Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Spinning Line Twist Question

I have fished spinning gear my entire life. I recently responded two rods with Trilene XL 6# and immediately had severe line twist while fishing a floating Rapala. I have never had twist trouble before, even when fishing spinners such as Mepps. The line seemed like it was 'deformed', having what felt like flat spots on it. I respooled with a second spool of the same line I bought at the same time, and had the same problems. I could fish for maybe an hour and had so much twist I had to strip the line off. It was almost impossible to cast.

I bought Maxima 6# and it was better, but developed similar problems fairly quickly. What is going on? The last line I used was Suffix 6# with no issues but I couldn't find any locally. Is it possible the reels (two identical midrange Pflugers) are suddenly to blame? Has anyone else had this happen? It seems strange that it happened out of the blue when fishing with a lure that doesn't spin.

Putting the line on the reel correctly? I've used 6 pound Trilene XL for over 35 years. I buy it by the 3200 yard spool. Never a line problem in all that time, not one.

Yep, line on the right way. That's what is so confusing. I've been fishing spinning gear for over 30 years and never a problem like this. I wonder if it may be a line roller bearing issue on the reels, but it just seems odd two reels would both exhibit the same problem at the same time.

Close the bail by hand don't use the auto bail function.

There is a mechanical twist of the line each time it closes with the auto bail as it snaps shut.

Also make certain that the bail arm line roller is spinning free. If that bearing is stuck there is nothing that will twist line more consistently

Using any line with memory, it is possible and common for people to put the line on backwards.....

I did the label up thing and checked for twist as I went. It is either two bad bearings, two bad batches of line, or operator error. As mentioned, I've been spooling line for the better part of 3 decades without any trouble, but that doesn't mean I didn't screw up twice in a row. I was 100% content to blame bad line until it happened with a different brand. I will look at the reels a bit closer. They are the same age and usage and maybe they both went bad aft my last trip. It is possible I suppose. Enough moisture in the bearing and maybe they corroded to where they no longer turn freely.

Not all lines are spooled in the same direction. That means that on some, label DOWN is the right way to spool.

The best way to save a badly twisted line is to remove all terminal tackle - you want a totally bare end - and let out the line behind your boat as you slowly troll along. Let the line drag for several minutes if you can, and then reel it in. The drag of the water will completely untwist the line, and will also soak it so that it is limper when you reel in. It also provides the perfect tension for spooling up. Win win win.

Sometimes the line is put on the spools backwards at the factory. Also, if you find yourself in this position again...if on a boat or on a running stream, peel the line off as far as you can and reel it back on the spool between your thumb and forefinger. Make sure there is nothing on the end of the line (lure, sinker etc). powdr

If you still have the spools or boxes that the line came on you might want to contact Berkley and give them the batch number. Possible that it was a bad batch I suppose.

Curiously, I always spool on with the label side down. Maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years? Haven't noticed line twist that wasn't attributable to trolling spoons...


SS

O.k. Here is how I spool.

Label up. Tension on line. Reel several turns. Check for twist.
If no twist is present, fill it up, periodically checking for twist.

If twist is present, flip to label down and repeat. If not twist is present, fill up.

If it twists both ways, scratch head and drink beer.

Am I doing it wrong?

A couple of things...

First, you might be doing it wrong. If the spool diameter is much different than the reel's spool diameter it will twist no matter what you do and that's that.

Second, it's not a bit unusual for a Rapala to spiral out when you cast. It's also not unusual for certain Rapalas to catch the front hooks over the line and twist it pretty good while you reel it back in. If both of those are the case and both twist the same direction it doesn't take long to really twist it up bad. A swivel snap attached to the Rap won't help, but a ball bearing swivel a foot out can help.

I'll give it another try with suffix and a barrel swivel.

It happens from time to time no mater if you do it right or not. I usually spool up and if it does have some twist I let the line out behind my boat without any lure tied on. I will idle in gear for ways on the way to my first spot and I wind it in slowly after I idle for a bit. After that I don't have much problems. If I use lures that are prone to twisting line like spoons and spinners I use a swivel and a leader. I have been using a Pflueger Arbor and it's a good reel that manages line very well, even florocarbon. I have also had a batch of line that was just jacked up to begin with. It happens.

I run many pfluegers - President 6920 and the 25/30/35/ Supreme MG.

What model are you having issues with? I suspect the above tips will resolve your issues.

Those supreme mg's are nice, I got a 30 about 4 months ago. The drag is like silk.

Yes, they are - what rod did you pair it, what line/lb are you running and what are you using it for?

I'll have to dig them out and check. IIRC they were not very expensive, so you can assume they are at the low end of the line.

