TackleChoice

Fishing guide

Fishing Setup Problems: Causes and First Fixes

Many common tackle problems trace back to a few setup faults: how the line went on the reel, how full the spool is, how the drag and spool tension are set, and whether the hook suits the bait. Find what you are seeing below. Each problem lists its most likely cause and the cheapest fix to try first.

Why does my line twist on a spinning reel?

Every turn of a spinning reel's bail puts a little twist in the line. Normally it is too little to notice, but it builds up until the line kinks, coils off the spool and tangles in the guides. These make it worse:

  • Line spooled the wrong way. Line coming off the filler spool against the way the reel winds it starts twisted.
  • Reeling while the drag slips. If a fish is taking line and you keep turning the handle, the rotor spins without gaining line and twists it hard. Only reel when line is coming in.
  • Lures that spin. Spinners, spoons, drop-shot baits and soft plastics rigged with a bend all turn the line as they come back.
  • Letting the handle close the bail. The bail snapping over adds a small twist or loop on each cast.

First fix: take off the lure and everything else on the end, let a long length of line trail behind a moving boat for several minutes, then reel it back under tension. Salt Water Sportsman suggests about a quarter of the spool. Without a boat, Salt Water Sportsman readers clip the line to a ball-bearing swivel tied to a fence, walk the twisted line out, and reel back to the swivel with the rod bent. If the line is badly kinked, respool.

Stop it coming back: put a small barrel swivel between the main line and the leader, or a snap swivel ahead of spinners and spoons. Choose the smallest swivel that suits the line strength, and note that a snap swivel can change how some lures move. Rig soft plastics straight, and close the bail by hand after each cast.

Spool it the right way. Makers describe the direction differently, so use this check from Take Me Fishing: lay the filler spool flat, pinch the line, make about a dozen turns of the handle, then drop the rod tip to give slack. If the line twists, flip the filler spool over and carry on. Keep tension on the line as it goes on.

Why do loops jump off my spinning spool?

Loops that spring off on the cast, and the wind knots they leave in the line, usually come from two things. One is too much line on the spool. The other is line wound on loose or twisted, especially slack picked up just after the cast.

How full to fill a spinning spool Three spinning spools seen from the side. Each has a flange on both sides of the line, with the front lip on the right. The first is underfilled, with the line well below the lip, which shortens casts. The second is filled to about an eighth of an inch below the lip. The third is overfilled, with line above the lip, so loops spring off on the cast. Not to scale. Underfilled shorter casts About 1/8 in below the lip Overfilled loops jump off Lip

Original illustration of spool fill levels on a spinning reel. Makers' figures run from about 1/16 to 3/16 in below the lip. Not to scale.

  • Fill to just below the lip. Berkley says to stop 1/8 to 3/16 in from the edge of a spinning spool. Don't overfill. See how full to fill the spool on the reel size chart.
  • Close the bail by hand. After the cast, flip the bail over yourself and check that the line sits on the roller. Then pull the line tight and wind the first few feet on under tension, so no loose wraps go onto the spool.
  • Keep the line tight. With braid in particular, a wind knot starts when slack or small coils leave the reel. Keep pressure on the line as you cast and retrieve.
  • Remove twist. Take Me Fishing traces spinning-reel wind knots to twisted line and line not retrieved under pressure, and says a small swivel between the line and leader usually solves it. See line twist above.

Heavy line is another cause. Berkley notes that thick mono or fluorocarbon can jump off a spinning spool when you cast.

How do I stop and clear a baitcaster backlash?

A backlash, or bird's nest, happens when the spool turns faster than line leaves it. The extra line piles up and tangles. It is most likely at the start of a cast, when the lure hits the water, and with light or wind-resistant lures cast into the wind.

Set the spool tension for the lure you are using. Hold the rod out level, press the thumb bar, and let the lure drop. It should fall slowly and smoothly on its own. If it won't fall, loosen the knob. If the spool keeps overrunning after the lure lands, tighten it. Makers word the exact test differently, so follow your reel's manual. Then set the brake: makers suggest starting at halfway or higher and backing off as your casting improves, but brake dials differ between reels.

