# Changing out Mono



## LDUBS

I am just curious. I typically lose enough line to snags and twists to change out a spool a couple times a year. Does anyone reload mono based solely on age? I have a couple of spare spinning reels with mono that is >2 years old. It still seems OK, but I wonder if there is a shelf life, so-to-speak.


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## Johnny

on the salt water forum, this question comes up now and then.
the average consensus is that most mono line is not very UV tolerant.
so if the line is only exposed to UV when you go fishing, then stored
indoors when not in use, it will last for several years. if left exposed
every day to UV, the life span is shorter. on large spools, UV only reaches 
the first few layers when in the direct sun unused.
and compare the area you are in. I am sure that monofilament will
last much longer in Montana compared to Florida.

like any product - there are pros and cons that sway with the wind.
Google: *how long does monofilament line last*


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## lovedr79

i try to change it atleast once a year or when the memory gets bad.


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## Johnny

if I waited until the memory gets bad, I would be changing my line weekly #-o


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## DaleH

Johnny said:


> if I waited until the memory gets bad, I would be changing my line weekly #-o


HILARIOUS :mrgreen: ... and that was the 2nd function to go ... :shock:


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## gnappi

Johnny said:


> if I waited until the memory gets bad, I would be changing my line weekly #-o



Me too  When something comes up and I have to remember a detail, I say... "Dunno, I've been asleep since then" 

I use some pretty light reels, they only hold a bit over 100 yards of 8lb. test, so with kinks, snags and frayed line I lose enough to re-spool a couple of times a year. But, our freshwater fishing season is 12 months long without a closed season so that's not too bad, and a spool of YoZuri goes a long way.


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## KMixson

Johnny said:


> if I waited until the memory gets bad, I would be changing my line weekly #-o



I was going to say something, but I forget. :LOL2:


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## LDUBS

It is time for me to change mine out. I've used Maxima for years. Don't know why. Just used to it I guess and too stubborn to change. Problem is good tackle shops (for lighter gear) are kind of lacking in my immediate area and the ones nearby don't stock Maxima. Unless I'm prepared to drive at least a half hour one-way, I may be making my first ever on-line purchase of fishing line. They will probably give me the spool that has been sitting on the shelf for the last 15 years. I know, life is tough. Hahah


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## overboard

I usually change mono every 2-3yrs, or when the line develops a lot of memory. 
One thing I do do is put a filler or base of cotton line, cloth electrical tape, or something similar around the inside of the spool so it doesn't hold as much line, ever try to cast a spinning reel when the spool is half empty! That may not apply to bigger fish that may strip a lot of line, or if you're fishing extremely deep, but for most freshwater fish that you are casting for you will never get into most of the line that a spinning reel spool will hold.


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## LDUBS

overboard said:


> I usually change mono every 2-3yrs, or when the line develops a lot of memory.
> One thing I do do is put a filler or base of cotton line, cloth electrical tape, or something similar around the inside of the spool so it doesn't hold as much line, ever try to cast a spinning reel when the spool is half empty! That may not apply to bigger fish that may strip a lot of line, or if you're fishing extremely deep, but for most freshwater fish that you are casting for you will never get into most of the line that a spinning reel spool will hold.



Using the backer sure makes a lot of sense. I have to admit I waste quite a bit of mono unnecessarily just because I'm not using a backer.


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## richg99

Funny how these threads appear at just the right time. YESTERDAY, I was tying on a new hook on my Grandson's rod. He left the rod here two years ago and is now in Minnesota...so maybe it is mine now.

I tugged on the knot, to check my failing abilities to tie anything..and the line broke just above the knot! I tugged on a few more pieces and all of them broke easily.

Time for new line!


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## LDUBS

richg99 said:


> Funny how these threads appear at just the right time.



The planets must be in alignment.  

We received an invitation to our grand-niece’s first birthday party this Saturday at one of those bouncy ball places. It is really for the kiddies but they have a place for us old folks to sit around and eat some pizza. As it turns out, the place is just around the corner from a well equipped tackle shop. Drop the wife off, visit the tackle shop, come back and eat some pizza. 

Seems uncanny how everything just seems to fall into place.


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## richg99

So...what did you buy?


