Braid Backing On Baitcasters

[illinifan4152]

Hello everyone. As the topic states, my question is on braid backing on baitcasters. I have heard a lot about this from various sources and I was considering trying it on a few of my personal setups; but i need some help/suggestions on it. Like: 

 

What size braid do you recommend?

How much braid do you spool up before your Mono/Flouro?

Which techniques do you use this for, or all of them?

 

Any help and advice will be very much appreciated. I'm a poor college student, so any way i can afford the more expensive flourocarbons without having to fill a whole spool would be nice. Thanks in advance!!

[Darren.]

You can certainly do it, but IMO, braid is an

awfully expensive filler unless you have some 

laying around, unused.

 

Better to fill with cheap mono, then fluoro, IMO....

[flyfisher]

i agree with what Darren said...usually it is cheap mono then flouro or braid, not the other way around.

[Raul]

 

 

 

How much braid do you spool up before your Mono/Flouro?

 

 

 

 

My man, it´s the other way around !

[John G]

Braid backing gives you a lighter spool than mono. That means something if you are casting lighter lures. Fill your spool up with whatever backing you decide on that is roughly the same diameter that your main line is going to be. Tie on a little bit heavier lure than you are going to throw with this combo and make some casts. Some people recommend doubling their casts. That means after you cast out with the heavier lure, pull an equal amount off and then refill with your main line.

[illinifan4152]

Thank you, I heard it increased distance just wasn't sure for what type of techniques... Light it is!

[bass1980]

I use braid for backing on a few of my reels.The idea is lighter lines will make your spool spin better. I always end up with some 20 yards or so left over braids so I use whatever I have. Braids too expensive to use as backing and you can't do much with 20 yards unless it's a pitching reel only.

As far as telling the difference, well I honestly can't tell the difference but I started doing it after watching some of Amarts videos. Does it work? I'm sure it can help but like anything in the realm of enthusiasts the cost vs results will never be even. If you're thinking about it just do it.

[ABW]

I also use leftover / used braid as backing. Put a half inch of electrical tape on the spool so it doesnt slip. My reel holds 120 yards of 12 lb line, so I put about 50 yards of braid on. I don't like having too much fluoro on at one time.

[Hattrick7]

My spools have holes in them and so I tie braid straight to the spool. I spool it all the way up and have about a 7' or so flouro leader.

Try seaguar red label flouro. It's cheap but strong and sensitive.

I use 50 lb power pro because of line diameter. Been pretty happy with it and it's lasted me half a year with mo problems so far. When the braid starts getting a little worn you can pull the line out and respool the other way.

[new2BC4bass]

My spools have holes in them and so I tie braid straight to the spool. I spool it all the way up and have about a 7' or so flouro leader.

Try seaguar red label flouro. It's cheap but strong and sensitive.

I use 50 lb power pro because of line diameter. Been pretty happy with it and it's lasted me half a year with mo problems so far. When the braid starts getting a little worn you can pull the line out and respool the other way.

 

 

In your case braid isn't used for backing, but the main line with a leader.  Not what the OP was asking.

 

OP.  It might make a difference with light lures, but I seriously doubt many of us are good enough to notice the difference.  Besides............if you are looking to throw light lures the usual method is to buy a reel designed for that.  Given your financial situation, I wouldn't consider braid for backing.  Go with the cheapest mono you can find.  Don't worry about the extra 2 feet braid backing might give you on a cast until after you graduate and get a decent job. 

[Hattrick7]

Oops...braid for backing never heard of that. Never thought about it either. To the OP just put straight braid on then tie on a leader. It'll save you money down the road since you won't have to respool so often with mono or fluoro.

[new2BC4bass]

Oops...braid for backing never heard of that. Never thought about it either. To the OP just put straight braid on then tie on a leader. It'll save you money down the road since you won't have to respool so often with mono or fluoro.

 

Neither would I.  Read it hear first.  Not something I feel is worthwhile even if using old or left over braid.  A better use for that braid would be tying Christmas ornaments on trees.  Or hanging from a banister for your cat to play with. 

[DogBone_384]

In your case braid isn't used for backing, but the main line with a leader.  Not what the OP was asking.

 

OP.  It might make a difference with light lures, but I seriously doubt many of us are good enough to notice the difference.  Besides............if you are looking to throw light lures the usual method is to buy a reel designed for that.  Given your financial situation, I wouldn't consider braid for backing.  Go with the cheapest mono you can find.  Don't worry about the extra 2 feet braid backing might give you on a cast until after you graduate and get a decent job. 

 

X2

[SirSnookalot]

Backing is used to take up space on the spool so less main line is used.  Using braid will work fine but no real reason to use it when cheap mono is doing the same thing.  When throwing lighter lures I'm sure many opt for their spinning outfits then.

