How to Put Fishing Line on a Reel – 3 Options to Know

How to Put Fishing Line on a Reel

There’s a lot about fishing that’s intimidating when you’re a beginner. From learning which spinning rod or fly reel to use, or how to avoid line twist, or choosing the right fishing rod, there might be a few things that trip any angler up when learning the ins and outs of fishing. Putting fishing line on a reel is one such task. There are simple and basic ways to take care of this, but you have other options and you might prefer to take a different route. We’ve listed three of the best ways for how to put fishing line on a reel that can help beginners and experienced anglers make quick work of this task.

What Type of Fishing Line and Reels to Use?

Before you can begin putting your fishing line on your reel, you need to pick the right fishing line. There are various weights and brands and purposes, so make sure you do your research and figure out what’s going to work best based on the type of fishing you’re doing.

Next, you’ll need to figure out what type of fishing reel to use or that you’re already using. There are three different types, including:

Spincast Reel

Spincast reels are simple and basic. They are the most common choice for beginners or for casual fishing. It features a simple push-button release that makes everything easy when you’re on the water. You still need good casting accuracy, but you won’t need to worry about tangling and frustration when using a spincast reel. Keep in mind, you won’t be able to put a lot of line on this type of reel because it’s small, but for most people, a spincast reel is going to work just fine.

Spinning Reel

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Spinning reels are versatile and great for most types of fishing. They work in much the same way as a baitcast reel, but it features a bit more of a complicated design (which makes it more likely to tangle). To cast, you need to flip a bail wire that releases the line allowing you to cast. As you might have guessed, it spins as you retrieve your line. Don’t get us wrong: this is an easy reel to use, but it’s not as “point and shoot” as the baitcast. It takes some getting used to, but once you’ve practiced you’ll likely love this type of reel. It’s great for live bait and artificial lure fishing.

Baitcast Reel

A baitcast reel offers a significant amount of power and is great for when you need to cast longer distances. You can get a heavy or light design, depending on the type of fishing you’re doing. You get plenty of accuracy and control when casting with a baitcast reel, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Beginners will likely struggle with this type of reel. Make sure you do some practicing for this type of reel before heading out to catch fish.

How to Put Fishing Line on a Reel

Now that you know what kind of line and reel you’re using, it’s time to get the line onto the reel. Here’s a step-by-step guide for doing so on each type of reel:

Baitcast

1. Start by running your line through the guides on the rod starting at the bottom and pushing it up through the loops as you go. You’ll need to find the little hole in the reel and run the line through the hole to get to the bail.

2. Wrap the end of the line on the spool and knot it on the reel.

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3. Bring the line toward you and tie it.

4. You’ll need to have someone else hold your rod or use a pencil now to crank the handle until most of the line is loaded. Make sure you’re loading it in the same direction that the bail rotates.

5. Finally, grip the line and make sure there is the right amount of tension.

Spincast Reel

1. Putting fishing line on a spincast reel is similar to putting it on the baitcast, but not quite as simple. You’ll start by running it through the guides.

2. Next, you knot the line on the reel spool by wrapping it around the end of the line, then you’ll bring it forward and tie it with a knot.

3. This is the step that’s different from the baitcast reel. You’ll need to lower the wire arm to close the bail before cranking when you’re putting fishing line on a spincast reel. Lower the wire arm and crank the handle to see where it rotates to and make sure it’s facing the same direction as where it rotates.

4. Grip the line and make sure it’s taut. Now, slowly load the line while cranking until it’s mostly loaded.

5. You can secure the line with a rubber band until you’re ready to fish.

Spinning Reel

1. Take off the old line to give space for new line. Leave a little in the spool to help tie the new line. Tie the old and new together with two knots.

2. Lay the spool with the new line on the floor or table so it comes off when you are feeding it into the reel spool.

3. Hold the line tautly and slowly reel it. Make sure the spool stays tight.

4. You’ll want to fill the spool to about 1/8” from the lip. For the most part, each of these sets of directions will help you if you use them for the type of reel you have. But fishing rods and reels vary a bit, so you might need to practice some with yours to make sure you get the hang of it. The more you practice, the easier it will be and you’ll be able to master the steps without thinking about it much. You can also customize how you do things once you get the hang of doing it. You’ll know how taut you like your line and whether or not you need to make adjustments based on the type of fishing you’re doing.

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