing so that the line doesnt come peeling off the spool of the reel by itself.

Hope that helps-

Hoffer

[marineman]

Another way to minimize twisting is to manually close the bail after each cast. If you start reeling in to close the bail, that causes twisting.

[BobT]

You guys must not be paying much attention to how a spinning reel works. How does manually closing the bail make any difference? First, the bail doesn't even contact the line until it closes so you're not having any affect on the line at all before that moment. Until you realize the physics behind how it wraps the line, you'll never understand.

[Northlander]

Ok then explain it to us BobT because I have always heard the same.

[BobT]

Just look closely at your reel the next time you use it. I'm not trying to be condescending. Try this. Ever use an old tire rim fastened to a wall to store a garden hose? As you wrap the hose and it runs through your hand, you'll find that you will be twisting the hose. The best way to demonstrate is to place something on the end of the hose that won't let it untwist as you work or don't have the hose laying fully outstretched on the lawn as you wrap it. This will prevent it from untwisting as you go and you'll quickly see what I mean.

Here's another example. If you have a portable air compressor and wrap the air line up on the handle, notice that you have to constantly untwist the hose as you wrap or it won't wrap up with nice coils.

How about wrapping up a power cord. Same thing. It's hard to create a nice coiled roll of cord unless you continually untwist the tag end of the cord.

[winniewalleye777]

Alright, Bob... I was watching Minnesota Bound last night and there was a fishing pro on there giving his tips for beginners. His tip of the day was to manually close the bail on spinning reels to avoid twists in the line. He did a demonstration with a reel and showed the line twisting when he reeled to close the bail. He then showed how it remains straight when he manually closed the bail. I don't remember the guys name but it was on saturday night's Minnesota Bound.

Closing the bail manually is a good practice to avoid twists. I always do this and never seem to have problems unless I troll with a bait that spins for a longer period of time. Your argument makes sense, however fishing line can take a lot more twists than hoses before it becomes a problem.

Just let the lure twist back after a few casts and close the bail manually and you shouldn't have a problem. Also, don't be cheap on the line. Fork out a few extra bucks for decent mono line and it will help.

[BobT]

I would love to see a replay of that segment you mention so I can see his explanation. I can't find it on their HSOforum. Doesn't make any sense to me how closing the bail manually will prevent line twist any more than not.

[BobT]

I did an internet search and found a couple other references to closing the bale by hand but as yet I find nobody to provide a sound explanation to back up their statement. I did run across the following paragraph from another online forum and it provides a terrific explanation for what I'm trying to say, maybe not so well.

In addition I did find many references that pointed out that spinning gear by design creates line twist due to the method of wrapping the line onto the spool.

Other things that can help and it was mentioned in the paragraph below. Always stop reeling while a fish is taking out line against your drag. That is a surefire way to add twist to your line. Keep your spools full. The larger diameter reduces the number of bale rotations per handle crank and therefore reduces the number of twists added to your line.

Quote:

Spinning is a fabulous method. But like any method, it has downsides, one of which is twisted line.

Spinning gear throws twists in the line during some operations, and not others. To better understand this, put a fresh roll of toilet paper, ribbon or drywall tape on the floor, standing on end. Pull up on the end of the paper so it spirals off the roll. The twists you see are exactly what happens to your line when you cast a spinning reel.

Now pick up the roll and put your finger through the cardboard tube like an axle. Pull the paper straight off and it will unroll smoothly with no twist. This is like a conventional reel. This is also how a spinning reel feeds line when the drag is slipping - there is no twisting.

Beyond that, it gets complicated. Here is a summary. Let's assume the line is on the spinning reel spool with no twists.

CASTING twists the line as illustrated by the toilet paper exercise. You are fishing with a twisted line. RETRIEVING untwists the line so it goes back on the reel with no twist.

A SLIPPING DRAG lets line out without twists. This sounds great, but when you reel the line back in, it adds twist. Now, for the first time, the line is on the reel in a twisted condition and you've lost the balance between twisting and untwisting. Let's say the fish runs again. The slipping drag pays out the pre-twisted line without adding any twist. But when you reel back in, you add a second dose of twist to the line. Let's say the fish runs 3 more times. You now have a quintuple dose of twists in the line.

Don't take my word for it. String up a spinning rig and tie the line to a post. Make sure there is no twist in the line to start with. Now back up 20 feet and let the drag slip, simulating a running fish. Then reel yourself back to the post, without letting the drag slip. Do this 4 more times. You will find the line significantly twisted.

The bottom line is everytime a fish runs, you end up twisting the line. During a protracted battle or on multiple fish, the twists can get pretty bad.

There's more. As others have noted, if you turn the handle while the drag is slipping, you quickly throw a lot of twist into the line. Again, don't take my word for it, just try it. It doesn't take long to render the line useless.