Is braid used as backing, sure is and it's referred to as a top shot.  Top shotting is using a several hundred yards of braid then 50 yds or so of mono as shock, needless to say most people are never going to use this set up.

[new2BC4bass]

I was giving this some thought last night while getting ready for bed.  A few of my thoughts:

 

1) First and foremost if you are considering braid backing for improved casting....whether it be for more distance or casting lighter weights.....than you are looking for every infinitesimal gain you can get.

 

2) When I read about this a few months ago, I recall that the idea was originally put forth by a pro.  This leads to a point I made before.  Most of us probably won't notice a difference with braid backing as most of our life isn't spent on the water casting.  I have a hard time thinking that the minute weight difference between the two backings would be readily noticeable to the average fisherman.  A thought I am highly unlikely to try and disprove by using braid for backing.

 

3) There are better ways to gain performance.

    a ) Get the reel deep cleaned by DVT.  This usually leads to the greatest improvement, and with the 10% discount Mike offers to bassresource members would cost about the same as a lower priced spool of braid, and a lot less than what some braids cost.

    b )  Get the reel supertuned by DVT.  Normally this results in less effort needed to cast previously attained distances.  I've found that I also need fewer brakes....another gain in distance and a help with lighter lures.

    c ) Upgrade the bearings.  This would probably result in the least noticeable gain in distance but not always.  Depends on the reel.  Better bearings should allow for a faster spool start-up.  I have to think more than switching to braid for backing.

 

4 ) Consider a different rod to handle the normal weight range you throw.  The right rod might make a small difference or a large difference depending on several factors.

 

No doubt the more experience guys on here could add to my list.

[smalljaw67]

The only ones I ever saw doing that were elite series anglers, Aaron Martens has been doing that for a long time when using fluorocarbon line. You have to remember, they change their line every day, for regular casual anglers it isn't going to do anything for you because when you only spool 200' of line it doesn't last that long, you'll be surprised how quickly that amount of gets used up, especially fishing around cover. If you still want to do that then get you spool close to full with braid as you only want a little more than a long cast of fluorocarbon on the spool to really get any benefit. 200' is the maximum amount of fluorocarbon line you will be using so 3/4 of the spool will be braid, good luck.

[Catch and Grease]

I use braid as backing and love it, I also use mono as backing and it works well too

[RB 77]

This is common practice out here on the west coast for offshore salt water fishing. It is done primarily for inceresed line capacity in case the big one bites and takes a couple hundred yard run. The added benefit is that when changing out your top-shots you use signifiganlty less line thus decreasing your over all line spooling bill. This will also equate to a less expensive bill when bass fishing with the expensive cost of flourocarbon. Braid is prefered over mono as it is lighter with a thiner diameter and does not have memory such as mono does.

[SirSnookalot]

This is common practice out here on the west coast for offshore salt water fishing. It is done primarily for inceresed line capacity in case the big one bites and takes a couple hundred yard run. The added benefit is that when changing out your top-shots you use signifiganlty less line thus decreasing your over all line spooling bill. This will also equate to a less expensive bill when bass fishing with the expensive cost of flourocarbon. Braid is prefered over mono as it is lighter with a thiner diameter and does not have memory such as mono does.

This is exactly what top shotting is.

[hatrix]

 According to Aaron Martens all his reels are backed with braid. Maybe he is just delusional and has no idea what he is talking about. I would like to believe there is something to it though since it is coming from him and he is one of the top fishermen on the planet right now.

 

[Bass Commander]

I am going to start doing this to see if I like it. I like to throw lightweight jerk baits for peacock bass and they don't cast well on my bait caster so maybe this will help. However the braided lines sold at bps are super expensive to use as backing I know because I bought a 600 yard spool to back two baitcasters then said no way and returned it before I even left the parking lot. I ordered a spool from amazon super cheap I don't give a rodents gluteus about the quality of it as I am just using it to fill space on the reel

[Zeeter]

I realize this is an old topic, but I have to ask. Doesn't braid backing scratch up the spool? I usually add mono backing and then braid, and then the fluoro leader.

[Bluebasser86]

10 hours ago, Zeeter said:

I realize this is an old topic, but I have to ask. Doesn't braid backing scratch up the spool? I usually add mono backing and then braid, and then the fluoro leader.

No, not unless it's really dirty, then it might, but only if it's moving around on the spool. 

Cheap mono is the way to go for backing of any kind on a reel. 

[Zeeter]

7 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

No, not unless it's really dirty, then it might, but only if it's moving around on the spool. 

Cheap mono is the way to go for backing of any kind on a reel. 

Yeah - just the same I'm going to stick with my giant spool of cheap Cabelas mono as backing. Reels are too expensive to risk them getting scratched by braid.