Line twist is as inevitable as death and taxes. Many types of lures such as soft jerk baits, in-line spinners, and soft plastics of various types can and do cause line twist. River and stream fisherman in particular are often the victims of some serious line twist. Lets face it, moving water can make our baits look like the venerable “helicopter lure”! There is no sure way to avoid line twist completely but a few simple strategies can certainly reduce occurrences significantly.
Close the bail by hand
Cranking the handle to close the bail causes line twist. Close the bail by hand after every cast. It takes some practice but it is a fairly easy habit to acquire.
Don”t reel against the drag
Reeling against the drag can cause some serious line twist because your line is basically anchored at one end and your bail is spinning it in a circle.
Properly rig and tune baits
This is probably the number one cause of line twist. For example; a kinked plastic worm, a poorly tuned in-line spinner or hard bait can and will contribute to line twist problems. Make sure your soft plastics are rigged straight and your hard and blade baits are all tuned properly.
While fishing check your line
If you notice you are starting to get some line twist, detach your bait, pull off about 10-20 yards of line, and reel it back in while pinching it between you fingers.
Use a swivel
I very rarely use swivels because they have to be tied to my line thus creating another possible week link between me and the fish. Swivels do, however, help reduce line twist and can be used when appropriate.
On your next fishing trip these tips should help you keep the tangles out of your line and your line in the water!
or try a snap swivel! its pretty much the same link as a hook tied directly to your line… and its easy to switch between various cranks and topwaters!
Jimmy, yep snap swivels will work. It really depends on the type of bait your fishing though. soft jerkbaits cause a lot of line twist but I’d not recommend a snap swivel because it effect the action of the bait negatively. What you want is the bait acting erratically and almost suspending at rest or slowly falling. A snap swivel probably wouldn’t be the best option…but for hardbait it could. Like I said though in my personal opinion the more knots and connections the more chances for failure. I’ve also fished enough in clear water conditions to know that fish need a more natural presentation in those conditions and a snap swivel or swivel can reduce the number of bites significantly…but great tip for stained water jimmy!!
i agree.. i only use a snap swivel in dirty water… in clear water it is just something extra the bass can see…
have you fished Sayers lately?