Make Your Fishing Line Last Longer

This guest post was written by Todd Hollowell, FLW Tour Pro and Host of the WFN TV show the “Bass Dr.”As a touring professional angler, I put my line to the test by fishing with it over 100 days per year or more. However, if you’re a weekend angler that fishes less frequently, one thing that can be frustrating is deciding when to change the old line from your reels. If you change it too frequently, you are going through line more quickly than you should and end up spending more money on line than you will want to. This may tempt you to buy “cheaper” line – but this isn’t a place in your fishing budget that you want to short change. If you don’t change your line frequently enough, you can get frustrated dealing with line memory that coils up when you make a cast. This Prescription of the Week will help you make your line last longer, getting the most out of your investment in your fishing line.First, it helps to be organized so that you know when you put the line on your reel. You can use small stickers to place on the underside of your reel and write the date that you spooled up, along with the line size and type. For instance, if you spool up on March 1 with 12# Vicious Elite Fluorocarbon, then write “Mar 1, 12FC.” Placing it on the underside of the reel will keep it from being seen to others and out of the way as well. While braided line has properties that allow it to last much longer, monofilament and fluorocarbon need to be changed more frequently. By using this sticker on your reel, it will help you identify which reels were spooled up most recently, and prevent you from guessing at whether the reel has new or old line.

Next, I’ve found over the years that using a line conditioner will help keep your line in good fishing condition and prevent line memory that causes it to coil up after a reel has sit unused for a prolonged period of time. Use a quality line conditioner, like Reel Magic or Vicious Fishing Line Conditioner. They help prevent corrosion in your reel and restore line performance by reducing backlashes, tangles, and twists. These bottles are easy to use. First, make sure to spray the conditioner on the top of the reel before making a cast. After you make a long cast, keep your bottle handy and apply some more line conditioner to the bottom of the spool. This will ensure that both the top and bottom of your spool get a dose of line conditioner and make your overall casting performance enhanced.For more tips like these, visit Todd Hollowell online at www.bassdr.com or www.toddhollowell.com. See you on the water!