Spooling a Reel - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

grey zone · 03-26-2011, 09:34 AM

Yesterday I bought a 500yd spool of 80lb Power Pro, it was just under $65. I side with those that spool up at home and use the method Jim described and transfer line between reels using the drag for tension. It usually takes 2-3 transfers to get it right. Spooling up yourself allows you to control everything. I make sure my line is packed tight and level. There is a lot of line that you will not see again so consider it as a foundation.

Here is a tip for filling a reel. Have someone hold the spool of line and apply tension while you spool up the reel. Use the reel that you plan to put the line on. After it is filled you can see what level it comes to on the spool and judge how much backing might be necessary. Remember the line will be packed down a little tighter in the end. Transfer the line back to a spare reel with more tension. Now put on any necessary backing then do the final line transfer. The line on your spool should feel like a rock, you should be able to pull very hard and not have it dig in. This takes some time but once you get your spectra packed right and where you like it your set for a long time.

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03-26-2011, 09:34 AM	#13
grey zone Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: san diego Posts: 158	Yesterday I bought a 500yd spool of 80lb Power Pro, it was just under $65. I side with those that spool up at home and use the method Jim described and transfer line between reels using the drag for tension. It usually takes 2-3 transfers to get it right. Spooling up yourself allows you to control everything. I make sure my line is packed tight and level. There is a lot of line that you will not see again so consider it as a foundation. Here is a tip for filling a reel. Have someone hold the spool of line and apply tension while you spool up the reel. Use the reel that you plan to put the line on. After it is filled you can see what level it comes to on the spool and judge how much backing might be necessary. Remember the line will be packed down a little tighter in the end. Transfer the line back to a spare reel with more tension. Now put on any necessary backing then do the final line transfer. The line on your spool should feel like a rock, you should be able to pull very hard and not have it dig in. This takes some time but once you get your spectra packed right and where you like it your set for a long time.