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
Bill, I would dump it. Mono is cheap. Rudy
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
Throw it away or use it for trace line
Kim
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.
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 .
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
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.
Here's how I look at it, is it worth loosing a fish to save a few dolars?
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.
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.
??? ??? ??? Is this top shot , How deep did you go down ,any backing on the reel ?
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
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.
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.
You could macrame some doilies with it, otherwise recycle. Most places involved with fishing have a recycle bin.
Aren't you contemplating a long range trip? Definitely get new mono, no telling how many nicks or frays are in that spool. To save some $ in the long run fill it with braid and top shots of mono. On my mono reels I leave enough room for 100 yards of mono on top so I can change it without much $ pain
Bill - I pretty much will add one more voice to the choir. But a slightly different note. Dump the old mono for all of the reasons above. And - given your intended application of the reel (rock cod/bottom fishing) if I am fishing shallow, I am using one of my smaller old reels (Long Beach in my case) and mono is not a big inconvenience. But if you are going deep, and using the capacity of that 6/0, mono (of any quality, new or otherwise) will become a hassle due to it's inherit stretchiness, especially as you start to get at some of those deeper depths now allowed in the Cali Regs. Frugality? I endorse that - go old school - Izorline Green Spot Dacron. Is it a panacea? No, it's not perfect but it is generally a LOT more affordable than Spectra, has none of the "stretch", and while nowhere near as "capacity friendly" as Spectra (larger line diameters) that 6/0 will hold more than enough 50# or 80# to do the job, which is more than heavy enough for the drags in the reel anyway. I'm looking at 3 bottom fishing reels spooled that way right now - 114, 114H, and LB68. Can be a little bit tough to track down at times, but Longfin in Orange usually has it in stock both in store and available to ship from their online store. Not sure if Mark at Charkbait keeps any around, I will need to check next time I go to HB. - john
I say, dont use it not even for a top shot, or leeder, not worth taking a risk on loosing a good fish, good luck, cheers Don.
Earlier this month, I burned 3 large boxes of mono I stripped off of reels in the last 6 months. Tossed them on the slash pile.
Compared to everything else we spend fishing $$$ on — mono is about the cheapest thing we use.
And, one of the most important.
With everything else tuned and dialed in — I don't want to be "that guy" who makes lame excuses (I got cut off, the knot failed, the fish was a monster, etc.. — and the knowing deckhand just sez, "No, your line just broke because it was old").
Sort of like using old ammunition — yeah, it will work 9 out of 10 times — but I expect "0" defects when the firearm is needed.
Our fishing gear is just the "toolbox" we use for pleasure and hopefully a little meat for the table. The last thing we need in the back of our mind — is the uncertainly or hope that it doesn't break — when a big fish is on.
Keep your blades sharp, your powder dry, and your mono fresh.
Just my opinion.
Best, Fred
QuoteEarlier this month, I burned 3 large boxes of mono I stripped off of reels in the last 6 months. Tossed them on the slash pile.
WOW? Fred
I would think burning stuff like that out in the open in California in California would be a Major NO NO with all the Chemicals being released in the Air from the combusting of it .
Or you probably have an OSHA/EPA APPROVED INCINERATOR. ;D
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?
Fish of a lifetime on one side, saving a few bucks on the other...
I agree with Lee. I don't get the opportunity to fish as often as I would like, yet. So, I just don't take the chance.
Andy
8) On another note Frugal joe will repurpose the mono . I do tie nets , so the 100 # mono would be use for braille lines and lead lines ..
Quote from: Wompus Cat on March 22, 2021, 04:01:55 PM
QuoteEarlier this month, I burned 3 large boxes of mono I stripped off of reels in the last 6 months. Tossed them on the slash pile.
WOW? Fred
I would think burning stuff like that out in the open in California in California would be a Major NO NO with all the Chemicals being released in the Air from the combusting of it .
