How do you determine when it is time to change out the braid on your spinning reels?

Is there some metric you use? Or, do you just do it based upon a calendar time frame (every yr? every x yrs)? If so, how many times do you fish a year?

Thanks!

Maybe someone else has a better answer other than mine which is just that you know by looking at it. I do have some reels that have had the same braid for 4 or 5 yrs and it looks great still. I fish maybe 10 -15 times a yr with my summer rods.

Also- I saw a tip once that if your braid starts looking ratty- just take it off and turn it around so the previously spooled part is now that lure side since it's likely never been used. Never tried it but it seems like it makes sense.

I change my line as needed, not every spring. In the stores there is no dates on when the line was made. Most sit on the shelf until it is sold. Everything has a date of manufacture but not fishing line, strange. It takes a set when it's wound on a reel and if that's a problem or any cuts it gets replaced.

I consider new line and fishing knots to be fishing insurance. You are only as good as the line you use and the knots you tie. I want to make sure I have the best and not worry about any issues when I am in Quetico. It is worth spending the extra money ( insurance ) to have new line. You spend all this money on everything else to make your fishing trip to the woods work, why skimp on the line?

quote Grizzlyman: "Also- I saw a tip once that if your braid starts looking ratty- just take it off and turn it around so the previously spooled part is now that lure side since it's likely never been used. Never tried it but it seems like it makes sense.
"

I do this. just take off the spool and thread it back through your guides, tie it off on the mono backing in another spool and start reeling.

quote QueticoMike: "I consider new line and fishing knots to be fishing insurance. You are only as good as the line you use and the knots you tie. I want to make sure I have the best and not worry about any issues when I am in Quetico. It is worth spending the extra money ( insurance ) to have new line. You spend all this money on everything else to make your fishing trip to the woods work, why skimp on the line?


"

Spot on.

I fish 50-60 days a year and I usually have 4 or 5 rods rigged up in my boat all with 8 or 10lb Fireline. This stuff is much tougher than mono! It doesn't swell or get as degraded from UV as mono. Usually you can just cut off 6"-12" every time you retie and that takes care of fraying at the end of your line. If your line loses color and seams to have many little frays you can reverse it as mentioned. Sometimes you will get knotted loops that will require cutting off larger lengths of line. If you fish in sub-freezing temps, the ice that forms on the guides can cause some pretty bad fraying also. I probably avg. about 5 yrs on re-spooling. Sometimes, depending on conditions of use, I only get a yr or 2. I also have trolling rigs that have had the same line for 10 or more yrs.

Certainly mono should be replaced with fresh line before any significant trip. Braid is another matter entirely IMO and since I have so many reels and spools it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of when a spool was filled. Many other braid users with busy lives may have the same problem i.e. "Is that line 2 years old or 4 years old"?

I use Power Pro so I cannot speak for other lines.......the same principles may or may not apply.

*Generally speaking if the line is faded its on its way out

*But the real test is knot strength. After a while of working with a certain lb test you know how easily it should break. I ALWAYS handle braid with gloves and I ALWAYS max out the knot via testing. When it pops before it should the line is bad. Sometimes you can strip out 10 yards and be back in business.

As soon as you lose 3-4 trophy fish back to back due to line snapping. :)
I have used power pro and fireline 5 yrs old (stored in house closet). I change floro every year or two. I Don't fish alot though.Store cool out of sun and it may last longer than we think. Test it.

quote Savage Voyageur: "I change my line as needed, not every spring. In the stores there is no dates on when the line was made. Most sit on the shelf until it is sold. Everything has a date of manufacture but not fishing line, strange. It takes a set when it's wound on a reel and if that's a problem or any cuts it gets replaced. "

I wait for the new stock to come in the spring, its easy to tell the old boxes from the new at that point :-)

quote Basspro69: "

quote Savage Voyageur: "I change my line as needed, not every spring. In the stores there is no dates on when the line was made. Most sit on the shelf until it is sold. Everything has a date of manufacture but not fishing line, strange. It takes a set when it's wound on a reel and if that's a problem or any cuts it gets replaced. "

I wait for the new stock to come in the spring, its easy to tell the old boxes from the new at that point :-)"

i was in fleet farm earlier this year and going to buy a bigger spool of line , i grab it and it had more dust on it than my old golf clubs LOL , put it back on the shelf bought a smaller spool.