  • While you learn, Abu Garcia suggests an extra ¼ to ½ turn of spool tension, eased off as your casting improves.
  • Press your thumb firmly on the spool as the cast starts, then ease off. Stop the spool with your thumb as the lure lands.
  • Cast with the wind rather than into it until you are comfortable.
  • Use heavier lures on a baitcaster. Take Me Fishing suggests 15–17 lb mono as the easiest line to learn on.
  • Don't overfill. Lew's says a baitcaster is full when the line is about 1/8 in below the top of the spool, and that overfilling invites backlashes.

To clear one: don't yank the main line or the loops, which pulls the tangle tight into the spool. Pull the main line slowly and let the spool turn. When it stops, find the loop with a sharp point where the main line is pulling against it, and pull that loop. Repeat. A line pick can lift a loop that has cinched down, but it can scuff mono and fluorocarbon and split braid. Once it's clear, pull off any loose wraps before you cast again. A loose loop wound back on can cut the line on the next cast.

Why are my casts falling short?

  • The spool is underfilled. The line drags on the spool's edge as it leaves, which costs distance. Fill it to just below the lip.
  • The lure is too light for the rod. A rod cast with a lure well under its rating won't load properly. Match the lure to the rating printed on the rod; the rod guide lists typical lure weights by power.
  • The line is old or too heavy. Line that has lost its slick finish casts shorter, and lighter line casts farther than heavier line. Berkley lists reduced casting distance as one sign that line needs replacing.
  • The baitcaster's spool tension is too tight. Loosen it until the lure falls slowly on its own.
  • The line is wrapped around the rod tip. Check the tip before you blame anything else.

Why do my knots slip or break?

Friction from pulling a dry knot tight weakens the line, and braid can slip out of knots that hold in mono. Agencies and line makers give the same routine:

  1. Wet the line before you tighten the knot.
  2. Draw it down slowly and steadily until it seats.
  3. Trim the tag end, leaving about ¼ in.
  4. On a Palomar, check that the two strands through the eye lie side by side.

With braid, use a knot meant for it, such as the Palomar, which Berkley recommends for braided line. Retie whenever the line near the knot is frayed, for example after pulling free of a snag. The Knot Finder picks a knot for each connection, with tying steps.

Why does my line break on the hookset or during the fight?

Check the drag first. If it is set too tight, the line breaks before the drag gives. If it is too loose, a fish can run the line around cover. Set it before you fish: run the line through the guides, tie it to a scale, and pull. Sources differ on the setting. Shimano and Abu Garcia say about a third of the line's breaking strength. Salt Water Sportsman goes lighter, 15–30% depending on line type and strength, because braid has no stretch to absorb a sudden pull. Abu Garcia warns that anything over half risks breaking the line. Braid often breaks well above its label rating, so check the maker's actual figure. The reel size chart has Salt Water Sportsman's table.

Don't make big drag changes mid-fight. If you need more pressure, press on the spool with your hand instead.

Then check the line. Look over the line and leader before each trip and replace anything frayed, scuffed or brittle. On braid, PowerPro says to check the first 20–30 ft for fuzz, flat or shiny spots, nicks and color loss, and to cut and retie if in doubt. Sun and heat degrade line; Texas Parks and Wildlife says to replace it at least once a year.

If the line keeps fraying in the same place, check the guides. A cracked guide insert frays line as it passes through. Run a cotton swab or cotton ball around each guide: cotton that catches marks a crack, and that guide needs replacing. For a broken tip, the rod guide explains how tip-top sizes are measured.

Why does my braid slip on the spool?

Braid is slick enough to slip on a bare spool whatever knot you tie, and when it slips the drag can seem to be failing. To check, tighten the drag fully, hold the line on the spool with your thumb, and turn the handle. If the spool turns under your thumb, the line is slipping on it.