Or you probably have an OSHA/EPA APPROVED INCINERATOR. ;D
Everything is weird in California, Henry —
😩😩😩 😄😄😄
We live in an area of California that is more like other more sensible states — and we are rural, remote, and able to burn about 5 months out of the year.
Plus, my neighbor's Dodge diesel puts out more emissions in the first 5 minutes then 20 boxes of mono that are vaporized by intense heat in 90 seconds.
And, I was not even going to mention the criminally irresponsible non/actions of our Forest Service and Cal-Fire in not responding effectively when the Creek Fire was only a small plume of smoke on Friday, 9/04/20. They did one ineffective retardant drop from altitude — then the ground crews were told to "bed down" for the night — and they would address the fire in the morning.
This was in an area with daily predictable upslope and downslope wind patterns. The next morning, the fire was 500 acres, by 10:00 it was 2000, by noon it was 10,000. It destroyed 380,000 acres of forest, incinerated 880 homes, and was not under control until nearly 4 months later — 12/24/20.
We burn only safely, with precautions over and above norms, and am done listening to the over-educated yuppie experts that our government uses to pass environmentally-friendly regulations. Every product with even a smidgen of plastic components that is sold in California — must carry a warning label that it is dangerous to your health and may cause cancer. That is nearly everything...
My boxes of mono were gone in a little over a minute. And no birds or small animals would be entangled and die in these snarls and coils of mono.
Common sense needs to prevail.
Best, Fred
There is no good way to dispose of it. There are toxic cyanide fumes if it is burned. It cannot be recycled cost effectively. It's a seagull death trap in the landfill. The only thing that could be worse is throwing it into the ocean.
Quote from: foakes on March 22, 2021, 05:30:45 PM
We burn only safely, with precautions over and above norms, and am done listening to the over-educated yuppie experts that our government uses to pass environmentally-friendly regulations. Every product with even a smidgen of plastic components that is sold in California — must carry a warning label that it is dangerous to your health and may cause cancer. That is nearly everything...
My boxes of mono were gone in a little over a minute. And no birds or small animals would be entangled and die in these snarls and coils of mono.
Common sense needs to prevail.
Best, Fred
Here, Here! Not to mention the fact that the rest of us throughout this country have to pay additional for for all those CA mandated requirements & labels because most companies refuse, or can't afford, to manufacture multiple facets of the same products. :(
Where I come from anyone living outside the city limits is allowed to have a burn barrel (no burn permit required with a mesh cover) and can burn anything they want, which I do regularly. It's a pain in the rear obtaining a burn permit, especially since they have restrictions, but I do for our bigger burns each spring.
Boy did I open a can of worms......Im going to take the easy way out on this topic.... ;D When I take a costly trip. i.e. pending long range or expect to get into a fish of a lifetime like Sacramento River salmon and sturgeon, I use new line....always. Now the frugal side of me just hates to throw out 500 yards of 100 lb mono......personally I don't really expect to fish 100 lb mono for rock fish....just too thick for those deep currents, and Im sure the deckhands will give grief for using it.
Now I did transfer the line to a 114HLW, I was surprised that it filled the wide aluminum version to the same level as the old cast bronze spool. The line itself "felt" good, not salty, rough, or kinked......butt it was curled up tighter than a 1980's perm, we used to see in high school...:o So bad, I could barely tie a knot in it, the line was so curled, so now I would consider this pretty useless.
In the end, I will probably transfer it over to an empty spool and use it for other non-fishing uses.....after all it is 100 lb mono, and I have enough to fill a 114HLW. :D Bill
I use old mono like that for leaders for deep dropping. Its more than strong enough, I don't care if it gets crewed off by a dog fish. If I'm worried, I snell up a leader, hook it too the vice and pull hard to test. I have old 100 lb mono that I cant break by pulling way harder than the drag level I ever fish at so ....................... no worries fish away.
Cheers:
Todd