How to load a fishing reel

Spinning Reels

All spinning reels (identifiable by a wire bail that revolves around the spool as the handle is cranked) are loaded in the same manner:

1- Determine the line test (breaking strength) that is correct for the reel. (This is usually printed on the reels spool and often on the box…always in the reel info sheets/owners manual) and the type…clear monofilament is best.

2- Place the reel on the rod.

3- Open the bail.

4- Run the line through the guides from the tip to the reel.

5- Tie the line to the spool and trim the tag end very closely. Any good knot will do.

6- Place the spool of line on the floor or have someone hold it for you with one of the flat faces of the spool facing the tip of the rod so that the line will “loop” off of the spool…you do not want to use, in the case of spinning reels or spincasting reels, a pencil or stick and allow the spool to spin.

7- Grasp the rod with your right or left hand (most spinning reels have a reversible handle so cranking can be left…the traditional way…or right if you just can’t coordinate turning with your left hand). With the hand you have grasped the rod with, pinch the line, now tied to the spool, and begin turning the reel handle. The bail should flip over automatically as you turn the handle and the line will immediately begin filling the reel…here is a bit of a tricky part…watch the line between the filler spool and the rod tip as it loops off. If the lines memory is severe or the direction of the line looping off is opposite the direction of the line going onto the reel, the “loops” between the tip and the filler will continue to tighten and you are actually twisting the line as it fills the reel…this makes casting without tangles almost impossible and the line will have a mind of it’s own. If the loops tighten as you spool, just flip the filler over and allow the line to come off the opposite direction. Because of the differences in polymers and stiffness and line memory, no surefire way is available to help out this situation with the exception of having the line wound onto your spool by a line winding machine at your local full service tackle shop…theoretically, you should be able to have the line come off the filler opposite the direction of rotation of the reel and be fine…it just doesn’t always work that way.

8- Fill the spinning reel until the line is about 1/8 ” from the edge of the spool…a smidge more than 1/8″ if the line is stiff.
Now you are ready to fish! Remember that a reel will cast it’s best when properly filled with the right test line.

Spincasting or Push-button reels:

Same for the spinning reels but you remove the spool cover, run the line through it, then tie onto the spool. Now replace the cover and proceed as with the spinning reel.

Baitcasting or “conventional” casting reels:

1- Again, start the same as spinning and spincasting, but you have no Bail to open and no cover to remove. Just feed the line through the guides, then through the level wind line guide (it goes back and forth on the reel as you turn the handle), then tie directly to the spool.

2- With this type of reel, you have to place a pencil or stick through the filler spool and allow the filler spool to spin (with a bit of pressure for control) as you fill the reel. The line should come off the top of the filler spool and go onto the top of the reel spool.

3- Fill the baitcaster until it is once again, about 1/8″ inch from the spools edge.

4- When applying pressure to the line (VERY IMPORTANT WITH ALL OF THE REEL TYPES TO INSURE TIGHTLY PACKED LINE) keep you finger pinch moving slightly side to side to insure perfectly level filling.

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