How Often Should You Change Fishing Line?

When fishing one of your key tools is the fishing line. Yes, the rod is important and the hook and other things, but the fishing line is very important as well, and sometimes it gets forgotten about.

However, you shouldn’t forget about your fishing line because if it breaks when you are trying to reel in a fish, then that fish will be gone along with your hook, lure, and whatever else was on the end of your rod.

That is why it is important to change your fishing line on occasion. In this article, we will look at the question of how often you should change your fishing line.

We will look at the different factors you should consider when trying to decide if you need to change your line or not and also give you a recommendation of how frequent you should change each type of fishing line.

How often should you change Fishing Line

Factors

So, before going into each type of fishing line and how often you should change it, we will first look at some different factors that can affect how long your fishing line last. The first thing that can affect how long your line can last is how often you are using it. The more you use the fishing line, the faster it will get wear. This means you will have to change it more often, but more useful isn’t a bad thing because it means you are getting used out of it and getting to go fish which is a good thing.

Another big thing that can affect how long fishing line last is how it is stored. For example, if you store your line wet, then it will break down faster. This is because the water will react with the line and weaken it. That is why it is a good idea to dry out your line before putting the rod into storage. Also, try to store your rod out of sunlight. The reason you don’t want to store your rod in sunlight is the UV rays from the sun will break down the line. This is especially true for certain kinds of line. Proper storage can help your fishing line last longer, but improper storage can really degrade your line.

The last thing that can affect how soon you need to change your line is the type of water fished and also the type of line you have. We will go into more detail about the types of line in a second, but first depending on if you fish fresh or salt water will affect how quickly your line breaks down. Saltwater fishing will lead to you needing to change your line sooner.

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Types of line

So, now we will start going into detail of the factors of different types of line, and then we will get into recommendations of how often to change each type of line.

Some of the other factors that affect how long a line will last are the lines abrasion resistance, and line thickness.

Lines that handle abrasion better or are thicker will last longer. Also, line flexibility and stretch can affect how long a line will last, and a line that is more flexible and stretches well will last longer than a stiffer line.

So now we will look at the three main materials of line, and that is monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided line. We will describe each one and then give recommendations on how often to change each type.

Monofilament Line

Monofilament line is made with one strand of nylon hence the name and is cheap to make. It is also cheap to buy just because it is cheap though doesn’t mean that it won’t last a good amount of time.

Monofilament line comes in a variety of weights and thicknesses. It also has a good stretch. The biggest weakness of the monofilament line is that it is weak to UV light. This means it is very important to store it in a dark place.

Also, it can behave differently when wet which is key to remember outside of its weakness to UV light through monofilament line and strong and resistant to abrasion.

For most people depending on their amount of use of the line, monofilament line can last a full season. It is best to spool on a new line at the beginning of every fishing season, and then you will be good to go the rest of the year.

Fluorocarbon Line

Fluorocarbon line is also one strand of line, but it is made up of fluorocarbon instead of nylon. Dont know what is fluorocarbon line and when to use it? Click this article.

Fluorocarbon is not weak to UV light which means storing it is easier, and it is even more abrasive resistance than monofilament line. This means it will last even longer than monofilament, but it also cost more.

Most people can get a few seasons out of their fluorocarbon line. It is also a heavier line which gives it more strength, but it is less stretchy so that it can snap from shocks.

Braided Line

The last kind of line is the braided line. Like the name implies it is multiple strains of a line which are wrapped together and welded or molded to form one line. It is very strong because it is multiple fibers, but it has no stretch from how it is made.

Most are resistant to UV light, but some isn’t depending on the material braided together. The biggest weakness of braided line, however, is it has poor abrasion resistance. This means if it rubs against something it can get easily damaged. Most people can still get a few seasons out of their braided line.

When to Change your fishing line?

So, how can you know when it is time to change your line?

Well, the best way to know when to change your line is by looking at the condition of the line.

If the line is frayed or has rough spots, then it is time to change it. Also, if the line looks cloudy and not clear anymore, then it is time to change it as well. This is because a cloudy look can indicate UV damage or just weakens from old age.

A tip though when it comes to changing your line is put more line on the reel then what you need. This way if the end of the line starts to go bad you can just cut it off and then retie the hook and things back on. That way you don’t have to change your line all the time completely. Then you only have to change the line when you don’t have enough line left on the rod.

Conclusion

So, the question of how often you should change your fishing line is a hard one to answer. This is because a lot of things can affect how long the line will last. The biggest thing is the type of line you have, but also how often you use the line and how it is stored are other big factors.

The simplest answer to how often you should change your fishing line is once a season, but fluorocarbon and a braided line can normally last longer than that. That is why the best answer is to change your line when you need more or when it is worn out.

You can tell if it is worn out by if the line is cloudy or fraying. If it is cut the bad part off and retire or change the line. Now you know better on how to determine when you need to change your fishing line and also a rough recommendation of how often you should change your fishing line for each type of fishing line you might be using. If you take care of your fishing line and store it properly though, it can last you for a while and longer than you might have realized, but don’t forget to take care of it because your fishing line is a key part to your fishing experience.