When fishing is mentioned, we do not mean fishing only, but a comprehensive experience that involves going out into nature, hanging out, and as the ultimate product – fish in your net.
Being a fisherman does not mean getting up early, going to the water, catching everything that clings to the hook, then getting better at home to a fish fry and eat.
If you are so approaching fishing and fish itself, it’s easier and cheaper to go to a fish market and buy fish.
What is important is that for fishing you should be well prepared, clothing and footwear, water and food, because meteorological conditions can be changed. So prepare protection against strong sunshine and rain.
But the most important thing is fishing gear and how to prepare it. And the most important preparation is spooling a spin-cast reel.
You must first choose your line
How to choose the right one? It’s all very simple if you know what are you fishing and in what kind of waters.
Use a monofilament line if you will be fishing with floating baits.
Monofilament lines are single-strand lines that have quite a bit of stretch.
The stretch adds to the flexibility of the line, helping the hook to stay secured in the fish’s mouth.
Mono lines also do well if you’re using a jig or live bait.
Pick fluorocarbon lines if you’ll be fishing in calm, shallow waters. These lines work very well because they are harder for fish to see underwater.
Although they are similar to monofilament lines, they have less stretch and hold up better to abrasion. This line is also more reactive to light bites and bottom contact.
Fluorocarbon lines are considered a type of monofilament line, so they are also great for fishing with jigs, live bait, or in crystal clear waters.
Choose braided lines if you’re bottom fishing. Braided lines are comprised of several lengths of braided synthetic material to create one line, which makes it great for creating a larger casting distance.
This line provides better breaking strength and won’t stretch. The line is visible, and it floats well, so be selective when using it. Because it sinks slowly, it goes great when using top-water baits.
Loading the Reel
Determine if the reel turns clockwise or counterclockwise. The easiest way to do this is to hold the reel the same way you would if you were fishing.
Turn the wheel at least a couple of times to determine if the reel turns clockwise or counterclockwise.
This is the way the line will be spooled onto the reel; the opposite direction is the way the line will peel off the spool when you cast.
Spinning reels are designed to hang down from the rod, not rest above it like spin casting, and baitcasting reels are.
To hold the reel properly when it’s not mounted on the rod, wrap the fingers of your casting hand around the mounting bar and let the reel hang from that hand while reeling with your other hand.
Open the bail by flipping the small handle up. The bail is a little wire handle that flips up and down to open and close it. Flip the bail up to open it and down to close it when you’re finished.
If you notice any old fishing line on your spool, you should remove it at this time.
String your line straight through the guides and secure it. The guides are a series of small circles that line the bottom of the rod and keep the line in place.
Use an arbor knot to secure the line to the spool. Cut any extra line with line cutters, and make sure that you leave at least 1cm of an additional line from where you tied the knot.
You can also use scissors to cut the line.
To tie an arbor knot, wrap the line around the arbor and tie an overhead knot in the standing line. Tie a second overhead knot in the tag end, just about 1 in (2.5 cm) from the first overhead knot.
Pull the standing line to slide the first knot down to the spool and slide the second knot down to the first.
Spooling Your Reel
Close the bail and place the spool on the floor. To make sure that the line enters the reel properly, lay the spool flat on the floor with the label facing up.
Your spool should line up so that the line comes off of the spool the same way it will be going into the reel.
If your line is twisted or the line doesn’t line up when the label side of the spool is facing up, flip it over.
This will help avoid any problems with the line becoming twisted.
Pinch the line and slowly crank the reel. You should pinch the line lightly, about 12 in (30 cm) above the reel, and pull it tight.
Crank the reel slowly, about 20 times, and let the line slide through your pinched fingers. Stop cranking and allow your line some slack to inspect it for twists.
If the line is twisting, strip some of the lines back off of your reel and realign your spool and line.
You should always apply light pressure to your line while you load it. If you don’t, the line will go on the loose and end up becoming tangled later.
Continue to crank the reel to load the line. You can keep loading the line as soon as you are sure that the line is not twisting. Keep adding the line slowly and stop every 20-30 cranks to inspect your line for twists.
If you find a line twist, you may need to start the process over again. If you have already flipped your spool after the first inspection, straighten out the twist and continue slowly.
Fill the spool until it is 1⁄8 in (0.32 cm) away from the rim. This will give you plenty of lines to use, even if you have to cut off a large piece of the line while changing lures or clearing snags, without overloading your reel.
Underfilling or overloading the spool will cause tangles and problems with casting.
Use line cutters to cut the line close to the supply spool. Leave a small amount of excess line to secure its free end with a lure.
After cutting the line, you can also place a small piece of tape over the free end on the spool to prevent it from coming unraveled.
You can use scissors if you do not have line cutters.
Secure the line on the spool. You can use a lure, swivel, or a clip to secure the free end of your line. This will prevent the line from slipping through the guides.
You can also wrap a rubber band around the spool.
If your spool comes with a tab in it, you can also tie the end of the line around the tab.
Except for the floor, you can spool the reel in the water, in this way the strings are moistened and of better quality.
So after the strings are passed through the conductors, as it is thrown into the water and from the water, it is spooled up so that the water itself is tightening the strings, and that makes it beautifully lying on the spool.
To fish with fine, slim monofilament line, the reel must be very softly adjusted, and this can also be done on front-wheel-drive fishing rods – only then there is a risk that the spool drops off if you overdo it with the release.
If the brake is on the tail of the body, you can release it to the very end – the spool will not fall off. With the front brakes, it is not advisable, but it is not necessary – do not fish with a thin monofilament line, but rather with powerful braids and thicker monofilament lines, to catch larger and stronger fish.
What to know about lines
In the previous section, we have already mentioned that a very thin line is used in fishing. The most common diameter of the basic line is 0.16 mm, followed by a thickness of 0.14 and 0.18 mm.
Thicknesses of 0.12 and 0.20 mm are much less used, and possibly for ultra-fine fishing (0.12 mm) or fishing trout (0.20 mm).
Considering that the diameter of the line we use is very small, it is unnecessary to emphasize that it should be of superior quality. The most important thing is that it must be sinking.
This is necessary because, in the case of a correctly released stick, the line between the top of the rod and the beaker is located below the water surface.
This is very important because such a wind cannot carry a line from the surface of the water and creates a “bump” that would significantly affect the stability of the whole system.
Since the entire line is located below the surface of the water (and the tip of the rod is immersed in the water), our line will stand motionless in spite of the wind.
If you are unable to get a line that sinks or find yourself on the water without it in the accessories, you can do the next best thing.
Throw as far as you can and when winding on the reel, sweep it through a soft cotton swab soaked with liquid detergent for dishwashing.
In this way, you will clean the line and make it sink. This will certainly work for you; only you will repeat this procedure periodically during fishing, as soon as you notice that the nylon is slower.
Of course, do not expect that after this your “homemade” line will sink as a top-line sink, but it will be quite satisfying to serve the purpose.
Let’s wrap it up
And that’s what you need to know about spooling the spin-cast reel.
Remember that if you are dealing with this business to respect your catches, you respect the nature that has made it possible for you, and you respect your fellow fishermen.
Good luck with your adventure!
