Backing For A Spool Question.

[MobyGrape]

Can one use cotton string/twine as backing for braided line on a spinning reel spool?

[ghost]

Question why? You can cheap 300 yd mono for less than $2 at Walmart. I just don't understand why you want to use yarn for backing. One thing with yarn, it will compress and you will need to keep spooling till it compacts. With cheap mono, depending what poundage you want to use, that is similar in diameter for your braided line. The mono will not compress and will layer perfectly till you add the braid. Depending how much braid you are putting, I would put a small strip of electrical tape where you join the 2 lines. I do this so if you happen to make it to that knot, the braid will not catch on the knot.

 

[Chris at Tech]

I can't see this being a good idea

[NHBull]

I run very little mono backing and make up the backing with old braid.  I do this because I sometimes fish in open water and has helped me from getting spoiled a couple times.

I also know exactly how much braid will fill when I respool 

[Bankbeater]

I can't see that working when it gets wet.

[ksboy]

I agree with Ghost on this.

[david in va]

There seams to be no point in the backing other than coast. Is that correct ? If so I would just use the braid. Not that expensive Dang you are fishing on a 20 grand boat with a flock of $500 reels and $400 rods

 Heck I fish on a $500 boat with $100 reels and rods and I just don't see the point.

 

 

[CTBassin860]

Just use electrical tape or cheap mono.

[frosty]

1 hour ago, david in va said:

There seams to be no point in the backing other than coast. Is that correct ? If so I would just use the braid. Not that expensive Dang you are fishing on a 20 grand boat with a flock of $500 reels and $400 rods

 Heck I fish on a $500 boat with $100 reels and rods and I just don't see the point.

 

 

I thought the point of backing for braid was to prevent the line from slipping on the spool. I do it to save money though, cause I'm a cheapskate. 

[CTBassin860]

I want to see the boat and mass of 1000$ setups lol

[RoLo]

Any old, retired fishing line can be used for Backing, retired line does not mean junk line.

A habit I picked up in the Atlantic Ocean (where one large fish can smoke a spool)

is to backup with any cheap surplus line of a higher pound-test than the Topping.

That not only gives you piece of mind, but the heavier the Backing, the faster you fill the spool.

 

Roger

[fishnkamp]

I always use backing on both my baitcasters and spinning, but I also use quality backing. I like good old Stren mono.  I fish the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers. I can hook into a 30 inch striper or a 20 pound catfish at any time.  Both of those fish can take a lot of line quick if you are using ordinary bass tackle. That is part of the fun catching a big striper on a 3/4 ounce rattle trap and a typical 7 foot M action rod.

 

Here is how I look at it.  I use 14 pound Stren. A 330 yard spool of that line costs $8.  I only spool a reel once with backing. It stays good for years.  One yard of mono costs 0.025 cents, so we are talking less than 3 cents a yard.  My Diawa Tatula holds about 75 yards of backing and about 75 yards of braid or fluoro.  That means it costs me about $1.82 to fill that reel half way with quality mono for backing.  For $1.82 I never worry about my gear. Heck I might loose a fish of a lifetime to junk line.  No thanks.

The real cost savings benefit is when you only need 75 to 80 yards of braid or Fluorocarbon main line.  That is expensive line.  Braid averages 10 cents a yard and fluoro lines can cost upwards of 14 cents a yard.  Your $26 spool of fluoro can now fill two reels for the price of one.

 

 

[S. Sass]

I tie off to the holes in the spool so the only way my line slips is if it rips a chunk out of the spool. I still would not use a cotton string/twine it just is too easy to fill the spool with whatever line you're using or use a fishing line of suitable proven characteristics. Big Game mono is dirt cheap along with Stren and available just about anywhere if you have to have a cheap backing. 

[Darren.]

Agree with everyone that cotton string or yarn is a bad

idea for backing...

 

Electrical tape, a straight tie of braid (carefully wrapped)

or use a couple wind ups of mono will do the trick nicely.

Good tips from @RoLo and @fishnkamp about saltwater

experience.

[MobyGrape]

In reality i'm not required to put any backing on my reel when using braid line? As long as I have a piece of proper tape on the spool to tie the braid on so the line doesn't spin on the spool? Approximately a year later I can "reverse" wind this 200 yard line onto another reel/spool & basically have usable line again?

[BobP]

That's right on both counts but I prefer to use a few yards of mono instead of tape because the tape can lose its adhesive over time and bang, slipping braid.

[hunterPRO1]

just use some cheap mono, 

[MobyGrape]

Now I have to learn how to tie mono to braid!   Is it possible to super glue mono to braid? 

[S. Sass]

2 minutes ago, MobyGrape said:

Is it possible to super glue mono to braid? 

Sure anything is possible.  However the effectiveness and longevity if effective may suffer. A simple bloodknot (what I use) or any of the common leader knots are easy to learn with videos you can watch, stop, restart, pause, slomow, etc. till you understand it. 

[fishnkamp]

Learn the uni to uni knot. If tied correctly it is very effective and simple to tie. I use that knot on all of my reels, 12 baitcasters and 3 spinning plus all of my wife's 6 spinning reels.  It works fine and can be used to tie backing to braid or fluoro, and aslo braid to fluoro or mono leaders as well.  Go to you tube and look it up.