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## LDUBS

richg99 said:


> So...what did you buy?



This coming Saturday. I need mono, but this has the potential to turn into an expensive B-day party. Haha.


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## Johnny

I just picked up a couple of spools of Berkley Big Game 20# Neon Green.
so after a good cleaning, all the saltwater reels will get a new spool
of line for the season. We get so many hangups on the rocks that some spools
have an assortment of different weight sizes as well as braid/mono mixture.
if the weather is nice through the winter, we will do the same thing next year.
not changing out due to the age of the line, but, rather the loss of the original line.
the freshwater spools are the same way. changed out due to wear and tear, not age.

Tight Lines, calm seas and Fair Winds - :fishing2:

to prevent thread drift, photos of yesterdays catch are in the "Fishing Reports" section.




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## LDUBS

Johnny said:


> I just picked up a couple of spools of Berkley Big Game 20# Neon Green.
> so after a good cleaning, all the saltwater reels will get a new spool
> of line for the season. We get so many hangups on the rocks that some spools
> have an assortment of different weight sizes as well as braid/mono mixture.
> if the weather is nice through the winter, we will do the same thing next year.
> not changing out due to the age of the line, but, rather the loss of the original line.
> the freshwater spools are the same way. changed out due to wear and tear, not age.
> 
> Tight Lines, calm seas and Fair Winds - :fishing2:
> 
> to prevent thread drift, photos of yesterdays catch are in the "Fishing Reports" section.
> 
> 
> 
> .



Do you ever get the large bulk spools? Have a friend who picks it up that way, but he changes out his reels weekly during the seasonal salmon runs. 

I'm the same way as you. I get enough snags & twists that I need to change out line long before age becomes a factor.


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## Johnny

I have never bought bulk spools.
I don't troll with down or outriggers that require a lot of line anymore.
somebody like Dale-H that does a lot of off-shore fishing does that.
I prefer the Neon Yellow [when I can find it] for salt water.
for fresh water, we usually fall into the 17# range of whatever is on sale
at BPS. the fish could care less what color the line is (IMHO).
we have been braid users for years and are now transitioning back over
to mono as it does not hang up as easily on debris.
but when dropping into heavy cover, we use 65# braid.

Tight Lines !!!


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## LDUBS

richg99 said:


> So...what did you buy?



Rich, I bought a whole lot of nuthin. I enjoyed a good time with family and friends, but never did get the chance to sneak over to the tackle shop. 

Looks like I'll have to set some time aside to make a special trip to stock up on supplies. As you might know, that isn't always as easy as it sounds on a retiree's schedule. :LOL2:


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## richg99

Gotcha. 

Yes, retirees have six Saturdays and One Sunday every week, and still not enough time to do everything. 

How did I ever work 50/60 hours a week while raising 4 kids? Guess I was married to the right woman ( who also worked!)


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## onthewater102

Dunno if this is taking you off topic - but I have given up on Mono and switched basically everything over to 40# power pro braid (equivalent of 10lb diameter mono) and use an FG knot to tie on a sacrificial leader. Usually I am tipping it with fluorocarbon, but for topwater baits I'll use a 17lb mono. Only reel I have now that isn't braid to leader is a casting reel on my crankbait rod that's got all fluoro on it.

Braid last so much longer, and I can flip it around on the spool after a year or two and freshen it up. I'd be nipping mono with every lure retie and loosing so much material to knicks and dmg it's really saved a lot of $$$ in the end.


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## LDUBS

onthewater102 said:


> Dunno if this is taking you off topic - but I have given up on Mono and switched basically everything over to 40# power pro braid (equivalent of 10lb diameter mono) and use an FG knot to tie on a sacrificial leader. Usually I am tipping it with fluorocarbon, but for topwater baits I'll use a 17lb mono. Only reel I have now that isn't braid to leader is a casting reel on my crankbait rod that's got all fluoro on it.
> 
> Braid last so much longer, and I can flip it around on the spool after a year or two and freshen it up. I'd be nipping mono with every lure retie and loosing so much material to knicks and dmg it's really saved a lot of $$$ in the end.




I currently use 4# to 8# mono. I haven't entertained braid because 99% of what I do is trolling. I want the "stretchiness" of mono. 