Fix: wind a base layer of monofilament onto the spool first, tie it to the spool with an arbor knot, then join the braid to it. Take Me Fishing's example is 20–30 yd of 8–10 lb mono under the braid on a 2500-size reel. Spool braid under firm pressure. Work out how much braid will still fit with the reel chart's backing calculator.

Why do I get bites but no hookups?

  • The hook is too big or too small. A hook too big for a fish's mouth gets stripped of bait without hooking anything. One that is too small can be swallowed. Match the hook to the fish's mouth and the bait; the Hook Size Finder gives a size for your fish and bait.
  • The point is dull. Draw the point gently across a fingernail. If it digs in and leaves a mark, it is sharp. If it slides, sharpen or replace the hook. To sharpen, file from the barb toward the point at the same angle on each side, then the underside. Don't overdo it, or you weaken the point.
  • There is slack in the line. Reel up slack and keep the line tight to the bait so you feel the bite. On a Texas-rigged plastic, reel in slightly to tighten the line before the hookset, because the set has to pull the hook through the plastic.
  • You are jerking a circle hook. Circle hooks set themselves. When the rod loads, reel steadily or let the line come tight. A hard jerk pulls the hook out of the fish's mouth. Keep the point and gap of a circle hook clear of bait.
  • The fish feels the sinker. Catfish drop a bait when they feel resistance. A sliding sinker lets them pick it up without feeling the weight.

If fish come off during the fight, keep steady tension all the way to the net or bank. Slack line can let a hooked fish throw the hook. Check that the drag isn't so loose that it slips on the hookset.

What if fish keep swallowing the hook?

Bait on a J hook is more likely to be swallowed than bait on a circle hook. Circle hooks usually catch in the corner of the jaw, and agencies use them to cut deaths among released fish. Use non-offset (inline) circle hooks for bait. Offset circle hooks gut-hook more often, and inline circles are required by rule for striped bass fished with bait from Maine to North Carolina.

If a hook is deep in the throat or gut and won't come out easily, cut the line as close to the hook as you can and release the fish. NOAA Fisheries, Florida FWC, Iowa DNR and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission all give this advice. Maryland DNR suggests trying a de-hooker or long-nosed pliers first. Non-stainless hooks corrode and fall out in time.

Why won't my bait stay on the bottom?

  • In ponds and slow water, agencies advise the lightest weight that keeps the bait on or near the bottom. If the bait drifts, add a little more.
  • In a river, an egg sinker can roll along the bottom. A no-roll sinker has flat sides that stop it rolling. A weight fixed above the bait lets strong current carry the bait back. A three-way rig holds bait a set distance off the bottom in current.
  • In the surf, a pyramid sinker's point and flat sides resist rolling, but it can pop out in big waves. Go heavier, or use a sinker built to grip the sand. See the fish-finder rig guide for surf sinkers and weights.

The sinker size chart lists each shape by weight.

Why do I keep snagging?

  • An exposed hook in cover. Rig soft plastics Texas style, with the point back in the plastic, so they come through weeds and wood.
  • Too much weight. A weight heavier than you need drags the bottom and finds every snag. Use the lightest one that still reaches the depth.
  • Losing whole rigs. On a three-way rig, tie the sinker on lighter line than the main line, so a snag costs only the sinker. Keep leaders short around wood.

For a Carolina rig, a lighter weight and a cone or egg shape also help. See the Carolina rig guide.

Why does my bait fly off when I cast?

  • Worms: thread them on several times, and push the point and barb into the end of a piece of worm so it can't slide off.
  • Soft baits such as clams and worms: a bait-holder hook, with barbs on the shank, holds them better. Clams, mussels and liver can be wrapped onto the hook with fine thread.
  • Cut bait: leave the skin on so the hook has something to hold.
  • Squid: hook it two or three times through.
  • Dough, stink bait and other prepared baits: a treble hook keeps them from flying off on the cast.

For rigs, see the Carolina, fish-finder and high-low rig guides.

Read the sources and limits behind this guidance.

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