Line Backing

In an effort to try and cut down on the amount of line I have to purchase I'm thinking about trying to use backing. Seems like I heard that braid works best for flipping. My questions are 1) What line type is best in general? 2)What knot are you using? 3)Some do's and don'ts?

I just use big-game. Uni to Uni knot for me(even though I hope to never get to the knot)

50lb braid backing, 17lb fluoro main line. Uni knot. Works for everything. Makes casting smoother and farther IMO.

I use my GARBAGE P-Line as backing on all my reels and I smile while I do it because that stuff is GARBAGE!!! If I couldn’t use it as backing then I would just set it ablaze. Uni to uni knot.

I use 20# flourocarbon for flipping. Much more stealthy than braid. I don’t have grass in our nearby lakes so don’t really need braid.

Braid is lighter and will lower the rotational inertia of the spool. Not sure how much difference but it should help in heory

Any line works for backing....double uni-knot.

If you're not using backing, you're backing up!

I use whatever 20lb junk monofilament is around as backing then join it to the main line with a double-uni knot.

Never put braid straight on a reel. It'll slip on the spool during a hard hook set. That's probably the biggest "don't do". I usually tie a double uni knot.

I use big game to fill half the spool and fill the rest with Seaguar. For joining braid to leader the alberto not is best. for tying braid to a lure the double palomar is hard to beat. I do not ever long line lures so i never reach the knot. Usually i respool the braid or flouro before i ever get that low. Do your research and find out what is best/easier/cost effective for you to do.

Zebco Omniflex 700 yards for $1.79 @ Walmart

I use the cheapest line I can find. Saltwater yellow line, no sure the brand, is usually what I use. Helps me see when I need to respool

it doesn't matter. just use the cheapest you have laying around, spool it on, then wrap some electrical tape tightly around it a few times, and you'll never have to mess with it again. you just permanently widened your spool.

Now that's a great idea. thanks

I think the line companies pay the reel companies to make the spools hold as much line as they do... you buy a 7.3 ratio reel to take up more line... when spool gets lower than full, that ratio obviously decreases... no need for bass spools to hold as much line as they do. Is there any logical reason they hold so much line? Bass isn’t going to spool you...

Many people use the same reels for bull reds. They can definitely spool you if using a medium or MH rod

Big spools also allow for long lining and casting big swimbaits far

But, yes, the majority of the time there’s about double the spool size than necessary

or fishing 15# Big Game -- which I've done. We usually fish inshore and there are some big ones there but nothing like the onshore/offshore/pass . . . . the true bulls. Anyway, using light tackle, we've still got into some that we had to fight and then chase with the trolling motor and fight some more.

Speaking of the various junction knots between backer and mainlines and/or leaders, Aaron Martens published a video a few years ago about using braid as sort of a deep backer line, then an attached length of fluorocarbon well beyond his expected casting distance. The junction knot he used? Just a simple overhand knot. He said the reason was he'd never get close to the knot so he didn't bother spending any time tying a more reliable knot like a uni-to-uni. If a knot remains far enough back coiled up on the spool, it is exposed to very little tensile force.

But, he likely gets his line for free under a sponsorship and also likely replaces his fluorocarbon long leader after every day on the water. So, for Martens, it was just a matter of cutting down on time to set things up for the next day.

And, it is presentation-specific, for sure. You sure wouldn't want a big fish to spool off enough line to test that kind of junction knot!

Brad

He was backing with braid in that instance just to reduce spool weight. He often fishes braid to fluoro though with a much shorter leader.

The Tactical Bassin' boys fish braid to fluoro and use a blood not. Weird thing is . . . they'll put a 40 foot leader of fluoro on which means they are casting the joinder through the eyes going out and reeling it back through coming in.

The catch some really big fish out west so I think if you can tie a really good Blood or FG knot, it may not matter.

They tie the long leader not because they are worried about the braid spooking fish as the fish assess the bait, they worry the braid could spook fish well before the lure gets close enough to get them to feed or react. Of course, some of those lakes are really clear although I don't think Clear Lake is one of them.

LearnedHat,

Correct. Martens fishes braid to a short fluoro leader for things like his drop shot rig where he is making the relatively short casts associated with that and a few other finesse presentations.

But, for the video I mention and you are familiar with, he was commenting on the "extra distance" it gave him on bait casters and I recall it created a bit of confusion (the "why" behind it) and controversy. He swears by it, says it really does make for longer casts.

So, in that situation (bait caster, long casts, simple overhand knot), he was setting up for presentations requiring longer casts, not say a short drop shot cast.

Other than his comment on braid "backer" making for longer casts, the thing that stuck out to me was that insignificant knot he used . . meaning it was well back on the reel and never got close to coming off.

If that knot gets even close to a place where it has a lot of pressure on it, that's a recipe for a lot of snapped off fluoro leaders, that's for sure.

Pretty cool.

Brad

On my original post the video I was thinking of was Martens on wired 2 fish right after he won on Havasu flipping the "bird". So I had it in my head the braid backing was helping with distance and smoothness when flipping. I remember him saying that about the ease of changing out the line with a simple knot and my first thought was what if you backlash slightly a time or two...

For backing I use the cheapest 12lb line I can find.

I understand. He uses braid as "backing" to a fluoro mainline anytime he is using backing because it lowers the inertial moment for the spool - not doesn't matter because it is backing that he is not going to expose. He uses braid mainline to fluoro leader most of the other times and think he ties uni-to-uni or something (not an FG or blood though). Unlike the other guys I mentioned, Aaron does not like to cast his knots through his guides and keeps his leaders short.

I'll spool with Big Game for instance all of the way the first time. When it's time to change, I'll strip off half, put a piece of electrical tape on, then just tie to the spool like you normally would. Now the next time you respool, strip back to the electrical tape, cut knot and repeat.