# Getting Spooled Question



## VAfishinguy (Oct 23, 2013)

I hear stories of "getting spooled" every so often; presumably from a large ray or shark. I was curious, do most of you keep lots of extra line with you in your gear bag? Do you keep large bulk spools or just some of the "packets" I see sold in most places?

And speaking of line; mono specifically, how often should it be changed? And do you use a backing on your spinning gear or just fill the reel with some 250 yds (or similar) of the mono? Favorite brand?? Trilene? Andes?

Thanks for your help!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Welcome to the family. 

I have been spooled by Striper on a few occasions. It happens. As for extra line, I use Suffix Tri I get in 3000 yard spools. Changing line, is up to you. I change my mono every season. But that's just me.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

This is were spare spools shine, just carry extra ones full of line with you. On bigger setups that I use, I just have a few spares. If somethin takes 800-1000 yds I line off of me I'm usually done at that point


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Happened once. Fishing the point in 2007 January 2nd. We were catching sharks until our arms fell off. Biter picked up my slosh 30 with the last spool of 20lb I ever used. I thumbed the spool as hard as I could with both thumbs and burned them. Fish dumped me in less then a minute of 300+yrds. 
I never hit the beach without a big spool of line to refill reels as needed. While fishing your line gets nicked, rubbed, and sunburnt. I broke off too many fish in one year that I vowed to never be complacent in respooling and keeping strong line on my reels. If you reel in and feel a nick respool, if something just feels off respool. If the doubt comes in your mind RESPOOL. Trust your gut because you spend too much time and money to catch a fish of a lifetime, do you really want to loose it because you should have changed your line when that nick came through last cast? 1Lb of line =50 bucks. ~3350 yards of line/300 per spooling=11 respools=50/11=less then 5 bucks a respool. So seriously thats about the cheapest insurance you will ever buy fishing for big fish with mono.


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## Sandbar (Oct 16, 2013)

VAfishinguy said:


> I was curious, do most of you keep lots of extra line with you in your gear bag? Do you keep large bulk spools or just some of the "packets" I see sold in most places?


I personally don't keep any extra line with me when I fish. I probably should, but I don't. My spinning reel is filled with just over 400yds of 20lb braid and I don't make it a point to fish specifically for shark, so the chances of me getting spooled are slim. Even after a long cast from shore, I've still got over 300yds of line left on the reel. As far as how much to buy, fishing line follows most other products in that it's usually cheaper when you buy in bulk. 500yds of Power Pro braid costs about $30 on Amazon for 20 or 30lb test. The cost per yard goes up if you buy the 300 or 150yd spools, but down if you buy the 1000 or 1500yd spools.



VAfishinguy said:


> And speaking of line; mono specifically, how often should it be changed? And do you use a backing on your spinning gear or just fill the reel with some 250 yds (or similar) of the mono? Favorite brand?? Trilene? Andes?


As cheap as it is, I would change mono each year, depending on how often you fish. Naturally, if you're a guide running clients out all the time, change more often. If you live inland and only make it to the shore ten times a year, you could go longer. The type of fishing you do determines how often you change mono too. If you fish inshore, rocks, sand and shells will wear your line down faster. If you're offshore fishing for pelagic species, your line wears down less. With mono, I never use backing on the reel. For surf fishing, I'd never have less than 300yds of line on the reel, because you're casting a LONG distance. If you start with only 225-250yds of line and cast out 80-100yds, that's not much left for when a big fish takes off and you may find yourself getting spooled quick. As far as favorite brands go, I've never used anything other than Ande or Berkely Trilene with equal success. Quarter-pound spools are <$10 on Amazon and depending on what pound test you use, could fill your reel at least two times.


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

...another solution to this little problem is EXTRA SPOOLS full of line to fit whatever U R throwing......the old hard core group buy whatever line in 2-3 lb spools.....on piers we go for the tie-in...but U have to have the tie-in knot already on the spool...I expect it would be hard to tie in on a dark beach.....


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

If you surf fish (especially at night), and don't carry spare line, you WILL regret it at some point. Guaranteed.

I've been lucky more times than not and been able to pop it off way out, but every once in a while you're just helpless. 

Last time I got really spooled, I was able to stop him about 400yds out, after a single run against 30lbs of drag, and thankfully he bit through the bite leader on my FF rig. Saved every inch of line, but reeling in the 5oz storm sinker almost made me regret it!


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## redbucket (Oct 23, 2013)

I usually carry spare spools.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Next time if it's running down the beach just run after it and crank as fast as you can, make sure it's on video so we can have a good laugh when you fall


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## George Gravier (Oct 28, 1999)

Man Rude must some big ass stripers by you, got spooled once on sandbridge pier, set my brother up with a pin rig had a penn longbeach as a fighting reel (only extra reel I had at the time) put out a small blue on his pin, sun wasnt even up yet and something big grabbed it, took almost all the line it was pretty awesome, prob big shark. I change my line often, prob 4 or 5 times a summer maybe more if i backlash and or break off.....geo


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## Youngbuck757. (Jan 10, 2013)

geo said:


> Man Rude must some big ass stripers by you, got spooled once on sandbridge pier, set my brother up with a pin rig had a penn longbeach as a fighting reel (only extra reel I had at the time) put out a small blue on his pin, sun wasnt even up yet and something big grabbed it, took almost all the line it was pretty awesome, prob big shark. I change my line often, prob 4 or 5 times a summer maybe more if i backlash and or break off.....geo


