Northwest Fishing Reports

I'm not sure if this is the right place for sharing something like this but I figured since I post mostly on the River section I'd give it a go. If I should move this elsewhere, mods, please let me know.

I spent the last couple of nights working around in the shop and figured I'd try this project. I've always wanted to build one of these things and I saw a simplistic picture of someone else's online I copied. Got sort of tired with the pencil into a cardboard box trick.

It only took me a day to get the pieces cut out and worked on (all of which I had in the shop already) and another day to set it up. I tinkered around more with the tension on the spool and how it will spin on the rod under tension than anything else. Not sure if this will work as of yet but I hope it will as I have to un-spool some old line from a reel or two (in the attached pic). I just wanted to share it and maybe someone else will have a better way to make it or feature that could be more useful and maybe even other suggestions at improving the design overall. It's pretty simplistic of an operation but never the less there are some pretty genius people out there.
If you have some other cool contraptions you use to help stay organized, help do some basic maintenance, or anything else please feel free to share! I figured it's sort of slow around here and with the rain and higher river levels maybe other people have been working on other projects too.

Nicely done!

My setup is much cruder. I clamp a screw driver in the vice with the shaft sticking up, drop a washer on the shaft, then the spool of line, then another washer or two then what ever is handy that is heavy enough to add some drag to the spool. Often times thats an extra spool with some weights taped to it. I have also used a wheel collar tightened onto the shaft from my RC hobby to add tension. My system isnt perfect by a long shot but it works. The tension tends to vary depending on how fast you are reeling the line onto the reel.

Mins is just like Larrys, screwdriver in vice or a pencil, held between my shoes.....works good for me.....

I did one for unspooling my reels and is very simple. I picked up an large empty spool, ran a bolt with washers through it add a washer and nut on the other side. All I do is chuck it in a cordless drill. Works Great.

That's a great idea for unspooling! Thanks for the tip - I wasn't looking forward to hand winding back onto a spool for 30 minutes. A chucked up spool with a bolt and a drill would make mince meat out of that process. Thanks again.

For un-spooling. I take an empty water bottle and poke a hole thru the cap, put a 2 inch bolt and nut in the cap, chuck it up in the drill and let'er rip then throw the whole thing (minus the bolt and cap) away in the trash.

If you need tension on your new spool of line so it doesn't unwind so fast. A spring between two washers and wing nut would make the tension adjustable. A washer an two nuts tighten back to back on the other side would make a good stop. I can't see if that is all thread in the picture. Nice job on the build.

I found that if I switched out the screwdriver for an old ratchet in the vise, the angle of the ratchet head added adjustable pressure when pressed harder (or lighter) into the spool of line before cinching down the vise. still pretty new to fishing and had quite a battle with my first reel of braid on a spinning reel that wasn't properly tensioned.

That is an awesome set up! I use the screwdriver method and either run the line in the crook of my leg or elbow.

I put the bulk spool on a nail in the wall, or on the floor. I hold the line in my fingers just in front of the reel on the rod with good pressure on my fingers to hold the line tightly. Never had any problems with loose line on the reel, spinning or level wind reels.

I give the spool and reel to my neighbor and, whalla, it comes back perfect! Never asked what the magic was! No, seriously, thats a real fine looking machine you made. I'm often challenged when re-doing spinning reels and have on occasion ended up with line twist. GREAT JOB!