Swivel Use to Manage Line Twist

How many of you are using swivels 18″ or so up from your snaps on hardware rigs and do you find they actually help? I’ve tried using ball bearing swivels, Sampos and Spros both, in the past without much impact. Lure sizes were typically in the 1/8 oz to 1/2 oz range, depths up to 130′ feet, line weight of 4 – 6 pound test (XL) for a variety of fish and I didn’t find them all that effective in reducing line twist so I’ve eliminated them from the line up for the most part. Are there better swivels that one should use? What’s been your experience?

I use Cabelas brand ball bearing swivels on my lake trout rigs through the ice with about an 18″ leader. I’m using 12lb PLine Pure Flourocarbon. I don’ have any issues with line twist. I can’t say that I’ve tried it without the swivel to just the difference, but I can say I don’t have line twist problems using them. Not sure that helps, but you have tweaked my mind. I might try one stick without this winter.

FF–I’ve cheated with my medium (80′ – 120′) and deep water (>125′ plus) laker and whitefish rigs and have gone to level winds. No or low stretch 20# PowerPro with 10′ or so of 15# flouro leaders.

Since going over 2 Winters ago from UL spinning reels to inline flyreels my twisted line problem have drastically dissappeared.I tried the swivels also but still had twisted lines and looking in the camera, spinning jigs!!I still use my UL spinning reels when the waters dep but this year I bought a couple of the Black betty 6061 Multiplier flyreels and will probably quit using the spinning reels altogether.

I can’t speak for ice fishing but I used to use regular cabelas swivels (smaller size 10??) with plastics and twister tails and they seemed to work fine with mono; but I really hated when the swivel would go through my guides and having to re-tie when the leader got too short.

I started using Seagaur Flour. with KVD line conditioner and about 80% of my line twist/tangles on spinning rods have gone away. I am not sure why Flour. helps so much but it just seems to.

I’ve tried the same swivels as you Chris as well as others and have not found one that works with lures 1/4 oz and under, I do not fish with anything heavier than 1/4oz through the ice. If I need to tie a fluor leader on I use a Crazy Alberto knot.

Swivels alone are not going to take out the line memory coils in your line. Just stretch your line out on the drop and a few more feet beyond the bottom depth. That will take out a lot of those line memory coils that induces line twists.

Two common issues typically are line twist and coiling from line memory. When using baits such as the jigging Rapala yhe bait will do circles when jigged and if you do not have a quality swivel you will create line twist which will make your bait spin when sitting still. When using spinning reels you will have coil in your line To minimize this use as light as line you can get away with and use as limp of a line as possible. Another step to take to eliminate line coil is to frequently stretch the line out before using it this can be done by letting out a 100 feet or so of line stretch it out real good and tightly wind back into reel.

Paul Delaney
http://www.lateeyessportfishing.com

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Two common issues typically are line twist and coiling from line memory. When using baits such as the jigging Rapala yhe bait will do circles when jigged and if you do not have a quality swivel you will create line twist which will make your bait spin when sitting still. When using spinning reels you will have coil in your line To minimize this use as light as line you can get away with and use as limp of a line as possible. Another step to take to eliminate line coil is to frequently stretch the line out before using it this can be done by letting out a 100 feet or so of line stretch it out real good and tightly wind back into reel.

Paul Delaney
http://www.lateeyessportfishing.com

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Paul what brand and size swivels do you use?