I saw this happen time and time and time again this summer on sandbridge. Shark sharks sharksThat's why I had to come to your neck of the wood to get my cobe


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## mots reel deal (Aug 11, 2011)

I respool twice a year and sometimes more often. the line i like is Sufix tri. spool all the way no backing


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## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

What Gilly said, I respool once a day at the least, been through for or five reels in a night more than once, losing a fish because you are to cheap to respool is just stupid. One little nick and that reel comes off and another goes on. Berkley Big Game 15 pound


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> What Gilly said, I respool *once a day* at the least, been through for or five reels in a night more than once, losing a fish because you are to cheap to respool is just stupid. One little nick and that reel comes off and another goes on. Berkley Big Game 15 pound


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## Youngbuck757. (Jan 10, 2013)

dudeondacouch said:


>


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> What Gilly said, I respool once a day at the least, been through for or five reels in a night more than once, losing a fish because you are to cheap to respool is just stupid. One little nick and that reel comes off and another goes on. Berkley Big Game 15 pound


Yep!


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

spare reel and spool here


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## [email protected] (Jul 12, 2006)

I always carry a spare spool, just in case I think my line is shot. 

How many of you will just go ahead and crank down and pop it if you know you aren't going to win? Just really hooked to a freight train. No need to have 4oo yards of mono out there getting dragged around in the resource.


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## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

Nope ... I want my SH!T back


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## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

NC KingFisher said:


> Next time if it's running down the beach just run after it and crank as fast as you can, make sure it's on video so we can have a good laugh when you fall


I will have to find the video I have of me doing exactly that. A porpoise got my line on my Abu 6500C3CT. I ran south following him as I reeled in. He turned back to me and than swam straight out almost spooling me again. Than he turned and headed straight back in towards me and dropped the hook very close to the beach. The video was pretty funny as you can see me running and reeling with the porpoise freight training down the beach.

John


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

jlentz said:


> I will have to find the video I have of me doing exactly that. A porpoise got my line on my Abu 6500C3CT. I ran south following him as I reeled in. He turned back to me and than swam straight out almost spooling me again. Than he turned and headed straight back in towards me and dropped the hook very close to the beach. The video was pretty funny as you can see me running and reeling with the porpoise freight training down the beach.
> 
> John


I'd like to see that video John...LMAO!!

I'd like to echo what Gilly said, I always carry a large spool of extra line to respool. Learned my lesson watching a buddy of mine hook up with a big drum only to watch him crying later because his line snapped. All he could say was, "I knew I should have respooled"....yup, lesson learned.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> I always carry a spare spool, just in case I think my line is shot.
> 
> How many of you will just go ahead and crank down and pop it if you know you aren't going to win? Just really hooked to a freight train. No need to have 4oo yards of mono out there getting dragged around in the resource.


That's why I've always got stuff ready to tie in or a glove. I've always got a spare 4/0 or 6/0 around to tie casted rods in on


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Depending on how often I use particular reel ill change line every couple of years. I don’t use backing for a reel that is spooled with mono.


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## biggestsquid (Jan 6, 2010)

I was spoiled in seconds one day when a porpoise snagged my hook. Line left the spool like a bullet.

As far as changing the line I know I average more than twice a season and I will frequently replace the line back 100-125 yds when it has become chaffed on a sandbar. I have tried to get in the habit of changing out my shock leader daily when fishing hard --- just to have confidence in a fresh knot.

Speaking of spooled --- I was standing next to Lewis Meyers when he caught the winning drum in the NCBBA tourney. He was spooled to the knot! No kidding the line was pulling a Y over the spool. The drum ran off while he was tending another line. He coaxed a few wraps back on using his rod hand to gain some line, wound in that entire reel full of 14# test and beached the winning drum! When I walked over to him he said "look at this, something spooled me." Well when I looked I damned near fell over. How or why that knot didn't break beats me. I figure that drum just swam off not knowing he was hooked until he got to the end of the line --- then it must have fought itself tired! A helluva way to catch a tourney winner but Lewis was a picture of coolness when recovering that line and landing that fish.


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

I am really shocked I havent heard from anyone on this one simple answer cause I know lots of guys do this very thing and yes I have been spooled by something that never slowed down.

Ya just reel up what line ya have left over and put that rod away and grab your next heaver that has been pre-setup, snap on a weight and bait and toss her back out,,,,, dat's why ya have more than one ready to go.


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

In my Opinion - it has a lot to do with the type/size fish you're going after, I've never been spooled by a Flounder, Sea Mullet or Pomp - so I don't worry to much and if I do hook up to something big - I just break it off as quick as I can to keep my line from getting stretched like several others spoke about. Now if I fished for Sharks, big Drum or Cobia, it would be a different story. I use 12 lb test primarily and like Shooter, I do have a spare setup most of the time - River


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

In my Heyday of Drum Fishing I would hit the Beach, with 4 Heavers, Nine Penn 525 mags (fully loaded and Shocked leadered) , and a Spare 3,000 yard spool of Suffix 17.. A Dolphin was the only thing to ever dump me.. And it was in less then 30 seconds... I was a BoyScout, Always be prepared... 

JAM


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Jam and a few others hit it on the head. This is the reason we keep so many reels in good condition and full of line. This time of year and using the baits we use getting spooled is always possible at any time.


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