Making a Shallow Spool....??

[Carrot_Stix]

I feel like I have too much line on my spools.

Even with my FARTHEST CAST, I still see a lot of line on my spool left.

Also when I get a VERY BAD BACKLASH, I end up wasting a lot of line.

What is the best way to make my spools a little shallower for less backlashes and for saving more line?

I heard "electrical tape" maybe?

Just today, I started spooling 20LB mono as BACKING half way on my spools and using a ALBRIGHT KNOT to connect  to the other line.

Is using thicker line as backing, a good way to make a shallow spool?

I figure, when I need to spool again...I can spool at the end of the mono, just like before.

HELP !?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

[BASSclary]

Thats what most of us do IMO.

Especially with more expensive lines and braid

[RussBert]

Don't fill the spool. The lighter weight will make it cast better

[BASSclary]

Don't fill the spool. The lighter weight will make it cast better

Having the spool half full will make it cast worse than a full spool though

[Hooligan]

Don't fill the spool. The lighter weight will make it cast better

It won't cast better.  It will cast worse than a full spool.  It will also not have the fullest retrieve capability of the reel.

I tend to fill my spools with main line, the exception is braid; with which I have 10 turns of backing.  If you're really into saving the line, you can "turn it around" on the reel.

[SirSnookalot]

I tend to fill my spools with main line, the exception is braid; with which I have 10 turns of backing.  If you're really into saving the line, you can "turn it around" on the reel.

Yep......... I don't even use any mono for backing, just tape it to spool.

I think using 1/2 spool of mono backing will not add any significant weight.

[CFFF 1.5]

I generally use backing on braid and fluorocarbon.

[fishfordollars]

I use backing and overfill each spool. This keeps the ratio up and no problem with backlashes here.

Personally i turn off all the brakes and just use my thumb to control the spool speed.

[BobP]

Carrot, don't know if I'd use electrical tape because it tends to deteriorate with heat and shed its gooey adhesive - but otherwise, you're 'right on'.  I suggest blue painter's tape.  It doesn't matter what size line you use for backing.  A given volume of 20 lb weighs about the same as an identical volume of 6 lb.  I almost never spool a reel full of the good line - half of it will never see the light of day.  That saves a bunch of premium line over the course of time.

[SirSnookalot]

I suggest blue painter's tape

Exactly what I use......it's masking tape.  Does not lose it's stickyness.

[opie]

  For reels with 15 lb and above flouro, I use hollow braid, 60 lb jerry brown or 40 lb power pro hollow ace.  The hollow ace is easier to work with but needs more length of line inserted to get a good hold.  I hate having a knot that I can feel on the spool, and this way I can use a shorter length of flouro and not worry about getting down to the backing line if I hook a huge striper or get lazy about adding line after too many reties.  The lower pound tests get an albright knot with a strip of electrical tape over it  to help hold the knot down.

[BASSclary]

I suggest blue painter's tape

Exactly what I use......it's masking tape. Does not lose it's stickyness.

Also never leaves nasty residue

[grimlin]

Don't fill the spool. The lighter weight will make it cast better

It won't cast better. It will cast worse than a full spool. It will also not have the fullest retrieve capability of the reel.

I tend to fill my spools with main line, the exception is braid; with which I have 10 turns of backing. If you're really into saving the line, you can "turn it around" on the reel.

How does only filling half the spool make it worst to cast?I only fill one of my reels half way for crankbait

and it casts much much better than a full spool. I've yet to backlash on it going on 2 years now.

You are right though it'll slow the reel down,but then again...I don't need or want a fast full retrieve on a crankbait.Horsing a fish in on a crankbait is disaster.I kinda use this to my advantage.

Matter of fact i learned how to cast much better when i started using my first baitcaster only using half a spool.A full spool for me always ended in disaster after the 3rd or 4th cast.As i got better i started filling the reels all the way up.

[Hooligan]

Casting a half full spool takes more effort for it to start spinning.  You're more likely to have a backlash with a half full spool than you are with a full spool because of the greater startup inertia required.

In the past I've had nothing but problems with a reel that's got half a spool full.  That's why I now carry filler spools with me when fishing.

[grimlin]

Casting a half full spool takes more effort for it to start spinning. You're more likely to have a backlash with a half full spool than you are with a full spool because of the greater startup inertia required.

In the past I've had nothing but problems with a reel that's got half a spool full. That's why I now carry filler spools with me when fishing.

