How many of you soak your fishing line in water prior to spooling up? For me it was something that was foreign and strange until I entered the world of carping a few years ago. When i first heard about it, I thought it was just one of those confidence booster type things that didn't offer any real value. Then I gave it a shot since the carp guys i was fishing with spoke so highly of it. It truly makes a big difference in how your line performs, especially in the areas of memory and tensile strength. The key is to soak it (the entire spool) in hot (NOT boiling) water and allow the spool to soak for at least 10 minutes (sometimes) I'll let it sit for 30 minutes. I haven't used a brand yet with this method to where this didn't remove all of the memory in the line. It will also (for some brands) make the line noticeably easier to cast and shock absorbing.

The only thing I do to line is I use a line butter spray. I spray the line on the reel after a day of fishing. I never did anything to my line in the past until a couple of years ago there was a post made about line treatment. I kind of like it and to me I am getting a better performance on my line.

It'd have no effect, or a bad one I suspect, on braids.

And, no effect on fluorocarbons as they (the quality ones) are impervious to water absorption. This is why fluorocarbon is the "go to" line for ice fishing: the line doesn't absorb water that can freeze.

I think I could see the possibility that it would limber up monofilament lines. Most of these do absorb water, most are affected by sunlight, too, and they generally degrade quicker than braids and fluorocarbons.

Warmed up things are often more limber than cold ones, me for example, but is this suggesting that chemical bonds are altered permanently by warming up the lines one time? If so, why aren't the better mono manufacturers doing this? Maybe, I don't know, they are???

Brad

Very interesting. And there is no memory for the life of the line?

My small Pfleuger President reel has given me nothing but problems. I tried multiple types of fishing line, I spooled the line then stretched it, used line conditioner and I would still end up cutting off 20 feet of tangled mess every time. I finally got sick of it and haven't touched conventional gear in 6 months. My next reel will be a Snoopy spin cast, LOL!!!!

I use a line butter on my spinning rigs. Usually the more expensive line does not need any treatment. I guess it is more of habit for me to spray a little line butter on my line before each trip. I fish with friends of mine a lot who never use anything on their line and they do well just like me.

If you mean monofilament, the analogy I'd use is cooked versus uncooked spaghetti. The cooked noodle is softer and more pliable, but at a cost: loss of tensile strength before a break.

All studies I have ever seen show that monofilaments degrade rather quickly in sunlight. This is because of oxidation. Not so for fluorocarbon because it has much tighter chemical bonds. Back to mono: it loses about 20% of its strength in a matter of a few hundred hours of sun exposure. It also loses about 20% of its strength when it is saturated with water.

I am not sure what happens when mono lines are saturated, then dry out, but my guess is it is serially weakened over time.

But, the good thing is mono is usually cheap and it simply has to be replaced more often than braid or fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon has to be re-tied frequently owing to its more glass-like properties but up on the main line length itself, unless it is scraped really badly, it suffers little degradation by temperature, sunlight or water.

I think soaking might be okay to make a mono supple, by the way, just at some costs in other areas.

Brad

Never had to treat any of my line over all the years I have fished! Interesting thread!

What brand and size line do you use? What brand of reel do you use?

I too have never had to treat any mono line. I use clear blue Stren in 6# to 25#. I change line when it need to be changed, usually about once a year.

Plus #1 on what ChuChu1 stated: As for the reel I mainly use a Shimano Symetre 2000FG. Other than changing my line once a year I do not have problems with line. The lightest line I use is 8 pound test. The heaviest I use is 20 pound test.

My mono lines I usually have to change out once a month at least. And that's with size 25 - 35 Pflueger spinning reels. Not as often on baitcast gear. I've tried the "mono in hot water" deal and it works great at first, but as others have said, seem to seriously weaken the line in the long haul. I'm a big believer in line conditioner and I use KVD's stuff and BPS house brand stuff.