For some reason I thought braid did not stand up to nicks/abrasion very well. Not sure where I heard or read that but it sounds like your experience is different.


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## richg99

I switched to braid 15/20 years ago for my bait casters...first. 

Then, after many years of frustration with the few spinning reels that I have, I switched them over to braid. What a great improvement over mono, using braid on spinners. I still have "wind tangles" but a whole lot fewer of them than I had with coiled mono. Not perfect, but better, IMHO. 

I have learned to "drop my finger" when I have to reel line in with no tension on it. That little trick puts a bit of tension on the line and it goes onto the reel a bit tighter.

On my baitcasters, I have actually gone back to mono on a few of them. 

I was fishing with a guide last year. He was hooking up often. I was pulling the hook out of the speckled trout's mouths all too many times. I switched to his mono rig, and my landing ratio went way up. 

There are times for both.


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## overboard

I do A LOT of casting with spinning reels using stickbaits. Almost all of my reels are spooled with mono, I had Fireline on for 1 night and took it off the next day due to excessive wind knots, I have 1 reel spooled with braid and like it, but do get the occasional wind knot when casting and use it mainly for trolling. 
After trying "MANY" mono lines, guess what, Stren original and Trilene XT are still my bread and butter lines, Suffix Elite worked well also and a few others, but some mono's I had tried were junk IMO!


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## -CN-

The only mono I use is 4lb on my ultralights. 
Even my "light" panfishing rods have 5lb braid. That's really because I like to bass fish with them too. 
Everything else is 30lb braid on baitcasters and 20lb braid on spinning reels. The Power Pro is the best line I've used. The copy-cats don't compare.


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## Scott F

I currently use 4# to 8# mono. I haven't entertained braid because 99% of what I do is trolling. I want the "stretchiness" of mono. 

For some reason I thought braid did not stand up to nicks/abrasion very well. Not sure where I heard or read that but it sounds like your experience is different.[/quote]

Several years ago, a book was written listing the actual running depths of 200 popular crankbaits. This was in the days before braid so only mono was used for testing the lures. Trolling a lure 100 feet behind the boat, he used a depth finder in a second boat following behind to see how deep the lures ran. One important thing he found was that while performing the tests, they could see fish hitting the lure being tested on the depthfinder. With 10lb mono, very often, the person holding the rod, due to the stretch of the line, did not feel the baits being hit by fish. More hits were felt when trolling with less stretchy 17lb line. That was the first of many reasons I quit using mono many years ago.


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## LDUBS

Scott F said:


> I currently use 4# to 8# mono. I haven't entertained braid because 99% of what I do is trolling. I want the "stretchiness" of mono.
> 
> For some reason I thought braid did not stand up to nicks/abrasion very well. Not sure where I heard or read that but it sounds like your experience is different.



Several years ago, a book was written listing the actual running depths of 200 popular crankbaits. This was in the days before braid so only mono was used for testing the lures. Trolling a lure 100 feet behind the boat, he used a depth finder in a second boat following behind to see how deep the lures ran. One important thing he found was that while performing the tests, they could see fish hitting the lure being tested on the depthfinder. With 10lb mono, very often, the person holding the rod, due to the stretch of the line, did not feel the baits being hit by fish. More hits were felt when trolling with less stretchy 17lb line. That was the first of many reasons I quit using mono many years ago.[/quote]

Interesting. I can see that more hits would be felt, but were they getting more hookups? This is all just my opinion of course, but with a little line stretch, those hits might be more likely to become hookups. Additionally, if they have softer mouths like trout, the stretch might help keep em hooked. Like I said, just my opinion. 

Looking at the various underwater footage on Youtube, it is kind of incredible to see how many times a trout will bump a lure or make short strikes.


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## onthewater102

If the lack of stretch is causing you to miss fish you're using too stiff a rod for your application. The rod should be flexing as needed to play the fish, if you're relying on the line to stretch you're stressing the knots, causing you to have to use heavier and more visible line for your presentatio s and thats likely costing you bites.

Switch to a lower power rod, either go from a med/hvy to a med or a med to a med/light, or use fiberglass rods rather than graphite (for trolling anyway.) The guys around here that troll for kokanee salmon (14" typically sized) seem to prefer ugly stick rods for exactly the reasons you've described.