Different strokes for different folks....I'm the complete opposite.I don't see how a faster start up is gonna help reduce backlashes.If anything it's gonna cause them if the person doesn't have an educated thumb just yet.  :-/

[BrASSmonkey]

Casting a half full spool takes more effort for it to start spinning. You're more likely to have a backlash with a half full spool than you are with a full spool because of the greater startup inertia required.

In the past I've had nothing but problems with a reel that's got half a spool full. That's why I now carry filler spools with me when fishing.

Wouldn't a half full spool have less weight due to the lower mass of line on it, thus requiring less energy to get into motion?  The heavier spools have more intertia once in motion and will spin for longer periods.  +

Shallow spools are often desired for light line applications due to the reduced weights.  People who like to use baitcasters for ultralight applications often go for the reels with extremely light spools and the lower energy required to get these spools spinning.

[Hooligan]

At that point I don't think it's about weight, but the actual depth of the spool.  Think of it like a bicycle gear, smaller gears take a lot more force to turn, same thing in getting the half full spool to start.

I'd also maintain that your casts with a half full spool aren't going to be as long or as accurate as they would with a full spool, every revolution of line that comes off is sending off less line and it's requiring greater force to do so.

[BrASSmonkey]

On a bike, the reason the larger gears are harder to turn is due to the mechanical gear ratios.  The pedalling gear is being used to turn another gear, and the energy required to turn the gear is based on the ratio of the gears in that case.

The thing with a casting reel is, there is a balance between the spool weight and the distance from the axis of rotation at which the force to start the spool in motion is applied.  The force required to start the spool in motion is based on the mass of the spool, the radial distance from the axis of rotation, and the static force keeping the spool at rest. 

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation_around_a_fixed_axis

The ratio of torque and angular acceleration (how difficult it is to start, stop, or otherwise change rotation) is given by the moment of inertia.

Moment of inertia

Increasing the mass increases the moment of inertia, symbolized by I, which is sometimes called the rotational inertia of an object. But the distribution of the mass is more important, i.e. distributing the mass further from the centre of rotation increases the moment of inertia by a greater degree.

from the article on Moment of Inertia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia

The moment of inertia of an object about a given axis describes how difficult it is to change its angular motion about that axis. Therefore, it encompasses not just how much mass the object has overall, but how far each bit of mass is from the axis. The farther out the object's mass is, the more rotational inertia the object has, and the more force is required to change its rotation rate.

Therefore, the energy to get your spool spinning is in fact, lower for that same spool, but only half-filled.  That is actually why there are brakes on a baitcaster.  Once you get your spool started, the brakes on a reel are there to slow down the spool speed to match the speed of the lure in flight.  (That is why you get birdsnests with too little braking - the spool spins faster than the lure is taking the line, causing the spool to overrun and tangle).  Therefore, once the spool has started spinning, and the lure is in flight, the radius of the spool with line has no impact on the casting distance.

[J Francho]

Practice casting your reel will go leaps and bounds beyond discussing physics in reducing your backlashes.

:

[BrASSmonkey]

d**n your practical advice!!!!!

You win this round...

[tyrius.]

Casting a half full spool takes more effort for it to start spinning. You're more likely to have a backlash with a half full spool than you are with a full spool because of the greater startup inertia required.

In the past I've had nothing but problems with a reel that's got half a spool full. That's why I now carry filler spools with me when fishing.

I don't doubt that you've had problems with using a half full spool, but the reason isn't anything like what you've described.  A half full spool will take LESS effort to start spinning and less effort to get it spinning too quickly.  If you snap the cast too hard then the spool will likely turn faster than the lure is flying leading to over runs at the beginning of the cast.

It's nothing like a bicycle gear.

[lightsout]

All things being equal a reel with more line will cast farther....I have noticed this several times over the years.

Alot of baits will dang near spool a low-pro. baitcaster full of line anyways. I have  E7's and a revo Sx that I can cast to the point of seeing metal on the spool with a rattlebait. If I spool it half way I'm gonna lose a lure.

[bilgerat]

This thread is the BR equivalent of any episode of The Big Bang Theory. It's like trying to teach Sheldon how to fish with a baitcaster

[Hooligan]

LOL, can't help but agree.

[grimlin]

This thread is the BR equivalent of any episode of The Big Bang Theory. It's like trying to teach Sheldon how to fish with a baitcaster

Then how about your take on it?  :