Line to use on older reels

[bluesnart]

Hello
I primarily fish with vintage (older reels)...since braided and fluorocarbon lines became the new go to lines it's somewhat difficult to make decisions on which line to use on my reels...braid for baitcaster reels and spinning reels...or fluorocarbon for one and braid the other since I top off my braided line with fluorocarbon or mono the braid is just backing right? But how does the line perform, casting distance ect
Are vintage reels, I'm talking mostly spinning reels, designed for mono...I know I can put whatever line suits where and what I fish for BUT ARE THE VINTAGE SPOOLS designed for mono...and therefore perform better with either mono or fluorocarbon
Thanks Juan

[alantani]

you've gotta be careful with the old three-piece spools and plastic spools.  when spooling mono, under any amount of pressure at all, these spools can split apart, pop or crack.  this is the one time where it might be better to use dacron to fill the spool half way, then put mono on top.  just make sure that there is a light coat of grease on the spool first.  corrosion can be a real problem, otherwise. 

[jurelometer]

A lot of questions in that post

Fluoro is just another flavor of mono, and won't behave much differently than nylon on a reel.  Fluoro tends to be stiffer, but there are limper blends made for casting.

Braid being thinner for the same strength, limper, and with less stretch ,  will cast better and fish better in many situations.  But it is a bit more of a headache than mono, mostly because you are working with much thinner line than before.

You can go all braid, all mono,  or braid with a mono leader/ top shot - which can be anything from a short bite leader  to enough mono that you never cast the braid and just use it as backing.  I depends on what you are going for.

Casting braid is not as much of a concern on older baitcaster as it is with spinners. Being able to use thinner and limper line can lead to worse backlashes and loose coils gettin past the gap at the spool lip.  But it is usually manageable if you are willing.

The two main issues with older spinners and modern braid are line digging into the spool under load and tangles from extra coils being pulled off the spool during the cast. Maybe toss in some bail wear on specific models if you are getting some grit in your braid. Contrary to popular opinion, braid fibers have an extremely low coefficient of friction, so they will not cause more wear on metal from rubbing than nylon, unless the braid gets dirty.  Also braid stretches less readily than nylon, so blowing out plastic spools from winding under load is less of a problem with braid.

If you use very fine braid, it might be more likely to get tangled in a bail roller mechanism on an older bail design.

Newer spinners use more aggressive oscillation to "cross hatch" the line on the spool, and longer spools.  This helps with both of the performance issues mentioned above.  Don't know if spool lip design changed, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Lots of folk fish braid with pre-braid reels.  It depends on the reel, the line size chosen, and whether you need to make aggressive casts.  On a vintage-type  old freshwater spinner with a very narrow spool doing lake and stream casting, you will have less to worry about.  It gets trickier for stuff like distance casting big lures or surf fishing with smaller lines.

If you have a particular model and line size in mind, you might be able to find some firsthand reports, either here or on the web.

-J

[bluesnart]

" tangles from extra coils being pulled off the spool during the cast"

This is one of the issues that generated this question...I find this happening after a few casts then I have to pull line out rewind and continue fishing...it is a small ultralight with thin spool and rather limp braid...I tried a heavier braid filled to within 1/8 inch of the lip same issue...otherwise it casts great with the 10lb small diameter soft line...I have a preference for soft lines...
As for the operation and design of the spool, comparing my vintage to new reels...there seems to be a difference...can't put my finger on what it is
Thanks Alan and jurelometer
Keep the comments coming they are very helpful

[Squidder Bidder]

" tangles from extra coils being pulled off the spool during the cast"

This is one of the issues that generated this question...I find this happening after a few casts then I have to pull line out rewind and continue fishing...it is a small ultralight with thin spool and rather limp braid...I tried a heavier braid filled to within 1/8 inch of the lip same issue...otherwise it casts great with the 10lb small diameter soft line...I have a preference for soft lines...
As for the operation and design of the spool, comparing my vintage to new reels...there seems to be a difference...can't put my finger on what it is
Thanks Alan and jurelometer
Keep the comments coming they are very helpful

You'll get wind knots with braid even with new reels manufactured for braid. I suppose issue one is spooling the reel all the way to the lip of the spool. I've also found that when the line is wet it will be less prone to wind knots. So maybe a little fresh water on the line before your first cast will help with the wind knots.

[bluesnart]

I've kept my braid to about 1/8" of an inch from the lip...up to about a 1/4"...it's about a 1/4" on this particular reel just now...wetting the line is something I'll try...sounds like a good idea...line twist may also be an issue...I don't have access to a boat so removing line twist is something I have to figure out...I've read unspooling the reel to about 100 yards pulling gently  on the line and rewinding may get rid of line twist
Thanks Juan

[alantani]

i've had guys bring reels in and the line is badly twisted.  it's a two man job, but you can chuck the line in a cordless drill, walk out 100-200 feet and untwist it.  it's important to do, because badly twisted braid can break easily if it twists enough to coil back on itself. 

[jurelometer]

As for the operation and design of the spool, comparing my vintage to new reels...there seems to be a difference...can't put my finger on what it is

Newer spinners use more aggressive oscillation to "cross hatch" the line on the spool, and longer spools.  This helps with both of the performance issues mentioned above.  Don't know if spool lip design changed, but I wouldn't be surprised.

The coils are not as perpendicular to the direction of cast, making it less likely for one coil to pull another off the spool, which is what causes the tangle.

[bluesnart]

Dumb question from me...Alan what direction clockwise or counterclockwise...

Jurelometer,I'd  like to stay with braid but I quest some not all of these older spinners should be used with mono or fluorocarbon...

[alantani]

the line can go either way.  i always hook a bait the same way.  on the retrieve, it helicopters back the same way.  jigs vary, either way.  never paid much attention. 

something funny.  i will often let the braid back behind the boat on the run back, just to straighten out the braid when it's twisted up.  i always chop of the topshot and run back braid only, without the knot.  the run back is at 12-20 knots.  if you leave a topshot on the braid when you let the line back, the topshot knot can actually make the line spin!!!!!

[Benni3]

Ya I have gone to a bridge and let all the line out on a bobber to get the twist out,,,,, 

[bluesnart]

Thanks Benni3
I live in LA so there are some bridges that might work using your method...another option thanks

[bluesnart]

My son has a small boat we use to fish San Diego Bay with...this might be a good reason to get us out there again...untwist our lines and catch spotted bay bass all day!

[Lunker Larry]

Had a mitchel 320? I think. Is that the small one? Anyway, every time I went to use it the spool was split. Crushed by the mono.

[Donnyboat]

Yes I have been placing the line on throu the winter, when it is colder, the line has very little srink left in it then, , it should expand throu the warmer weather, now leave some fish in the water for us please, cheers Don.