Used 100 lb mono

Started by Bill B, March 21, 2021, 12:48:06 AM

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Bill B

I recently picked up an older 114H with the top hat spacer.  No telling how old the 100 lb mono is, but the guy I picked it up from said he had it for about 8 yrs (was used when he got it) and never fished it.  My question is (being a cheap SOB) would you trash the mono or use it?  It won't be used on anything more then rock cod fishing, and the mono is too heavy for that......I did test the mono by pulling a length off the reel, tying it off so I could put my 200 lb weight on it, and it tested close to what I believe was 80# plus.   My scale maxed at 25#.  Bill
It may not be very productive,
but it's sure going to be interesting!

RowdyW

Bill, I would dump it. Mono is cheap.       Rudy

Benni3

I would pull it off and look at the spoil and the line might still be good,,,, ;) but might work great on my weed eater,,,,,,,, ;D

Sharkb8

Throw it away or use it for trace line

Kim

Cor

I also don't like wasting, but in this case, not knowing the history, I would replace it.

Personally I can't think of fishing with 100 lb mono, Ive caught huge Tuna on 80 lb.
Cornelis

Wompus Cat

Quote from: Bill B (Tarfu) on March 21, 2021, 12:48:06 AM
My question is (being a cheap SOB) would you trash the mono or use it?  It won't be used on anything more then rock cod fishing, and the mono is too heavy for that......I did test the mono by pulling a length off the reel, tying it off so I could put my 200 lb weight on it, and it tested close to what I believe was 80# plus.   My scale maxed at 25#.  Bill


I like  to describe my self as Frugal but my wife say's on occasion that I am Cheap so we compromised it to FREEP.

Heck yeah use it . If it's not all powdery or has visible cracks  when you hold it up to light  then sure go ahead .
It will let you know when it's TOO old to use .
If a Grass Hopper Carried a Shotgun then the Birds wouldn't MESS with Him

jurelometer

Uh-oh.  I am the contrarian again.  Looks like I am not alone this time though.

As long as we leave nasty chemical exposure out of the discussion, Nylon mono can go bad from  oxidation (many many many decades) or UV exposure (much faster, especially in direct sunlight, but also through a window).  So shelf life depends on how much it was exposed to light, and whether it was a spool (outer wraps exposed, or a coil. Heat is not an issue.

It can also get stiffer or softer due to local humidity, but it will adjust right back, and it is going to get wet anyways.

And in most cases, you are using the thicker mono for abrasion resistance, and not requiring 100% breaking strength.  Plenty of room to spare.

Ten year old mono  leader is my new stuff.  But I m not sure that  I would use 100 lb for west coast rockfish.

Folks that throw away  two year old leader that has been kept in the dark might end up replacing it with some ten year old leader that has been sitting on a warehouse shelf next to a window  :)  I never saw a "best by" date on a mono leader coil.  The line makers mostly tell us to refresh frequently (buy more product), but don't tell us how old the product that we just bought is (they don't want to deal with wasted inventory).  If the stuff really went bad on the shelf,  reputations would be damaged by old product, and more of it would be dated.

There is a thread somewhere on mono going bad where this is discussed.

-J

oc1

Easy.  Tie the line to an immovable object and walk it off down the beach.  When you are almost at the end of the spool, stop, put the reel in gear, lock down the drag, and try with all your might to break the line.  Get a helper and both of you try with all your might to break it.  If you cannot break it now, then you will not be able to break it later. 

Keta

Here's how I look at it, is it worth loosing a fish to save a few dolars? 
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

boon

Quote from: Keta on March 21, 2021, 11:10:09 PM
Here's how I look at it, is it worth loosing a fish to save a few dolars? 

A thousand times this. It breaks my brain when I see people heading out on their $100000 boat, burning $300-400 (or more) of gas for the day, and then using cheap hooks on the end of it all. The two bits that connect you to the fish (hook and line) are already generally very cheap, and yet they arguably matter more than any other part of the system.

Midway Tommy

Mono is so cheap that I see no reason whatsoever not to get rid of that which I know nothing about. If you can't afford new line you probably shouldn't be spending all the other money on fuel & fishing equipment. I have light (6 & 8#) mono that is at at least 10 or 15 years old but I know exactly how much sunlight and water it has experienced. I use that stuff continually until is gets weak & brittle, then put on new that has been in a dark box and seen no light for 20 years.  :)

I've purchased well over 600 used spinning reels over the years and the first thing that happens when I receive them, no matter how good the line looks, is it gets stripped and pitched.

The best disposal method IMO is to deposit in a line recycling container.  
Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

oldmanjoe

 ??? ??? ???  Is this top shot ,     How deep did you go down ,any backing on the reel ?
Grandpa`s words of wisdom......Joey that thing between your shoulders is not a hat rack.....    use it.....
A mind is like a parachute, it only work`s  when it is open.......
The power of Observation   , It`s all about the Details ..
 Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.   Alto Mare

jurelometer



Oops.  For some reason, I thought that we were talking about leader, and not a spool fill.  You will need to empty the spool to clean it anyways.   I would expect that you will want to fill it it with braided backing if you were going to use it again for anything serious.  Not sure what a 114H is used for nowadays.  Definitely not going to be fun for rockfish, especially when everyone else on the boat is running 50 -65 lb braid.

As for arguing against chucking old mono that has not been UV exposed?  I am sticking to my guns on this. 

Do you folks throw away your Gamakatsu and Owner hooks after a few years in case the steel gets old?  Even high end hooks are cheap compared to the cost of a trip. Best to be safe.   Send them to me for disposal.  :)

At some point material science has to come into play.

-J


MarkT

What are you going to use the 100# for? It's 8+ yr old line of unknown history... I'd chuck it or use it for tying up the tomatoes to the trellis.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

Keta

#14
Quote from: jurelometer on March 22, 2021, 01:14:22 AM

Do you folks throw away your Gamakatsu and Owner hooks after a few years in case the steel gets old?  


Steel is not mono. I toss hooks if they show signs of rust or are no longer sharp.  My cheeper bronze Mustad hooks can be sharpened several times but they tend to rust quicker.  I also wash and dry my high end hooks before storing them after use.  

If it was my reel I would fill it with 50-80 pound Dacron if I did not want to spend the  money on Spectra.  I am not a big mono fan though.  When I was fishing 5-6 days a week I would change my mono 4-5 times a year but it was smaller reels and 10-20 pound line.
Hi, my name is Lee and I have a fishing gear problem.

I have all of the answers, yup, no, maybe.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain