How to spool a spinning reel

Hopefully you have read our best fishing reel under $100 post and are now ready to learn how to spool a spinning reel. Follow these 3 steps and you will be ready to catch that big one in no time at all.

Step 1: Make sure you know the weight and length of line appropriate for your reel.

Check your reel to make sure you are putting the appropriate lb test line on according to what the reel is rated for. Look for the line capacity that is typically located directly on the reel. Putting a line heavier than what the reel is rated for would cause it to be unmanageable and would drastically limit your casting distance.

Step 2: Attach line to reel with a simple overhand knot

First lie your reel flat and open your bail. You will want to tie a simple overhand knot in your line as shown in the picture to the left. This knot will be very important to keeping the line on the reel. So, be sure not to trim it off in later steps.

After this, wrap the line around the spool and tie another overhand knot.  Make sure that the first knot is outside of this overhand knot.

Finally, you will want to tighten the knot and line down around the spool. Making sure that your first knot does not slip through the second. You can then trim any excess line towards the end from your first knot. Again, make sure you do not trim the first knot off. One added trick that is to take a sticker from your fishing line and stick it over the trimmed knots to keep them against the spool. This is not required, but can help reduce any interference with the knots and the rest of the line.

Step 3: Reel the line onto the spool

The final step is reeling the line onto the spool, just like you would if you had a fish on. Lay the line down with the label facing up. This should ensure that the line is coming off in a clockwise manner. That will match up the way the the line will be going onto the reel. Keep the line taught by holding it near the first lead guide while you reel it in. If you put the line on loose, you will end up with all kinds of tangles. Finally, leave 1/8 to 1/16 inch below the capacity of the spool.  You now know how to spool a spinning reel. Check below for a bonus tip and a great video of the entire process.

How to spool a spinning reel: Bonus Tip

With the line coming off of a spool from the store that is much larger than the spool on the reel. The line will have a tendency to try to revert back to that shape and flex off of your spool causing tangles when you first cast. One trick you can do, is to remove the  spool from the reel by loosening the drag until you can remove it. Put the end of the line into the line tie. Then place the entire spool into a glass of warm water for 10 minutes. This will help the line form to the new size of spool and not spring off when you first cast. 

Here is a great video on how to spool a spinning reel provided by the experts at Shakespeare Fishing