I've never bought a giant spool before, but price wise I'm considering one of those 10,000 yard spools. 

 

How long would the line last on there (stored in basement away from direct sunlight)?

 

Would the line become unruly/unmanageable after a certain lengthof time? 

 

It would probably last me at least 3.5 years, depending on if I find more applications for it. 

 

I'm looking at 15# Big Game Mono, thinking for glide baits and wake baits (maybe some moving single hook baits like spinnerbaits and chatterbaits...buzzbaits?) 

 

Thoughts on long term lifespan of line?

 

Better to just get 900 yards at a time?

 

Recommendations to use/ should definitely not use 15# Big Game for?

 

How often you respooling your Big Game?

Big game is cheap and everywhere.  You can get it next day amazon if you’re suddenly short. And the bulk spools aren’t that much cheaper. Just stick to the quarter pounders.  

15# 10,800 yards for $48, that's over half off those 1/4 spools. I'm a sucker for a sale haha

I just bought a larger spool (1,000 yds) myself but it was Tatsu.

 

Not only is it cheaper to buy in bulk, but you also waste A LOT less.

 

I hate buying a 150 yd spool and only using say 120 yds of it.

 

I was a little worried myself about having line for maybe a couple of years but after doing a little looking around the internet it doesn't seem to be an issue. I'd just make sure it's stored in a temperature controlled environment.

I don’t really have an expiration date on it - long as it’s kept away from UV and at a consistent cool temperature, it’ll last just about forever. 
 

I keep bulk spools in the garage fridge for longer term storage.  

15 hours ago, Banned User said:

15# 10,800 yards for $48, that's over half off those 1/4 spools. I'm a sucker for a sale haha

Are you sure you're looking at the 10k yards spool for that price?  That is the MSRP for the 3600 yard spool.

 

using MSRP:

 

900 yd - $12

3600 - $45

10800- $120

 

So for 4x the price of a quarter pound spool you save...$3.  if you go with the 3lb spool vs the 900 you save..$24.  And have $120 tied up in line for the next couple years.  If you're putting 150 yards on a spool (twice what I'd be putting on, but let's go with it), you're going to get 6 fills from a quarter pound spool.  If you're doing that once a year, that means you're holding that pound spool for another 3 years.  For saving $3 over 4 seasons, I'd rather just ensure I have a fresh spool each year.

 

Now, if you are putting that line on 6 rods and filling them every other month, then go for it.  You'll need the 3# spool over the course of a season.  For me, I'm putting about 75 yards on twice a year on any given reel.  For my most used line (16# supernatural), two spools of 330 yards will do me for a season.  

23 minutes ago, ElGuapo928 said:

I don’t really have an expiration date on it - long as it’s kept away from UV and at a consistent cool temperature, it’ll last just about forever. 
 

I keep bulk spools in the garage fridge for longer term storage.  

Don't keep in a fridge, but agree wholeheartedly.  I've had the same line on reels for years without a problem.  Call me cheap, but waste not, want not.  

I have some 15# Big Game that's probably 10 years old and some 20# that's even older. I got into braid for most single hook baits and so I use less and less mono. But it's still good. If you store it in your boat outside, even covered, or in sunlight it will get brittle. I also found that storing a reel spooled with it near a heat source in winter like a fireplace or baseboard heater or a furnace in a basement can weaken it. But it's dirt cheap. So if you keep the big spool in a good place you can always just respool. I also use Big Game as backing for braid to cut down on braid cost. There is now a Big Game braid as well. It's a good bit cheaper than most name brands. 

Sunlight, below freezing temps and above 105 degrees temps affects the shelf life of monofilament line like Gig Game. Stored indoors away from sunlight, temperature extremes the mono line will last a very long time.

You need a professional line winder to hold a 10,000 yard big spool.

Tom

 

7 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Sunlight, below freezing temps and above 105 degrees temps affects the shelf life of monofilament line like Gig Game. Stored indoors away from sunlight, temperature extremes the mono line will last a very long time.

You need a professional line winder to hold a 10,000 yard big spool.

Tom

 

Or a dowell rod and a couple strong toes...

6 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

Or a dowell rod and a couple strong toes...

Or cobble something together from scrap aluminum...that's a 1000yd spool of 6# Siege on there.

10 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Or cobble something together from scrap aluminum...that's a 1000yd spool of 6# Siege on there.

We are talking about a 10,000 yard spool  12” diameter. You should use a line guide tool to evenly spool line onto reels.

Nice spool holder!

Tom

42 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Nice spool holder!

Thanks. Considering that the rod is 6.5" above the 'deck', I think that 10k spool would fit on it no problem. I also use the butt-half of 2-piece rods for the other part of my 'spooling station', so there is a line guide between the spool and the reel.