I put it on a fenwick 6'6" elite tech walleye rod. I don't even walleye fish but marketing isn't any concern to me, it is rated for 4 -10 pound line and 1/8 - 5/8 oz lures, most of there medium lights are rated for 6-12 pound line but this one is a little softer. It has a super soft tip and good backbone. It's perfect for tight lining small hair jigs for bass in the winter that we fish on 4 and 6 pound line. Most guys use a medium action but the medium light protects the light line better thus the MG's silky drag is appreciated much. I use it for a dropshot rig for bass and crappie and I fish weedless crappie slider grubs and small 1/8 oz n series bill norman crankbaits on it. I throw inline spinners for trout and smallmouth too. I sometimes put a phflueger Arbor on it. It's probably my favorite rig. I fish small jigging spoons with it on 10# nanofil line for deep bass.

Edit to add I got a limited addition president 25 I am going to put on a stcroix panfish 7' xtra fast light action for bluegills and crappie. Best reels for the price and that's sayin a lot coming from a shimano man.

Nice, making me dig out my extra "mono" spool and fill with some P-Line - Carbon Lite Johnny Morris Bass Pro 6'9" ML with a 30 Supreme MG. Going after Crappie tomorrow. Other spool as 20lb braid....overkill on this set up.

Alot to be said using small lures on this light line. My 25 Supreme MG is a Fave size, small light, little more than the 20 President on an UL. My next reel will be the same size, in a President. Best value IMHO.

What part of TN are you in? I would love to fish there, believe Bill Dance resides there.

I'm in Grainger Co. in the east. Bill lives in West tn. Our fishing can be amazing at times but west tn lakes are easier Kentucky/Barkley lakes are killer and reelfoot is a crappie and bluegill factory. Douglas is one of my home lakes and is one of the best bass and crappie lakes in the country. Cherokee is almost in my back yard and it has its moments but something is going on with it. Electro shocking has revealed bass numbers are way down and they don't know why but the stripers are fun to catch too. Late in the evenings like clockwork they start rising on shad, any idiot that can work a Zara spook can catch some good ones . Our rivers are smallmouth meccas the Holston and nolachucky are especially good. If you ever plan to come this way pm me first I'll hook you up if it's not in the summer, it's the toughest part of the year some years.

Sounds great thanks much.

I have had problems in the past using small diameter line on a shimano and a Pflueger that the line would get pinched between the line roller and the "shroud" like piece that the roller fits in. This would mess up some line in a hurry.

Keep your eye on that.

And yes always close your bail by hand

Will do. Thanks.

I've decided that getting the correct side of the spool up is a complete crap shoot. I've even had line spooled at sporting goods stores twist when used. I've enlisted the help of my wife in de-twisting when not on the water. I have her hold the end of the line while I walk away with the rod and reel until I reach the end. I then reel in the line through the grass. It is amazing how much resistence there is when you do that.

Trilene XL 6 lb. has been my fovorite mono spinning line for about 40 yrs.

2 suggestions I'll offer:

If you fish from a boat, open your bail with NO weight on the end of the line, not even a snap or swivel, and slow troll 100-200 feet of line behind the boat for a few minutes; should take the twist out.

If you're fishing rivers, open bail, again with NO weight on end of line, continue to feed slack line out til about double your longest cast and let current take it downstream for a few minutes; reel in with slight tension on line and should be good to go.

Hope this helps.

As was stated earlier, label up has nothing to do with it. You have to visually inspect how the line is coming off the spool, and going onto the spool on your reel. If it isn't coming off the spool the same direction it goes on your reel, you're gonna get twist. The manufacturers do spool line in opposite directions some times. There's no guarantee that the stickers always get put on the same side of the spool either. If they sticker the spools after they've been filled (I don't know for sure if that's the case) it's anybody's bet as to which side is up.

That's what I do. Reel several turns, check for twist, flip if twist present.

Once it's twisted, trolling the line as suggested above works. You can also lay the line out in the yard with nothing on the end of it and retrieve it between your fingers with just enough tension to properly get it on the reel spool.

Make sure the line roller on the bail is rotating freely. Just a few days ago, I had one go kinky, so I trolled the line going back to the ramp. When I got home and checked the reel, the line roller was stuck so I took it off the reel and cleaned and lubed it.

I have a long threaded screw with nuts and washers. I attach my spool on that screw and attach it to my electric drill. I then spool my line on while someone holds the line spool with a pencil through the hole so they are both turning in line.

last year I used Nanofil and had good luck with fewer twists. It's lighter than mono,so casts farther and has zero memory. The only drawback is you can only use certain knots and it has little abrasion resistance. It did increase my cast distance with 1/32 ounce jigs by about 1/3.

RR and Pwdr have the solution(s) I use, I do think pinching the wet line as you reel it in helps.

I do it occasionally during the season if twist starts being an issue.

Heck I have been known to string it out across the pasture here at the house, though I think water is a better surface.