Putting Backing Line On Reel Before Putting Fresh Line On

[DBL000006]

I have a question that i'M putting backing on 1St, then my normal line. I'M putting 12LB backing on a baitcaster. My questiob is, how many yards of backing is just to where you can see the wifle holes fadly? Also how much of my normal will i use to fill the spool?

I have 3 baitcasters to fill. My line i have is 300 yds. M y spool holds 12lb of 140 yards.

[rippin-lips]

40/60 or 50/50 ratio

Backing/main line

[Penguino]

It depends on the fish you are fishing for. For harder fighting or bigger fish, such as stripers or smallies, I would get more mainline and less backing. But likewise for bass, I would only use a 40/60 ratio.

[Catch and Grease]

For largemouth bass fishing having your mainline twice as long as your farthest cast is more than enough line.

[Bankbeater]

I usually fill up the spool about 50/50.  You never know when you might need some extra line.

[redux]

I put some cheap braid on as backing the other day.  Was at about 30/70 with 50lb braid and 15lb Yo-Zuri.  On my first cast I went down to my backing.  Fished it that way for a few days then took the backing off and respooled with all Yo-Zuri.  My experience is that backing isn't worth the time/effort.

[rippin-lips]

I put some cheap braid on as backing the other day. Was at about 30/70 with 50lb braid and 15lb Yo-Zuri. On my first cast I went down to my backing. Fished it that way for a few days then took the backing off and respooled with all Yo-Zuri. My experience is that backing isn't worth the time/effort.

Thats just simply user error. You can fill 3 reels with a 200 yard spool instead of 1 reel and almost a second. You aren't going to hit your backing if you have at least 50-60 yards of mainline on your reel. Unless you have a shallow spool that only holds 80 yards total.

[Bruce424]

I am actually changing all my backing to braid. Then using a Albright knot to connect my main line. I can still fish and not worry about breakage if I actually get down to the braid. Most of my setups are short cast. 50/50 braid to mainline. Plus braid makes the reel lighter. But that's not the reasoning behind doin this.

[WIGuide]

The first few times you do it you may have to experiment with how much backing to put on. It doesn't have to be exact, nor does it have to be rocket science. How much backing you put on will be determined by how often you plan on changing your main line. If you're one of the guys that does it every few trips you reel will be spooled mainly with backing. If you're like me and go the whole year without changing, you'll probably end up somewhere in the 25/75 ratio. After you get it where you want it, you never have to mess with it again. When you spool up you take it down to the knot, cut it, retie, and fill the spool back up. Get it close to where you want it, and then you can adjust it later.

[Alpha Male]

I look at it this way...If i can cast 30ish yards then I want about 60-75 yards of mainline. that allows for the cast, any medium runs from fish and a few yards of extra for cutting and re-tieing.  I say medium runs because "most" fish, are not strictly looking to get away rather they are looking to get to cover or find some way to get the hook out. 

 

 

EDIT:  It also really depends on the spool of line.  300yards of braid for me is going to do 3 reels. 200yards of fluoro also 3 reels.  to me anything under 50 yards of mainline is too little and I worry about running into the backing and that is one thing i dont want.  if I can spend 200$+ on a reel and the same on a rod im not going to worry about shorting myself on good line.

[ChrisD46]

I subscribe to your farthest cast + approx. 20 yrds. additional mainline approach .

[Kevin22]

I use 6# shakespeare $0.98 walmart line as backing. Used to use the $5 1/4lb spools of cajun red until I ran out. The amount of backing depends on what main line I am using. For instance, with 65# braid I hardly use any backing. Maybe 5 turns of the reel, just so the braid doesn't slip. Simply because I can't get a lot of 65 on the reel. Now for 10 or even 8# I will use about 50% backing and 50% main line. 

 

I have only had one fish take me to backing in the last few years, and it was a 20# drum on a 10# reel. The 6# backing held up just fine, because by the the time it got that far out it was already wore down. If I knew that it was a drum I wouldn't have played it like I did and just horsed it in, but you never know what you will hook in the mighty miss. 

