Changing Line

I currently have 8 lb flourocarbon on my spincasting setup but I want to take that off and put on braided so I can get into the pads. But I want to keep the flouro as leader material. What is the best way to unspool line without it turning into a rat's nest?

I don't know if you can call it the best, but I usually take an empty toilet paper roll and roll it on there. The biggest challenge you'll have is avoiding too much line twist if you go that way.

im not sure about taking fluorocarbon off a spinning reel and then being able to use it again....the memory may be too much. i have done this before with braid though. i have the berkley spooling station that you can purchase at basspro, sports authority, or i believe dicks. it is the best 30 bucks i ever spent. line goes on easy and tight. anyways, i use an old spool of line (preferabbly empty or at least enough room to wind on the line you will be taking off the reel), and just tie the line from reel to it and then manually with my hand turn it round and round. you must make sure the drag on the reel is turned loose all the way to do this. i just keep rolling it off and making sure the line does not pile onto one side of the empty spool im putting the line onto. probably didnt describe that to make sense but if you ever pick up the spooling station you will see what i mean. even without the spooling station....however you do choose to take it off....i would pull it off the reel with the drag on loose all the way as opposed to opening the bail and letting it fall off. by using the drag you can keep pressure on the line so it dont jump off the reel like slinky.

you are making a good decision to take the flouro off. it's just not worth having it on a spinning reel. too many headaches in my opinion. braid with a fluoro leader is the way to go. the important thing now will be making sure you tie a good line to line connection that is strong and will not slip as well as leaving a small footprint so it doesnt affect casting if you plan on using a long leader. not sure if you have much experience with these types of knots but i will make a recommendation if you dont mind. you want to use a modified albright knot that is often referred to as an alberto knot. do a google search and you will find some help. it is very easy to tie. just like an albright but instead of wrapping the line around the standing line in one direction, you go back around the standing line in the other direction before bringing through the loop. this knot leaves a tiny profile and is super strong. it does not slip or weaken over time like some other knots(the uni to uni is an example of a knot that is strong at first but the two lines cut into eachother and eventually you break off). also with the alberto you can cut the tag end right to the knot you dont have to leave any extra because slippage is not an issue. give it a shot.

Most fishing reels have spare spools available...Why not pick up a matching spool and fill it with braid, and keep the flouro on the other for a different body of water. One thing to think about is if your rod can handle braid. most can, just an idea.

I second what Bob says, spare spools...I won't buy a spinning reel now unless it comes with a spare spool, its like 2 for 1, lol. Or just buy a few reels (over time) of different sizes for different setups and line. You will drive yourself crazy if you keep taking line on and off all the time depending on where your're fishing...Also, fluro works best on size 40 spinning reels or above (wider spool, less memory usually). If your reel is smaller than this, then fluro will be a nightmare (my experience), but braid with a leader will work good as mentioned above. Mono also works good on smaller reels if you get sick of the braid...

Also, when buying reels try and stick to one brand and one size. For example Shimano/ Symetre/4000. That way when you buy a 2nd and/or 3rd reel you now have 2-3 spare spools. You now have 4-6 options for line, light mono, heavy mono, light floro, heavier floro ( DO NOT go over 10-12lb test on spinning gear it's a disaster waiting to happen), light braid, HEAVY braid. Now you can just switch the spools to the reels you want and the reels to the rod you want. I use a perminant marker and on the side of the spool I make what lb test the line is, then i always respool the spool with the same line when needed.

Every reply is exactly correct. You can also add a fluoro leader to braid. I find Fluorocarbon has alot of memory and needs to be changed often. Where I'm not a pro and can't afford to spool up often i just add a 6ft flouro leader. Bam Done. Now i just change leaders to match the size flouro i want for the tactic i choose.

I bought an entirely different rod and reel for hitting the pads...

It's medium heavy action, the reel has 30 lb or so spiderwire braid on it, and I will tie a Spro frog directly on the end of the braid. If I'm swimming it, I will use a 15-20 lb mono leader... These things are too expensive to be losing in the pads, or when a monster explodes on them!

If you dont want to buy an extra spool, you can take it Bass Pro. When you buy the braid line, ask them to use their stripper. It's a little machine that unspools your line. If you are careful you can remove it fast and mostly tangle free. Then ask the guys at BPS to spool your new line for you.

On a spinning reel, I've recently realized that you should run some mono first, then attach it to the braided line so that it doesn't slip on the arbor, especially when it gets wet. I usually tie on a flouro leader that is about the length of the rod, so I have the Frankenstein line set-up: mono-braid-flouro.

I recently lubed and cleaned all my reels, so I took all the line off and retied everything, but just kinda pulled it out and left it on the floor, hoping for the best..it's usually worked out. If i get a knot, I just try to work it out, or if its no use, and close to the amount of line on the spool that I'm looking for, I'll just cut it there.