Backing line

[Budgie]

Is it necessary to put backing line onto a multiplier? .
Av just started using 12lb line in the river, on the beach, on a Penn Mag 525, loading the spool right up.
After a few disasters of snapping off and nests i find i am chopping all the line off and having to refill it hence loads of waste.
As a kid we used to load the spool up with some backing line.
Whats the general consensus on this fellas?

Before a get torn apart, a know a need casting lessons (had one already) and the reel set up correctly.

Any advice appreciated.

[Stewart 1971]

Can't remember the last time I stripped all the line off my multipliers. I like to keep mine loaded to the lip so on the odd occasion I need to replace the line I strip off about 180 yards then tie the new stuff on with a double uni-knot (I've got a decent cast and run my reels safe, must be well over 7 years since I last had a fishing crack-off).

The line at the bottom of the spool on my 7HT Mags has probable been on there since I bought them 7 years or more ago. This line was also carefully put on the spool to make sure it (the spool) is balanced, another good reason not to strip it all off and replace it with line that will never ever see daylight let alone salt water...

[Budgie]

Thanks for that Stewart. Can i ask how you know how much line to put on the spool first, and what sort of breaking strain, and how you measure it, a might be being a bit thick.
I notice there are some marker type rings on the inside of the cage of the reel i have which must have something to do with it.

[dale19]

I have 18lb Berkley xts main line with a spectra 50lb braid shock lead on my penn fathom 15 as only use 5oz leads.
fill the 18 line up to the top line on the spool then have 6 turns of braid on the spool with a length through all the rod rings to swivels / sinker ect.
this set up works well for me but other anglers have there own set ups.
if for some reason I loss a lot of line of the spool I just take the old off and replace with new, only time I use backing is on my fly reels.
hope that helps

[Budgie]

Thanks Dale in that case my shock leader is also to long!

[Stewart 1971]

Thanks Dale in that case my shock leader is also to long!

Shock leader (generally speaking) should be twice the length of your rod plus six turns on the spool - this allows the rod tip to recover after the cast and minimises the leader knot rattling through the tip rings. If you are fishing a pier with a long lift like Shields you will want an even longer leader - I once lost a very good fish by stupidly trying to lift up the side at Shields and my 15lb mailine went ping

As for filling your spool, just fill as normal first time round and it is always worth trying to get the spool balanced at the same time. But then if you need to replace your line just strip back as far as you think you need to go (I have no idea how well you cast or how much line you tend to lose - I rarely ever crack-off so just strip back to about 180 yards worth as for me taking more line off is a waste of time and money - why replace line that never has and never will see the light of day?)

I'd also add that 12lb line and filling to the brim on a 525 Mag (Mk 1?) is not a great idea for a learning caster. 18lb and filling a couple of mm down from the spool lip will make for a much more controllable reel, along with a couple of drops of car engine oil in the bearings...

[Budgie]

Thanks ever so much for your help.

[Juliogeordio]

Can't remember the last time I stripped all the line off my multipliers. I like to keep mine loaded to the lip so on the odd occasion I need to replace the line I strip off about 180 yards then tie the new stuff on with a double uni-knot (I've got a decent cast and run my reels safe, must be well over 7 years since I last had a fishing crack-off).

The line at the bottom of the spool on my 7HT Mags has probable been on there since I bought them 7 years or more ago. This line was also carefully put on the spool to make sure it (the spool) is balanced, another good reason not to strip it all off and replace it with line that will never ever see daylight let alone salt water...

If its any help I do the same as Stewart. Strip off just a little bit extra line than I would normally cast and refill back up to the rim. Again, I don't see the point in regularly replacing line that will have very little damage or deterioration. I do also though strip right back and refill every so often but not routinely.

[g-force]

Like Stewart, on my 7HT mags I've got about 50yds of old 0.35 as backing - they're supposed to hold 330 yds of the stuff so I figure 280 or so is fine for fishing...I like mine well brimmed (in fact I can't remove the spools on any of my reels without peeling off some line to get it out the cage!).

On my heavier reels though, I don't use any backing - they're probably only holding about 250yds anyway (if the spool of Daiwa tournament I'm currently using is to be believed it's 460m and I get to fill 2 Saltist 30's with one spool). Not that I'm going to chuck anywhere close to that but on the heavier ground there's always a chance you could lose a fair chunk ov your line if it's cut or chaffed on a close in ledge or something & I'd like to have enough line to potentially fish on without having a knot in it if I duffed all my reels in the same fashion! A bulging spool also means that I can keep a fair amount of line on the spool to aid the initial retrieve speed - not an issue with the fixed-spools though.

Oh, and piers are one of the few places I like to use a tapered leader - get the knot and a fair bit of leader on the reel before having to lift. If I tried to get a big long leader of the normal stuff I use it would jam in the cage...as it is my knot can catch if I don't hump the line slightly...thats the trouble with the Saltist spool practically filling the cage anyway!

Gary

[Budgie]

Shock leader (generally speaking) should be twice the length of your rod plus six turns on the spool - this allows the rod tip to recover after the cast and minimises the leader knot rattling through the tip rings. If you are fishing a pier with a long lift like Shields you will want an even longer leader - I once lost a very good fish by stupidly trying to lift up the side at Shields and my 15lb mailine went ping

As for filling your spool, just fill as normal first time round and it is always worth trying to get the spool balanced at the same time. But then if you need to replace your line just strip back as far as you think you need to go (I have no idea how well you cast or how much line you tend to lose - I rarely ever crack-off so just strip back to about 180 yards worth as for me taking more line off is a waste of time and money - why replace line that never has and never will see the light of day?)

I'd also add that 12lb line and filling to the brim on a 525 Mag (Mk 1?) is not a great idea for a learning caster. 18lb and filling a couple of mm down from the spool lip will make for a much more controllable reel, along with a couple of drops of car engine oil in the bearings...

Stewart, just noticed that thread you posted in reply to my question. I have never seen anything like that in my life i had no idea about that which means i have two reels to strip tomorrow now after filling the up today. Dare say there's quite a few lads on here don't know about that aswell. i hope they pick it up.
Thanks again for your time