 

If it is a flipping reel, you probably don't need but 30 yards of main line. 

[Kevin22]

I should note that for the most part, I fill the spools almost all the way with braided line. Just because I can fish a good 3/4 to full season with it, then flip it around the next spring and use it for another half season or more. Usually during the flip of the line I have to add more backing due to breakoffs. I found that if I do 50% then by the time it needs to be flipped there is not enough line left on it so I waste a half season worth of line by throwing it away. 

 

For instance, I took a full 150 yard spool of 6/2 sufix 832 and put it on a spinning reel with 10 feet of backing so it didn't slip. This was feb 2014. I fished with it all last year, then flipped it this year about a month ago. It will be good for another full season. That is $10 a year for line for one reel, that is darn good IMO. And there is no way any fish is going to spool me with that much line. (this is a walleye reel, and I need to make LOOONNG casts with it). On another reel I used up my last half-spool of power pro 10/2 and spooled it at the same time, that is 75 yards. By july I had a wind knot and a few breakoffs and was hitting my knot on long casts. So wasted half a spool for 5 months of use. That equals out to 10 months use for a spool of power pro doing 50/50, vs estimated 24 months for a spool of sufix at 95/5. 

[paleus]

If you have a couple of extra reels you can put your mainline on first and then reverse it. Like a 3-point turn.

 

Put the amount of mainline you want to use on the reel you want to use. (I put on around 75 yards of braid)

Then, fill the reel the rest of the way up with your backing.

Take one of your extra reels and reel off what you just put on.

Do it again with the second extra reel and now the backing is on the top of that reel.

Now, you can reel it all back on to the reel you want to use.

 

This seems like extra work, but I can do this as fast as figuring up how much backing to use to have a full spool under 75 yds of braid.

[FishTank]

For most reels I use 12 Mustad Thor that I picked up for $1 or just use up a of what might be left on a spool.  Nothing to scientific but I usually go 50/50.  If it is a reel with a shallow spool, I might do a 75% main line and 25% backing.   I never use braid for backing.

[F14A-B]

What is your normal line?

[DBL000006]

What is your normal line?

I actually used backing till my wifle holes where faded. I spooled 3 baitcasters today. I still have about 40-50 yards left over. I'll use that for carolina rig or a liter for Braid. I have 15lb test hi seas on my reels. I love that fluocarbon coated line.

[F14A-B]

I actually used backing till my wifle holes where faded. I spooled 3 baitcasters today. I still have about 40-50 yards left over. I'll use that for carolina rig or a liter for Braid. I have 15lb test hi seas on my reels. I love that fluocarbon coated line.

Cool.. Best wishes this fishing season..

[redux]

Thats just simply user error. You can fill 3 reels with a 200 yard spool instead of 1 reel and almost a second. You aren't going to hit your backing if you have at least 50-60 yards of mainline on your reel. Unless you have a shallow spool that only holds 80 yards total.

 

Ha. I wouldn't put that past me.  My spools are around 145 yards with 12# mono.  I use 15# YZ so I have no idea exactly how much line I get on my reels.

[rippin-lips]

One thing that I've learned is they never hold the amount that is specified. Also Yozuri #15 is .016 in diameter so that'll cut down on the amount it holds also compared to #12 @ .013 If I was spooling that reel I'd use 60 yards of #12 mono and fill the rest with my good line.

[Sam]

The amount of your main line depends on the types of structure you will be encountering.

 

If it is open water than a 40 backing/60 line is fine, if not a 50/50 mix.

 

If you are fishing in a lot of structure where the line gets nicked and cut with a lot of replacing and knot tying then you go with a 20/80 or 30/70 split of backing to main line. 

 

You do not want the line to go down to the knot so plan accordingly.

[DBL000006]

I fish in pads and around structure. I rather put more main line on. Spool of 300 yds doesn t cost all that much.