Pro Tips Weekly: Greg Bohannan

Snarl-proofing your spinning line

When you’re fishing with spinning tackle, there are few things worse than being on fish and then having a big tangle of monofilament come off your reel when you cast to them. The best way I’ve found to avoid snarls is to stretch the monofilament once I’ve put new line on my reel and before I go fishing. I’ll attach the end of the monofilament to a cleat or something and then back off about 50 yards or so and really stretch it good and tight. This will make the mono limper and less springy.

Also, while I’m doing this, I’m also setting the reel’s drag according to the line test so that I don’t have to fool with it when I’m fishing. I’ve heard that closing the bail with your hand instead of the reel handle before winding in line will avoid snarls, and that snubbing the line at the end of the cast with your finger will help, too. But stretching monofilament before I fish with it is what works for me.

— Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts pro Greg Bohannan, Rogers, Ark.