8 Easy Steps To String A Fishing Rod - A Beginners Guide 102

You're never too old to learn something new, and one of my recent hobbies is fishing. I love fishing so much and I'm relatively new to the sport, but I've learned a lot — enough to want to write about it and share it with others.

Whether you’re looking for a new hobby or just trying to impress your coworkers at the local river walk, here’s a quick guide on how to string a fishing rod.

Who is this article meant for? If you are a professional looking at stepping up your “string game”, then this is not for you. I made this article for complete beginners who have never strung a fishing rod before, and also for those who always have to ask for help.

Important Parts To Know

Every single part of the fishing rod is important. However, we will be looking at some of the parts you must know in order to string a fishing rod correctly. As a complete beginner, knowing this would be of great advantage to you.

The Reel

This is a complete graphical representation of the parts of a fishing reel. You should know at least 90% of this without having to look it up online. Feel free to look at the image and table over and over again until it sticks to your head for good.

The reel plays a vital role in a fishing rod, it is used for winding and stowing a fishing line. When learning how to string a fishing rod, you would have to start from the reel all the way to the tip.

The Guides

These are found on the fishing rod and can vary in size and design. The fishing rod guides help to direct your fishing line to your target. Just like the barrel of a gun would direct a bullet. It will be very awkward to fish using a spinning or baitcasting rod without a guide. Something needs to guide the line and that’s the guide’s job.

The String

This is called the fishing line, however, some people call it the string. This is sometimes gotten separately. How does it work? The fishing line goes into the reel and then through the guides all the way to the tip of the fishing rod, it is also what holds the bait.

They come in different sizes, you will have to figure out the right size for your reel. This can be found on your reel, the manufacturers always specify the ideal size of fishing line to use with their reel.

How To String A Fishing Rod: Steps Explained

Before reaching this phase, I believe you already have all the items available and you are ready to string your fishing rod. The items you need are; a fishing rod with a reel attached and a fishing line.

If you have all these ready, let’s move on to the steps. Be sure to follow every single step and not miss any. Feel free to go over it again if you must.

Note : Make sure you are performing this in an open area, this reduces the chances of your rod getting damaged while trying to string it.

1. Check Reel Information

Almost all fishing reels have a piece of written information from the manufacturers telling you the kind of string and amount you should put on it. Not following the reel manufacturer’s instructions could distort your fishing experience.

Here’s an example : Ib (kg) -yds (m)   -  4 (1.8) - 155 (140)  6 (2.7) - (100)

Looks like math? Don’t be scared. The above example simply means you are supposed to use a 4 pounds test line at 155 meters or use a 6 pounds test line at 100 yards. This information is usually displayed on the reel. Look out for it and follow the instructions for a great experience.

2. Rig The Fishing Line Through The Guides

This is the first step to take. You do not need to lose the entire fishing line, just take out the dangling string and then pass it through the guides starting from the tip of the fishing rod. Make sure the fishing line goes through all the holes one after another. Do this until the line gets close to the fishing reel.

3. Open The Bail

While holding the fishing line or making sure it doesn’t go off the guides, the next thing you want to do is open the bail of the fishing rod. This makes it easier for the fishing line to go around the reel. Don’t know what the bail is? Feel free to scroll back up to the image of the reel, you’ll see what it is.

4. Tie A Fisherman’s Knot

So, at this point your bail is open, the next thing to do is grab the fishing line (make sure it has gone through all the guides) then tie a simple fisherman’s knot. You can also tie different knots, the main idea here is to make a circle that will go over the spool. Tie the fishing line firmly on the spool of the reel.

Your knot might have a loose end after tying it to the spool, you should cut off the loose end.

5. Close The Bail

Good job for reaching this stage! Next up, you’ll have to close the bail that was previously opened. After closing it you need to move the line to the edge of the bail. If all is done correctly, you should be ready to reel in.

6. Place Your Fishing Line Vertically And Start Reeling

You can place the line on the floor or on a table. Just make sure it doesn’t fall over while you are reeling. Another thing to note is the way the line comes off the barrel, check if it is clockwise or counterclockwise. After figuring that out, make sure the same pattern of motion is how it is wrapped around your spool. Not doing it this way might result in a tangled line.

A great method to know which way to go is by reeling in and checking if the line is twisting, if you notice twists, then it might be going the wrong way, simply flip the barrel over and reel in again.

Note: Do not reel in everything, stop when you reach the manufacturer’s ideal length. Also, make sure the fishing line does not go over the rim.

7. Cut The Line

After getting just the right amount of string on your fishing reel, you’ll need to cut the line. Cut the string close to the barrel. If the string falls off the guides while in the process, ensure that you thread it back in.

8. Adding Hook & Bait

Congratulations, you have successfully made it this far. Feel free to give yourself a pat on the back. Adding hook & bait to your fishing line is one of the final things to do. The process is also quite easy.

The fishing hook has a hole at one end, you will need to pass the fishing line through that hole and perform a very strong knot. The next thing to do is adding the bait, there are lots of different baits out there used to lure in different types of fish. Attach the hook to the bait and you are good to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest fish to catch?

The easiest ones to catch are the ones that are most common. Some of them are Trout, Sunfish, Catfish, Bass, Crappie, Trout, and a couple of other species. However, you will still need to know how to reel your fish in after catching it.

What should you not do while fishing?

• Remain in a spot for too long without getting bites.
• Holding your fishing rod too high while fighting fish.
• Reeling in too fast.

What fish is hardest to catch?

These are some of the hardest fish to catch, most of them are hard to catch because they are very rare to find and others are hard to catch because of how powerful they are.

• Goliath Tigerfish
• White Sturgeon
• Giant Trevally
• Sailfish
• Pacific bluefin
• Dogtooth
• Yellowfin
• Apache Trout
• Swordfish

If you manage to reel any of these in, consider yourself very lucky.

Conclusion

We have reached the end of this article, I hope you are able to understand the basic concepts behind how to string a fishing rod. It’s okay if you do not get it right the first time, you can try again until you become a professional at stringing a fishing rod.

Want to learn more? We have a guide that shows you how to cast a fishing rod and also one that shows you the best ways to store a fishing rod.

Thanks for stopping by, if this article has been helpful, kindly share it with your friends who are complete beginners that want to learn how to string a fishing rod.