4 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

10800- $120

On sale for $48... 

 

I too like my numbers like I like my women, crunched 

 

So if I do 125 on 2 reels and fresh spool with each change of the New England season that's 750 yards a year... I'll have this spool for 14 years and it would cost me $0.55 per 125yd spool vs $1.71 per refill with MSRP 900yd spool. 

 

But could I put it on more reels? Is 15# Big Game that versatile? 

 

1 hour ago, WRB-2.0 said:

need a professional line winder to hold a 10,000 yard big spool.

Dang... hmm... I mean, for 70% off retail, if i can find more use for 15# BG I'm sure I could Mickey mouse some kind of spool holder

 

I will say I've seen you post that a bunch of your big bass came on 10/12# BG (and XT)... makes me wonder if I really could make the switch and put it on 3 or 4 reels.

 

Thoughts on Big Game from a kayak? Too much stretch combined with a Kayak's tendency to drift forward when you set the hook?

 

Should I not?

 

Would I be sacrificing casting distance vs braid or 12# YZH?

 

YZH definitely has less stretch too... so much to consider 

42 minutes ago, Banned User said:

On sale for $48... 

 

I too like my numbers like I like my women, crunched 

 

So if I do 125 on 2 reels and fresh spool with each change of the New England season that's 750 yards a year... I'll have this spool for 14 years and it would cost me $0.55 per 125yd spool vs $1.71 per refill with MSRP 900yd spool. 

 

But could I put it on more reels? Is 15# Big Game that versatile? 

 

Dang... hmm... I mean, for 70% off retail, if i can find more use for 15# BG I'm sure I could Mickey mouse some kind of spool holder

 

I will say I've seen you post that a bunch of your big bass came on 10/12# BG (and XT)... makes me wonder if I really could make the switch and put it on 3 or 4 reels.

 

Thoughts on Big Game from a kayak? Too much stretch combined with a Kayak's tendency to drift forward when you set the hook?

 

Should I not?

 

Would I be sacrificing casting distance vs braid or 12# YZH?

 

YZH definitely has less stretch too... so much to consider 

 

A quick google search didn’t pull up the huge spool at that price for me.  For that price I can see why you’re considering it.  If a 3k spool and a 10k spool are the same price, you might as well get the big one.  If nothing else, change your line out twice as frequently.

 

To your other questions, BG won’t cast as far as braid.  But also the level of stretch is just fine for a kayak.  The whole ‘the boat moves’ problem is overblown.  A hook set is so quick that you’ve either made the hook set or not before the boat has started to move. I fished supernatural and suffix elite which are both far stretchier.  

Shouldn’t go over .010 diameter on spinning reels 1000 to 3000 bass sizes.

Tom

^ For 1000 size, I like to keep it under .008 personally.

Big Game 8 lb is .011d, marginal! 15 lb is .015d, 

Tom

 

45 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

Shouldn’t go over .010 diameter on spinning reels

I'm only considering this 15# for my casting set ups

 

thinkin my spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzzbaits [all basically always tied on, about 90% of my fishing right there], swimjigs, wakebaits (wanna start to throw 1-4oz), magdrafts, glide baits (wanna start throwing 1-3 oz) Plus random treble hook baits like lipless cranks and topwater

You are good with those lures, may need different swimbait rod and line for lures over 2 oz.

Tom

@casts_by_fly here's the Amazon link if you're interested 

 

https://a.co/d/gvfIzgc

 

I think I'm going to pass as tempted as I was... I dont fish enough and I'm often relegated to the bank so long casts on braid are frequently necessary, plus I got a bunch of YZH the beginning of this season and will still have tons for next season

4 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

good with those lures

Along with my YZH I also have a bunch of 12# BG - think that'll still fit the bill for most of those lures?

 

And I do have a Dobyns fury 795 for my swimbaits/wakebaits, plus i plan to build an NFC Xray c602 806 for my 1-3oz and keep the fury for my 3-5oz.

On 9/16/2025 at 1:20 PM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I just bought a larger spool (1,000 yds) myself but it was Tatsu.

 

Not only is it cheaper to buy in bulk, but you also waste A LOT less.

 

I hate buying a 150 yd spool and only using say 120 yds of it.

 

I was a little worried myself about having line for maybe a couple of years but after doing a little looking around the internet it doesn't seem to be an issue. I'd just make sure it's stored in a temperature controlled environment.

I do the same with tatsu. I’ve also done some googling about stored line life and I’ve found info similar to you. From what I’ve read, as long as it’s stored inside away from sunlight it should last for several years. Possibly decades.