If you’ve been fishing long enough, you’ve run into the dreaded bird’s nest. This is the term given to that tangle of line that occurs on the spool of your reel. These tangles are a mess! You’re lucky just to cut loose and save most of your line. There are ways to prevent it though. One of the best fishing tips, especially for those fishing with kids because they are bound to get a few birds’ nests, is how to prevent this mess from even happening. We will try to break down some of the easiest tips to help you keep your reel running smooth and knot-free.

  1. Practice! Even if you think you’re a pro at casting, some baitcaster reels can have unexpected backlash. Practice until you know you have it down.
  2. If your rod is too heavy, it can cause the spool to rotate, resulting in the Nest.
  3. Don’t fill your spool too much. If the line is too close to the lip of the spool, you can end up seeing unwanted knots.
  4. If you are adding new line to your reel, go slow. Start by adding a few feet of line to the spool. Open the bail. If the line starts to unravel, you should take the line off and try again with different line.
  5. Keep an eye out for weird feelings. If you start to get a strange tick or bump when you’re retrieving it may be the start of a knot.

Now you’ll want to keep each of these tips in mind to prevent knots in the future. These aren’t the end-all-be-all of knot prevention, but they’re a good place to start. Another piece of knowledge you need when you’re out on the water is the location of fish. Where are the best places to catch them? Any time you venture into a new area, you’ll end up playing a guessing game trying to find the fish. But with Waterproof Charts, you’re getting the insider knowledge of just where the fish are. We contact local charter captains to help you locate the best spots to land the big one. From areas like Big Bend, Cape Canaveral, and the Florida Keys, you are bound to find the fish.