Putting new line on your reel before your carp fishing trip? Follow these tips to get the best out of your line.
Here’s the best way to put new line on your reel.
This is the way that I was taught to load new line on a reel by top carp man Jon Finch.
- Get a bucket and 3/4 fill it with warm (not hot) water which softens the line and improves line lay. Add a squirt of washing up liquid to help remove any excess oil from the manufacturing process which would impair the ability of the line to sink.
- Punch holes in the paper/plastic label on the spool or remove it entirely (this eliminate air pockets which would otherwise tip the spool vertically in the water) and place the entire spool into the bucket and leave for 5-10 minutes. Take the butt section only of your rod with reel attached.
- Feed the line from the spool through the butt ring and tie a couple of over hand knots to secure the line round the spool.
- Take a cloth in your right hand and wind the line through the cloth to pre-tension it as you spool up. Wind at a steady pace and the spool will spin freely in the water. If the line pops off the end of the spool and starts coming off in a coil, stop immediately. Take up the slack or wind it back on the spool and continue steadily (If you’re still having problems stick a pen through the spool and get a friend to hold it in the water for you).
- Continue until the max outside diameter of the spooled line equals the outside diameter of the front spool lip.
- To finish, take your rods down your local lake or river and using a 2-3oz distance lead cast them in 6 or so times to the max distance that you’ll be fishing. Wind at a constant pace on the retrieve to help bed the line down.
How to take care of your line
► To keep your line in top condition, periodically walk out your lines to check them for nicks or damage.
► Cut off anything thing that you’re not 100% happy with and reel then back in through a damp cloth to clean them (leave the end free to eliminate twist).
► This will help your line to sink quickly and cast smoothly.
► If you’re using fluorocarbon lines, you may find that they are more prone to damage as they hug the bottom better. You might want to stretch fluorocarbon line to restore its suppleness.
How often you do this will depend largely on how often you fish and the type of waters that you visit. Failure to take proper care of your line will cost you fish, so it pays to give it some attention.
At Beausoleil I walk my lines after every big catfish to remove damaged sections. I find the combination of big catfish, hard gravel and swan mussels to be very tough on mainline.
