Penn Plastic spool vs 3 piece metal spool

[john2244]

This year I am going to fish with several different older Penn reels that have 3 piece
metal spools while others have a plastic spool.  In the past all of the older Penn reels
I have fished with had aluminum spools. I have read/heard about metal and plastic spools
failing when used with mono line and that dacron should be put on the spool before the mono line.
Some of these reels are very simular in size and gear ratio but with different spools ( plastic and metal ).  
Would it be better to fish the reels with 3 piece metal spools or with plactic spool? Which spool do you feel
would be least likely to fail?  If a spool were to fail it may be difficult to replace.
Thanks,
John

[Alto Mare]

John, what size of reels are you talking? If you were to use from the 4/0 and up, I would recommend keeping those 3-piece spools on the shelf, those reels generate a lot of pressure. If you're talking anything under a 4/0, I believe that you would get away with either one.

[john2244]

Sal,
I am thinking about the smaller reels.  I don't want to get in trouble with you fishing the lighthouse box reels.
 Thanks for the input.
John

[Makule]

Having used both plastic and the 3-piece metal spools, hands down, the plastic isn't as strong.  A very critical factor is the line size.  Smaller line is easier to wind on tighter (relatively speaking) and when thousands of turns end up on the spool, that equates to tremendous pressure (vertically and laterally).  Larger line isn't as easy to wind on as tight and there aren't as many turns on the spool.  Consequently, this means less pressure on the spool an less change for breakage.  Another problem is that when the smaller lines are fished and a good size fish is on, the line stretches even more and is then wound on the spool with more pressure.  Unless you're going to be in the habit of taking the line out of the reel and letting it "relax" after every good size fish, better to just keep the plastic on a shelf.  Even the 3-piece metal ones will fail, given the right (wrong) conditions.  For that matter, even the cast bronze spools will fail.  Anyway, you get the point.

[Harry]

Heres more evidence what really not to use if your game fishing. An eagle ray did this to my 140 squidder plastic spool. This spool had already line on it when i bought it with the reel . I was a bit lazy and the metal sppol i had was bit low on line so i just used the plastic one that day .

Iv broken 2 plastic spools now , the other was a cheap Sigma Shakespear , that spool colapsed and came out the sideplate  smashing that too.

[wallacewt]

so how much drag?
to much,to much, came the cry from the deep

[redsetta]

to much,to much, came the cry from the deep

[Irish Jigger]

At least you have still got the line.

[Harry]

LOL.... yea still got the line, its been broken for bout 10-15 years .

Kept it as a reminder to never use plastic spools unless your spratting.

[Keta]

Harry,
Dump all or most of the mono and replace it with Dacron or Spectra, mono stretches under load and will expand and break or warp spools.

[Makule]

Forgot to mention something that Lee astutely pointed out:  Mono = lots of stretch = breakage.  Dacron or braid = little stretch = much less chance of breakage even with plastic.  It's the cumulative effect of the stretch that will do the damage, so even just a little with each turn, if given enough turns, will spell breakage.  Stretch is analogous to leverage in that with enough, one can move extreme weights (I.E., apply tremendous force).

[Harry]

Thanks Keta, i understand but i like using mono.

Do you think a 9/0 brass/crome spool can warp from line being wound on too tight from catching say a 300 lb fish and left on tight for few months? 

[Keta]

Thanks Keta, i understand but i like using mono.

Do you think a 9/0 brass/crome spool can warp from line being wound on too tight from catching say a 300 lb fish and left on tight for few months? 

Put a 100yd mono topshot over the Dacron or Spectra backing.

I've seen cast 349 spools dammaged from 100lb + halibut and mono left tight on them for less than a week.

[Makule]

Thanks Keta, i understand but i like using mono.

Do you think a 9/0 brass/crome spool can warp from line being wound on too tight from catching say a 300 lb fish and left on tight for few months? 

I have a cracked 12/0 cast one-piece bronze spool.  Don't know what size the fish was that did it.  If a 12/0 spool can break, so can a 9/0 spool.  Again, the smaller the line and the greater the stretch, the greater the chance of breakage.

Don't know what the Penn reel manuals say now, but they used to advise winding line on more towards the center of the spool, and then letting the line relax after catching a big fish, specifically to prevent damage.

[alantani]

At least you have still got the line.

ok, funny, but that had to hurt a little!