Help with Braid on a Spinning Reel

[Glaucus]

I never use braid, but I'm going to give it a go. I have a couple of questions. First, how many feet or yards of mono backing should I use? Second, if my spinning reel is rated for 6-10 pound line, will 15 pound braid be fine even though it is 4 pound mono diameter?

[Darren.]

11 minutes ago, Glaucus said:

I never use braid, but I'm going to give it a go. I have a couple of questions. First, how many feet or yards of mono backing should I use? Second, if my spinning reel is rated for 6-10 pound line, will 15 pound braid be fine even though it is 4 pound mono diameter?

You'll be fine with 15 on your reel. I use 10 and 15 on 

1000 size Stradics, never an issue.

 

As far as backing, the heavier the backing the less you

need. So if you're using 10# mono backing, you can 

put on enough to cover the spool once. Basically there's

no fast rule for how much backing you put on.

 

Put enough on so it doesn't allow the braid to slip when

you're spooling it.

[Glaucus]

30 minutes ago, Darren. said:

You'll be fine with 15 on your reel. I use 10 and 15 on 

1000 size Stradics, never an issue.

 

As far as backing, the heavier the backing the less you

need. So if you're using 10# mono backing, you can 

put on enough to cover the spool once. Basically there's

no fast rule for how much backing you put on.

 

Put enough on so it doesn't allow the braid to slip when

you're spooling it.

Those little reels are built for line that size.

[shovelmouth83]

i have a penn that is so small i don't remember the number.  put braid 30 lbs on it and it will fly. i love that little reel. i have had people laugh at it but when i pull a fatty in and they are like I don't understand..... that little thing. i use braid for majority of my reels.  i use a floro leader if i need be for jerk baits and a slow fall. 

[Beetlebz]

I filled the spool of my Sahara 2500 with about 50%, maybe a little less with 15lb mono. Even on monster bomb casts I haven't spooled all my 20lb PP off the reel. Even if I did manage to get it right to the knot and a big ole bass went to gobble town, 20lb braid, the uni knot and the 15lb big game backer are all more than stout enough to handle it, just as long as the knot doesn't get outside of the bail. That's just what I had handy, 10 or 8lb mono would lay nicer on the spool.

[Darren.]

35 minutes ago, Glaucus said:

Those little reels are built for line that size.

The sizes are for braid, specifically, bolded/red below.

You can see the mono sizing is 2, 4, and 6 capacities,

so they're equivalent to PowerPro diameters of 10, 15,

and 20, respectively.

 

ITEM CODE	POWERPRO LINE CAPACITY (#TEST/YD)	MONO LINE CAPACITY (#TEST/YD)	WEIGHT (OZ)	BEARINGS	LINE RETRIEVE PER CRANK (IN)	GEAR RATIO	MAX DRAG (LB)
ST1000HGFK	10/95,15/85,20/65	2/270,4/140,6/110	6.9	6+1	31	6.0:1	7

[LCG]

I use 10lb straight braid, no backing on a Pflueger President XT 30. Holds about 150 yards. No issue at all. I figure the rod and reel are rated for between 6-12lb line and the max drag is 10lbs so everything is "balanced". Diameter is about 2lb line, casts like a dream.

 

Just be sure to stop the line at the end of the cast with your finger and close the bail by hand and you will avoid any trouble with wind knots or line twist. 

 

All my reels have straight braid spooled. I use kastking braid which I get for $15 Canadian for a 550 yard spool so cost isn't a real factor. 

[davecon]

I use nothing but braid. Fish primarily for snook, catching some small tarpon (40 to 60 lbs) on occasion After years of using it I am down to 10 lb braid for my 3000 series reels. Seems to cast somewhat better than the 20/30 I used to use. Recently purchased a light action rod with a 1000 series reel and loaded it with 5 lb. braid for casting small Rapalas. Works great and so far no break offs and that is in the mangroves. 

 

One tip - ALWAYS CLOSE THE BAIL BY HAND !  Trust me on this one.

[WRB]

You don't need backing if you wrap a few layers of electrical tape on the base of the spool before spooling on the line.

What brand of braid do you plan to use? Most 15 lb braids are prone to wind knots and tip wraps.

Tom

[Boomstick]

2 hours ago, Glaucus said:

I never use braid, but I'm going to give it a go. I have a couple of questions. First, how many feet or yards of mono backing should I use? Second, if my spinning reel is rated for 6-10 pound line, will 15 pound braid be fine even though it is 4 pound mono diameter?

You only need enough backing to cover the spool. If your reel will end up holding something like 240 yards of 15lb braid, I would roughly 100 yards of 8lb backing on so you should be able to put around 100 yards of 15lb braid on the reel so you don't waste braid.

 

I put 12lb braid on my Daiwa BG 2000 which is rated for 6-10lb line. You will be fine with 15lb.

[Glaucus]

Thanks guys. Got some 15lb PP. I always close the bail of a spinning reel by hand. Braid wouldn't change that.

[Falkus]

I tend to use like 20 yards of 8 lbs cheap line for backing then I spool it up with 10 lbs Suffix 832 Braid Ghost (I like white due to line watcher) 

[Drew03cmc]

Man, I've changed one of my reels to 12lb Nanofil and I have only used it once. So far, I love it. Fluoro leader and I'm confident as ever. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The line sizes on a reel are just for capacity info. You won't hurt anything going outside the parameters. Performance may be poor if you go beyond reason. 

[blckshirt98]

I would use mono for backing to be safe - one time I tried the electrical tape route, and it was probably user error on my part of not winding the line on tight enough, but it started to slip immediately.  I use whatever heavy mono I have laying around, I believe it's currently a spool of 12# Daiwa I got for free from the local tackle shop.  You just need to cover the spool a couple of times but you can add more if you want to use up less braid.

 

I use mostly Shimano 1000/2500 sized reels and I've spooled them with all sizes up to 20lb braid.  Be careful if you're spooling from a smaller capacity spool of line that also has a small diameter (for example 150 yards of 8lb PowerPro) because if you don't put enough backing on, you'll put on the entire 150 yards of line but still have a good amount of space to the lip of the reel.  You'll need to either use it as is, or tie on another spool of line to fill up the reel, both of which can impact your casting.