How to Tie Fishing Line to Your Reel

How to Tie Fishing Line to Your Reel (Without Making It Harder Than It Needs to Be)

Spooling a reel has gotten complicated with all the conflicting advice and overcomplicated tutorials flying around. As someone who re-spools reels at least a dozen times a year and has made every mistake in the book, I learned everything there is to know about getting line on a reel correctly. Today, I will share it all with you.

The first reel I ever spooled ended up a twisted, tangled disaster because nobody told me about line memory and spool direction. I had to cut off every inch and start over. Twice. So let me save you that frustration.

The Arbor Knot — The Only Knot You Need for This Job

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. The arbor knot is what attaches your line to the spool, and it is embarrassingly simple. Wrap the line around the spool, tie an overhand knot around the standing line, then tie another overhand knot in the tag end as a stopper. Wet it, pull it tight against the spool. That is literally it.

• Arbor Knot: Reliable, fast, and effective for every type of reel. You could learn it in thirty seconds.

What You Need Before You Start

• Fishing Line: Matched to your target species and technique. Do not overthink this part — mono for general use, fluoro for clarity, braid for sensitivity.
• Your Reel: Spinning or baitcasting, just make sure the spool is clean and ready.
• Scissors: For trimming the tag end. Nail clippers work too, and honestly I use them more often.

Getting the Line On — Step by Step

For a spinning reel, open the bail arm first. This seems obvious but I have watched people thread line over a closed bail and wonder why it does not cast right. Run the line through your rod guides from tip to reel, open the bail, wrap around the spool, and tie your arbor knot.

Now here is the part most people mess up: close the bail, pinch the line with your fingers to create tension, and start winding. The line needs to go on under consistent tension or you will get loose wraps that cause bird’s nests later. I hold the line between my index finger and thumb with a rag or my shirt to prevent friction burns.

Even Winding Tips

• Guide the line back and forth with your fingers so it lays evenly across the spool.
• Leave about an eighth of an inch from the spool lip. Overfilling causes line to fly off in coils. Underfilling kills your casting distance.
• If you see twists forming, stop. Take the line off, let it trail behind a boat or lay it out straight on the lawn, and re-spool.

Check Your Work

Open the bail and let some line out. Does it come off smoothly without jumping or coiling? Good. If it springs off in loops, you have twist problems. That’s what makes proper spooling endearing to us detail-oriented anglers — getting this right prevents half the frustration you would otherwise deal with on the water.

Line Type Differences

Mono is forgiving and spools easily. Fluoro is stiffer and takes more care to lay flat — it has memory and will coil if you rush. Braid is limp and can slip on the spool if you do not put a mono backing on first. I always put about 20 yards of cheap mono on the spool before tying braid to it with a uni-to-uni knot. The mono grips the spool; the braid grips the mono.

Troubleshooting

• Line Slipping on the Spool: Double up your wraps before tying the arbor knot. A piece of electrical tape over the knot also helps.
• Persistent Twists: Try a line conditioner spray. Or re-spool with the filler spool oriented correctly — label up for spinning reels.
• Uneven Fill: Slow down and guide the line more deliberately. Rushing is the enemy of a good spool job.

Maintenance After Spooling

Rinse your reel with fresh water after every trip, especially saltwater trips. Line degrades over time even sitting in a garage. I re-spool my most-used reels every couple of months during heavy fishing season. A fresh spool of line is cheap insurance against losing the fish of a lifetime to a worn-out line.