Line Twist
Any tips or tricks to reduce line twist on the ole spinning rig?
If the line is twisting at the bait put a swivel a foot up from the bait
Edward, sorry for the late reply, but I've got lots of suggestions here. I started finesse fishing in the early 2000s. A friend of a West Coast angler (he never told me who, but I think it was Aaron Martens) used to talk to me at a tackle shop and share fishing tips. He explained a dropshot rig to me. At this point in my life, I didn't associate spinning tackle with bass fishing. We grew up fishing Poe's crankbaits, carolina/texas rigs, spinnerbaits and topwaters. My first trip out, I tied it on my cranking rod, as that's the nearest I had to a spinning rod action and finesse line size. I was catching 3lb fish around bridge pilings with a dropshot. Unfortunately, I immediately came to realize the drawback that would plague me for years. As a result, I have lots of suggestions:
1. Braid to fluoro - this is almost 100% my solution now. The fluoro might twist a little, but untwisting 3-10ft of line is a lot easier and a whole spool.
2. Cut off your lure and drag the line behind you. (If you must fish straight fluoro) this is easier if you have a boat. I just cut off the lure, open the bail and idle at side-imaging speed (3-4MPH), let the coil off until you have 50-60yds in the water, close the bail and idle down the water a ways. This will pull the coils out. (This also works on extension cords, dragging them through the grass before you wind them up)
3. Sometimes the coils are on your reel just from spooling up. I haven't used one of these, but this tool is supposed to get it on the reel without coils. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9QzHkwC5xk
4. If your handy and have the time, I used to work as a sporting goods store that spooled reels, I made a drill bit attachment that holds spinning reel spools so I can actually load the spool without the bail, this loads a spool with absolutely 0 line twists.
I hope this helps.
Here is what you do. Take off the bait when you’re at home. Next go to a large grass park if you don’t have a large yard, the. Let out 20-30 feet of line and drag that line in the grass. Keep letting out line as you walk, and drag the line through the grass. Soon the grass will create enough friction to pull the line from the open bail. Walk the full length of the yard or park, then when you run out of grass, make a U and talk back the same path, but 2-3 feet stepped over. Keep walking out the line until all of the line is off the spool. As you are dragging the line, it’s in twisting. Just keep walking until all the twist is gone, then reel it in with a little tension by pinching with a little piece of cloth or leather. It’s really easy, and I always do that when I put new line in a reel, and or after a few trips.