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## LDUBS

onthewater102 said:


> If the lack of stretch is causing you to miss fish you're using too stiff a rod for your application. The rod should be flexing as needed to play the fish, if you're relying on the line to stretch you're stressing the knots, causing you to have to use heavier and more visible line for your presentatio s and thats likely costing you bites.
> 
> Switch to a lower power rod, either go from a med/hvy to a med or a med to a med/light, or use fiberglass rods rather than graphite (for trolling anyway.) The guys around here that troll for kokanee salmon (14" typically sized) seem to prefer ugly stick rods for exactly the reasons you've described.




What you say makes sense to me -- a lot of sense. Right now I use Ugly Stiks with 8# mono on down riggers and I sometimes wonder if they are too stiff. If I stack a 3rd rod it is an UL with 4#. I'm not sure that I'm missing a lot of fish. I was just commenting on why I think I prefer more flexible mono for trolling vs line with no give. But, I try to keep and open mind and like reading other techniques & tackle preferences. 

A lot of the people around here who target Kokanee use glass rods with a lot of flex. Kokanee fishing has developed quite a following and a whole new line of specialty gear. I like chasing Kokes, but use the same equipment I use for trout. 

BTW, I'm still trying to figure out why more fish are caught on the starboard side of my boat. Switching gear doesn't matter. Seems the driver's side always gets more action. Crazy! I need to start keeping some stats just to prove it is a real thing as opposed to perception.


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## SeaFaring

I realize I’m dredging up a slightly older thread, but I’m gradually switching all of my reels to braid except for my ultralight gear and my only big surfcasting spinning reel. For mono, I stick to Trilene. But I find braid so much more sensitive that it works better in the dark and I can feel a lot more in terms of lure action etc. 

A big turning point for me was learning to tie the FG knot which is quick and easy, and that runs through guides and levelwinds like it’s not even there. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## onthewater102

Love the FG knot - nothing better IMO.

Word to anyone trying it for the first time - if it's failing it's because you're tying it wrong. It took me a number of break offs & re-watching YouTube tutorials to get it right - being neat and keeping it tight as you tie it are very important, as is how you tie the half hitches to terminate - alternate them going over and under the mainline. I tie two (one over one under) over the fluoro leader and another two (again one over one under) on the mainline alone. Once I started that I haven't had another failure in 2+ years using it.


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## BigTerp

Not sure if braid has changed much since I switched back to mono years ago, but I had issues with the abrasion resistance of braid. I fish for smallmouth in a rocky river and 95% of my fishing is bottom fishing with soft platics and jigs. I found that braid didn't stand up well to being constantly rubbed against and pulled through rocks and hard bottoms. I now use Yo-Zuri Hybrid and love it. But I still use braid on a round reel I have for froggin' and top water.


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## SeaFaring

I learned to tie the FG knot from this video: https://youtu.be/pjzUb5QRKuk

With a follow up tip from this video: https://youtu.be/LD1gWbp9zKo

Those two together made it pretty easy to learn. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## onthewater102

BigTerp said:


> Not sure if braid has changed much since I switched back to mono years ago, but I had issues with the abrasion resistance of braid. I fish for smallmouth in a rocky river and 95% of my fishing is bottom fishing with soft platics and jigs... I now use Yo-Zuri Hybrid and love it...



Hybrid is great stuff, but try it as a leader on a braid mainline sometime and you will get th3 beat of both worlds, sensitivity of the braid and durability of the hybrid at the end of your line. FG knot the hybrid on and you dont have to worry about passing the knot through even microguides on the cast.


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## richg99

Onthewater....what Hybrid, please.


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## Scott F

Years ago, BB (Before Braid) I used to have to switch out the 6lb mono from my spinning reels sometimes twice a week when I was on a trip and fishing 12 hours a day. Spinning reels twist line and mono does not like being twisted. It would just get to be too much to deal with. I am 100% braid (never with a leader) these days but even though I fish rocky rivers, I've never had a problem with abrasion.


