Hiya folks,

Every year, I get the chance to take out dozens and dozens of folks. I get the chance to take them out fishing, and when I pick them up at the dock they’re usually holding two or three rods and reels, and I always ask them the same question: What pound test do you have on your rod and how fresh is the line?

I’ll tell you right now, probably 98-99% of the folks don’t know the strength of the line and they don’t know how fresh it is. Well, I’ve got seven or eight rods up on the deck here and I can pick up every one of those rods and I can tell you exactly what’s on them in terms of line and how fresh it is. Here’s the secret: I take a black magic marker, a permanent marker, and I just write the pound test on the reel. Now, if I want to keep track of whether it’s monofilament, fluorocarbon, or braid, I can put an “8-M” or an “8-F” or an “8-B” and I know exactly what it is.

Here’s the other thing: Every time I change it, I just take a little pad with some rubbing alcohol on it and I just rub it over top and it totally erases it. Re-spool, put the new pound test on (and the date). and you’re all lined up.

Happy Fish’n,Gord “The Doc” Pyzer