I'm getting my gear ready for the season and i want to know if i should re spool with new line? I have stored everything in the cold garage since summer and would hate to lose a fish this year due to weak old line. :crazy: Opinions?
What I believe.
I know it sounds hard to believe but I have old Bass Pro mono filament bulk spools of line up to 25 years old.It has flat places in it due to being wound tight on bulk spools and stored in a HOT South East Georgia garage.Surprisingly,it has held up well when tested against a scale.I still have some I believe to be 40 years old that I have been and still would use around shell for saltwater leaders.I also used it on my 20 ft. poles fishing down in between the huge rocks in the jetties at the mouth of the Savannah River for Sheapshead because it is still strong,hard and stiff.
Even the best line can have flaws.I have some older Trieline Bulk XT supposed to be 20 lb. that mikes out as the 20 lb. but broke on the scale consistently at 12-14 lbs.new.It is still good utility line for the price I bought it for and a very good 12 lb. line for saltwater fishing where you have abrasion and shell to nick your line.
Mono filament dries out and gets more brittle.It absorbs up to .05% moisture.Soaking it in water makes it limper.This goes for weed eater mono.too.You can check the Berkly web site.Also if you are going to soak it or keep it soaked.DO NOT use city water with chlorine.Buy you a jug of distilled water at the grocery store.You can wrap a clean cotton rag around your reels,wet the rag and Zip lock the reel for a few days and keep the rag damp.The Penn Reel folk said there was nothing in a Penn reel this would hurt as long as the reel was not laid on its side for the water to run inside as they were made to handle the wet line that was reeled in on the spool.It is best to store spools of mono of all types in distilled or natural well water.I first learned this years ago from my weed eater dealer.
By all means if ever in doubt for any reason at any time,re-spool any "trophy fishing gear".You know your gear and what it has been subjected to better than anyone.The pro's do it after every big saltwater fish and after every fresh water tournament.They say modern braid last until you damage it.Older mono and braid is still great to fish with for bait and for eating fish.
You can also reverse the line and have the old used line next to the spool.It is nice to have two rigs the same and marked 1 & 2.to do this.You strip #2 every year.You reel the line off of #1 on to #2.You put new line on # 1.With the price of braid,you can pay for that second rig in a few years doing it this way.This is a old 50's trick to save money with the Dacron braid we had back then.Even the oldest line is still good for many years on bait,eating and trash fishing rigs where you are going to lose it or won't hurt to lose it.
Many plastic bottles tightly packed with sand make great SOLID spools to wind old line on.With the little mandrel you can buy to use a thin cut off disk in a drill you can drill a hole in the center of the lid and put it on a drill.A plastic or cardboard disk in the cap seals the sand when you are finished.
Folks without a level wind are constantly feeling their line as they reel it in.All should frequently feel their line when reeling in.The best time is after the longest cast.
I love you Brothers and Sisters.peewee