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## New River Rat

Scott F said:


> Years ago, BB (Before Braid) I used to have to switch out the 6lb mono from my spinning reels sometimes twice a week when I was on a trip and fishing 12 hours a day. Spinning reels twist line and mono does not like being twisted. It would just get to be too much to deal with. I am 100% braid (never with a leader) these days but even though I fish rocky rivers, I've never had a problem with abrasion.



What he said, and I've never used any kind of leader. I mark hi-vis yellow Power Pro (40#) with a black sharpie and go on......tag end, three feet.


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## onthewater102

By using a leader you keep the wear & tear of changing lures to the sacrificial tip - but you can also play with the leader material to better fit the lures you're presenting. Other than topwater presentations I don't use mono at all.

Hybrid - I was referring to Yo-Zuri Hyrid line - a co polymer blend of mono and fluoro that is tough as nails. I use 10lb test leaders of that stuff when salmon fishing in Pulaski NY, pulling 25lb salmon out of a rocky as hell 300 CFS flow river with water no deeper than 16" in many places. I've never had it break while fighting a fish. Great stuff.


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## richg99

Just ordered some. Thanks


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## BigTerp

onthewater102 said:


> BigTerp said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hybrid is great stuff, but try it as a leader on a braid mainline sometime and you will get th3 beat of both worlds, sensitivity of the braid and durability of the hybrid at the end of your line. FG knot the hybrid on and you dont have to worry about passing the knot through even microguides on the cast.
Click to expand...


This was another issue I had with using braid....the leader. I switched to a flouro leader because of the aforementioned abrasion issues but had issues with my leader to mainline knots. Don't remember off the top of my head what knots I was using, but I know it wasn't an FG knot. Might give the FG knot a try if I ever get the desire to go back to braid.


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## BigTerp

onthewater102 said:


> Hybrid - I was referring to Yo-Zuri Hyrid line - a co polymer blend of mono and fluoro that is tough as nails. I use 10lb test leaders of that stuff when salmon fishing in Pulaski NY, pulling 25lb salmon out of a rocky as hell 300 CFS flow river with water no deeper than 16" in many places. I've never had it break while fighting a fish. Great stuff.



Yo-Zuri Hybrid really is good stuff!! More sensitive than mono, great knot strength (I've never had a knot fail), excellent abrasion resistance, more sensitive than mono with some nice stretch/shock absorption, strength to diameter is great and a very castable line. It's priced right as well, IMO. So even though it's not needed I probably change my line out twice a year since it won't break the bank at $15 for 600 yards of 6# test.


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## New River Rat

LDUBS, before I learned about lactic acid build up in stressing smallmouth, I used light tackle and 4# Trilene XL. I changed 1/2 spool for every reel, every trip. Overkill? Yes, but I had peace of mind and confidence built up before every trip. And, FWIW, I'm certain that UV and heat are mono's worst enemy.


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## -CN-

I use Power Pro moss green on everything, and no leaders.
I re-tie when it gets nicks or tooth marks on the end. Not very often. I also reverse the line on the reel each year so I'm using it from both ends.


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## LDUBS

New River Rat said:


> LDUBS, before I learned about lactic acid build up in stressing smallmouth, I used light tackle and 4# Trilene XL. I changed 1/2 spool for every reel, every trip. Overkill? Yes, but I had peace of mind and confidence built up before every trip. And, FWIW, I'm certain that UV and heat are mono's worst enemy.



Thanks. Same issue when releasing trout. Don't want to overplay them. I use 8# mono when trolling with down riggers. Otherwise, use 4# for tossing lures at trout. A lot of guys use 2#.


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## eshaw

I'd never even heard of a FG knot, nice to know. Have any of you found a way to tell when your mono is getting stretched too much? I don't fish with it a lot and this is a reason why I don't use it much. Nothing I hate more than getting a fish on and zing, there it goes!


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## richg99

I can't ever remember having mono break. But when I used it, I was changing it a number of times every year. 

I had lots of my bad knots come undone though. 

I use braid now for almost everything except top waters. I usually use a Fluorcarbon leader with the braid.


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## LDUBS

Same here. i have never experience a break with mono. I have frequently stripped off sections that I thought might be abraded or nicked by dragging across a log or something. But never a break off while fighting a fish. I would like to test this by landing a 10 pound trout. Haha


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