Now let's say you get fed up with the twisted line, and you take everything off the line and troll it behind the boat to comb out the twists. Then when you reel in, you add twists and the line goes onto the reel in a twisted condition. The same thing happens to a lesser extent when you use a swivel.

The point is that during the day, twists are created and undone in varying degrees, depending on what you are doing. Normally the twists are manageable and may only be a nuisance. But when fish run against the drag (tuna), the twists can accummulate to the point where any slack line immediately jumps into those pesky double twists, and the line jumps around your rod tip all the time.

Line twist is the reason you will never see a boat winch, towtruck winch or crane winch built like a spinning reel. Twists are intolerable in steel cable.

Spinning gear has defeated the backlash. The tradeoff is twisted line. No system is perfect.

[winniewalleye777]

The guy on MB said that using reeling to close the bail causes twists and he showed it doing exactly that, however, I did some researching and found that reeling to close the bail causes loops in the line. Loops are a little different than twists but still cause tangles in the line. Also, I found that the best method to close the bail is to use your hand to flip the bail and then pull the line tight to the guide to ensure the line starts where it is supposed to.

None of the information I have found is really credible, but the article mentioned Bill Dance and a few other pro bass anglers said these same things on their TV programs. All I know for sure is that I always flip the bail with my hand and I never have line twist problems. Eliminates a lot of headaches

[LMITOUT]

I saw the "tip of the week" last night as well, but it's something I saw on Tony Dean's show many years ago and that's when I started to close the bail by hand. No looping/twisting since, but I think it's a different problem than what the OP is asking about.

The typical way to prevent twist has already been mentioned and that's is making sure the line is spooled correctly by flipping over the spool of new line if you see a lot of twist happening as you reel it on. I've also heard of tying on a very small weight or split shot that will spin freely (not a crankbait) to the end of the line and letting it out behind the boat until all the line is off the reel and then reeling it back in. This is supposed to straighten out the line too. Never tried it though.

[BobT]

Quote:

I've also heard of tying on a very small weight or split shot that will spin freely (not a crankbait) to the end of the line and letting it out behind the boat until all the line is off the reel and then reeling it back in. This is supposed to straighten out the line too. Never tried it though.

You're better off not tying anything on the line. The friction from the water will create enough drag and with nothing on the line it is freer to spin straight. You'll be surprised at how much drag the line actually has.

One thing to be aware of. When you crank it back in, the line will be twisting as you reel it in so crank it slowly. This will allow the line to roll as you bring it back in.

[NCLaker]

If all else fails go with braid/fireline. Virtually no line twist issues. If you want you can tie on a mono/floro leader to make the line less visible.

I actually prefer braid/fireline for cranks - especially for twitching/jerkbaits. Much easier to work lures, tell if the are running right, and easier to rip any weeds loose from hooks. Just make sure you use a softer/slower action rod to keep them pinned.

You'll pay more initially, but it last 3x as long as mono.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I always have line put on my spinning reels at Gander, Richard's, or Fleet Farm. They use a line winder made for the job. Goes on straight that way.

[Acemac]

HA HA...

MONO + SPIN GEAR = LINE TWIST

its only a mater of time.....

I got to be honest closing the bail manually makes ZERO sense.

once you go braid you will never look back.

[jwmiller33]

HA HA...

MONO + SPIN GEAR = LINE TWIST

its only a mater of time.....

I got to be honest closing the bail manually makes ZERO sense.

once you go braid you will never look back.

i fish with mono on my spinning reels, as a matter of a fact, thats all i fish with unless im fishing for sturgeon or skies, and rarely ever have problems with line twist...

braid does have its benefits for certain situations. but good luck using braid to fish for crappies or sunnies...

i fish for walleyes about 95% of the time and need mono for the visual aspect.. i could use a mono leader but i dont like having to attach two lines together b/c of the loss of feel as well as the strength aspect of the knot attaching the two.

[Fish Head]

Use whatever works for you, but I thought I would add that I use power pro with a flouro leader quite a bit for my walleye jigging and I've never had an issue with knot strength. If you use a uni to uni knot, you'll be surprised at how strong that is. Also, the feel and sensitivity of a braid with a flouro leader is much better than mono. You should give it a try.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I dont want to be rude... I have not read all the posts so I hope I am not stepping on anyones toes.. But I fish pretty much every day. I'm lucky that way.. And if I am to be honest.. I dont have a problem with line twist.. IF using a spinning rod.. I make the cast, close the bait by hand not by reel handle, and I pull the line tight to make sure it sitting on the roller.. I make sure my bait is rigged properly.. and I have no twist.. none.. Mono or briad. none.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Fish every day... DANG! Must be a teacher