# How to avoid being spooled



## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

I haven't been spooled yet, but come the day that I am, I will be pissed about loosing a spool of braid and will feel incredibly guilty about all that line floating around potentially tangling up birds and sea creatures. So I was wondering if there's anyway of avoiding or minimising the risk of being spooled.

I thought the obvious solution is to have a lighter leader than your main, but then in any type of fishing where you run the risk of being spooled, you need a heavier leader. So then I thought what if, for example as a setup for a king you had a 10Lb main, then a small section of 8Lb to a 20Lb leader and adjust for the 8Lb in the setting of the drag. But then the question would be; is the knot tying your line to the spool stronger than the weakest point of the 8Lb line? And if not; can you you pre-empt being spooled and slowly tighten the drag before it gets to the spool knot?

So then my last question would be; if this is actually possible, how much am I increasing the potential of failure in any given situation, as obviously adding more knots is adding more places for things to go wrong.

Any thoughts?


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

I think being spooled is a rarity - well for me it is (never) - in fact I would love a fish to try it :lol: :lol: :lol: . I think I'd tighten the drag down and or palm the reel and let fate take its course. Its highly unlikely you'll be spooled by a king... unless he's from NZ and wants to head back there. The kings normally head to the nearest sharpest thing they can find... so it tends to be several meters lost etc. I think being spooled is part of the fun of fishing - and to be honest with you (in hushed tones) its a good story to tell down pub or on the forum :lol: :lol:


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

only time i have seen a reel spooled was fishing in broome....no kidding 200m of line gone in seconds....by the time the rod got lifted out of the holder the reel was empty...not light drag either....

much harder to do on a yak...sleigh ride here we go...YAY....

edit: didn't paulo catch his marlin with only 3kg of drag???


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

As Gatesy said, screw the drag down and or put your thumb on it and it usually breaks off at the knot. I've had a fish hit so fast that it was down to the backing line (125 yards) before I could get the rod out of the holder. I guess that's what happens when you use small reels with light line, while live baiting at night. 

The main way I get spooled is when trolling I get snagged and dont notice it till I get a sudden pull at the end of the line.


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

Thanks guys. Yeah not as worried on the yak, I've started targeting kings on placys landbased with a poor yak-deprived mate, and Ive been using my only plastics setup which is a 1000 sized reel loaded up with 8Lb braid. Got my first a couple of weeks ago at 55cm (its a start!). Yeah I thought you'd be able to just increase the drag and it would snap at the knot, but I thought why the hell dont people do that, maybe it doesnt work. Anyway I could always buy myself some waterskis for a bit of a sleigh ride off the wharf, just be a bit of a problem when the fish tires ;-)

cheers


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## soun (Dec 11, 2008)

I like your thinking. Personally don't think it is a bad idea, I might try it oneday. You've got me thinking now. I hate to lose fishing line too because it is pollution, the less line lost the better.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

cruising the aqua hunters site and 2 brothers got spooled of 350 yrds of braid in a couple of seconds....now thats a BIG FAST fish....

i lost 100 yrds in a few seconds yesterday, but was unable to set the hook....BUGGER


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

Another tactic could be flip the bail arm when into your last 25m or so - hoping the drop in pressure on the line will cause the fish to stop running, allowing you to paddle after it, regaining some line. I've never done it though and i'm guessing it would take some serious will power!


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## bradizle (Oct 19, 2008)

I can not think of a bigger rush than just down to 50m left of 300m of 50lb braid... If anything gets your heart pumping its definatley that... I love it when a fish trys to spool me... depends what your targetting mate .... Use all different combos / spare spools of what you think youll encounter... like... i wouldnt be spinning off the ledges up the north coast with a 4000 size reel and 250m of 30lb braid.... if a big lontail hits ya...your in for a ride.

Brad


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## diabolical (Mar 30, 2008)

Astro said:


> cruising the aqua hunters site and 2 brothers got spooled of 350 yrds of braid in a couple of seconds....now thats a BIG FAST fish....
> 
> i lost 100 yrds in a few seconds yesterday, but was unable to set the hook....BUGGER


Some big fish are really fast......BUT its worth doing the math on some claims :shock: . I do love the sound of the drag on a big spanish on the first run.


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## kayakity-yak (May 31, 2007)

now, can anyone do the math to work out the kind of temperatures a run like that would generate in your drag?? I'd have to imagine it would be sizzling at that point :shock:


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## KingHit (Oct 3, 2007)

Went on a charter in tonga and with a 130 wide Paul (runs the boat) said you have maybe 30 seconds on a big marlin or sailfish from hit to being spooled and that had a ridiculus amount of line on it and it has happened. Made a real point of not touching the rod and just crank everything else in FAST and then he will turn the boat and try and give chase. :shock:

Also mate of my dad's took a friend of his out fly fishing for tuna. Guy had only ever fly fished for troat and had never seen the backing (braid after the fly line is out of the guides) in all his years of fishing. He went from that to seeing the backing knot with all line out and landed the fish!! :shock: Lucky bastard!! :lol:


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