It is with some shame that I have to even post this but I hope it generates a fair amount of conversation...

I am having non-stop line twist issues with all my jig and Texas rig setups...here is the situation... I can spool brand new Fluorocarbon (usually 17 or 20lb) onto my reels (have done this with 3 different Revo Premieres on 3 different rods and 2 Revo Rockets on 2 other rods) and within about 10 pitches of the jig I have permanent twist burned into my line. We are not talking some minor twist but literally looks like it has been crimped in every which direction. I know how to spool line and it is perfect when it goes on but somehow I am getting all this twist in my line very quickly. I've tested several different jigs in clear water situations and they aren't rolling or spinning on me. On certain casts I pull the jig out of the water and it spins like a top because there is so much twist in the line. It is not the jig because this is happening with a texas rig setup too.

Again, I have used P-Line, Seaguar, BPS brand, Gamma and have the same exact issue with all of them. All of my reels are either Revo Premiers or Revo Rockets and have fished them on 7'6 Heavy, 7'4 Medium Heavy, and 7'3 Heavy. The rods do have micro guides on them but I don't that plays into the equation. Purely for information purposes - all these rods are Kistler Helium 3s, which I absolutely love. I am fairly certain it is not a function of what line or rod I'm using.

This issue truly has me stumped. My tournament partner and several of my well seasoned fishing buddies are also stumped on the issue. I am not a rookie at this, though it may sound like it with this issue! Has anybody else experienced this kind of issue?

Bring on the shame...

Look down your rod and see if your guides are in line perfectly

I have never had line twist issues with a baitcaster , only with a spinning rod .
Maybe it's how you spool your reels ?
When I rig my baitcasters , I spool the line with the line spool " spinning " instead on laying the spool " flat " . When rigging the spinning set up , I lay the spool flat .
Another thing I have done recently , when using a spinning rod , I take out my rods the day before and tie the tag end to something in my yard , string out about 120feet of line , then run a warm wet cloth over the line "with the line slightly tight and It helps eliminate line twist when casting .
tight lines ,
Robb

How are you installing it on your reels? If it's wrong it will do that.

They are definitely being spooled properly. I've done them with both a spooling machine and the standard off the spool counter clockwise. It is not a function of how the line is being spooled because it is straight as an arrow with no twist until I get a handful of casts in to the day.

I don't have the issue with my blade and crank rods or my topwater baits, only with my flipping gear. I has only been happening since I switched to the current group of reels I'm running (Revo Premier and Revo Rockets).

Here is something to try to see if it helps. This is mainly meant for bait casters.


You need about 200 feet of clear open area to do this.

1. Take a barrel swivel. Put a 4/0 offset shank hook thru one eye of the swivel. Put a piece of cloth or something over the hook point.
This keeps the hook point from falling out of the eye of the swivel. I use a very small piece of Velcro cut to size.

2. Tie a offset shank hook on your line on your rod/reel. Put the hook thru the other end of the swivel.
Place the hook in step one to something that has a little give in it if possible. I use plant hangers that you can put in the yard.
If it does not have any give that is OK. Keep line tight while you do this.

3. Walk backwards keeping the line tight. Disengage the thumb bar while keeping pressure on the line.
Walk back as far as you can while keeping the line off the ground.
Stop about 20 feet or so short of the 200 feet. Or 10 % of the area you have to work with.

4. Engage the reel and take up the slack. Keep your thumb on the center of the spool so the drag does not come into play.
Walk backward until you think the line is a tight as you can get it. It may be 10-15 steps or more.
Wait 20 seconds or so and then reel the line up all the way back.

That will take care of any line twist.
I do this every time I go fishing with any soft plastic rod that I will be using.

Thanks Trickster. I will definitely give that a whirl tomorrow.

Any idea what is actually causing this line twist to occur. Again, I'm stumped on this and so are several other people. I've never had this happen before this season and cannot figure out what is actually causing it to occur.

Installing incorrectly. Must be.

explain "off the spool counterclockwise "
sounds like you may be spooling like a spinning reel.
I pull my line off a spool with a screwdriver, over the top or under the bottom I understand, clockwise or counterclockwise makes me think you are twisting it off the side.

If you are spooling with the spool laying down like you stated clockwise or counter clockwise that is wrong and that's how you do it for a spinning reel, bait casters come off the top of the spools. That is why I asked. Installed incorrectly causes line twist.

I have a spooling machine and do it that way a vast majority of the time, If I'm out of town, I'll put a dowl rod through the spool and put it on coming off the top of the spool and have never had this issue in the past. The line is fine when it goes on the spool, zero twist. The twist occurs as I pitch a jig or texas rig but the baits are not rolling over so I have no idea how the twist is getting into the line. The issue gets progressively worse cast after cast unless I let the bait hang and untwist.

Nothing wrong with the line or the spool. Your line is twisting during your jigging. I've had it happen a 1,000 times. It's your slab at the bottom of your line. It's simply spinning when you're pulling up. Put a swivel on it so it spins without affecting your line.

Are you keeping the line tight when you first spool? All line off a new spool can have some line twist but nothing like what you have described. When I spool line I do not have the reel on the rod. I put the spool between my legs while sitting down and reel the line over the top of the spool while keeping steady pressure on the line.

I have used a couple of Revos for a short time and don't recall this being an issue.

I have also done it with the the spool laying flat, label down, and having it come off the spool in a counter clockwise direction (yes like you would with spinning gear) I never have had an issue with any of these methods when spooling a baitcaster. The line twist is occuring AFTER the line is on the reel, not while it is going on.

FlatBack - have you tried experimenting with different jigs and had the same issue? Possibly a function of where the line tie is located on the jig and whether it is vertical or horizontal?