Backing for your wires

[Yankee Troller]

For the guys who do use a backing on their wire reels are you using Mono or Dacron? I'm re-spooling up all our wires and I'd like to take advantage of the full retrieve rate as well as an accurate line counter. Both of which you lose just putting your 1000' of wire on the reel and leaving 1/3 of the spool empty. Not that it's a huge deal, but just something I want to do. Bulk Dacron is hard to find and/or expensive. I can get by with Mono much cheaper.

[Primetime Pete]

Rick,

 

 I have used mono for the backing for years and have not had an issue. I have never lost a fish while into the backing. However, I don't often get into the backing. When I have the mono has held up fine. (#30 Big Game) 

 The advantages you gain with the "full" spool are well worth the effort to run the proper amount of backing to fill the reel.

 

        Pete

[GAMBLER]

I use 50lb power pro.  I would not want to lose the entire length of my wire, a diver, flasher and a fly.  Go with the safe bet and run 50lb power pro.

[Yankee Troller]

Thanks guys. I thought about braid Brian, but the small diameter would cost me a ton spooling up that many wires.

[Jolly II]

Rick,

 

When I respooled my wire last year with that spool of American Wire I bought from you last year, there was quite a bit of spool left.  Like you said a 1/3 of a spool was left.  I was curious to find out how inaccurate that made the counter on my Daiwas.

 

I measured out 250' in my yard and stretch the line out on that measured distance.  The counter on the reel read 317'.  I knew it was going long, but not that long. 

 

So I spooled my wires onto to a spare reel, and used 30lb big game as backing, and then spooled the wire back on.  Now that the spools are filled properly I need to conduct my measurement experiment again, if I have the time, and see how accurate or inaccurate the counters are now.  Which would be great information to have on hand so that I can set my divers a little more precisely.

 

As to the performance of mono as backing, I can't say.  This is the first time I've had to do it.  That American Wire is a much smaller diameter than the stuff I have used in the past.

[Yankee Troller]

That American Wire is a much smaller diameter than the stuff I have used in the past.

 

I know...that's why we use it.

[Miss em]

We have always used 20 or 30# mono.  For the knot, tie an overhand knot in the wire and then do a nail knot with the mono up against the overhand.  For the few times we have gotten into the mono, never had a problem.

[Yankee Troller]

Thanks Jeff. That's a knot I have never tied, so I will look into it.

 

I am not worried about getting into the backing. Aint nobody got time to reel all that in! I'd rather lock the drag down and take my chances! LOL Like I mentioned above I'm doing it to gain counter accuracy and to get true 6.1:1 gear ratio on those 30 Saltist.

[Sk8man]

When I was ordering some parts a while back I talked with the guy at Tuna's Reel Troubles and he said always back up your reels with mono and not straight wire. I have used 30 lb. Big Game and still got the 1000 ft wire on fine...no problems and the wire seems to sit "nested" in it good. I hjave used the Big Game since it came out and its forerunner Hombre and it is very tough abrasive resistent line and very strong. The 30 is plenty strong for backing and not as stiff as te stuff gets when 40 and above.

[Miss em]

There is a video of  how to tie the nail knot on Captian Ernie's website Rick.  It is no fun getting to the end of the wire, things get puckered up pretty well when that know is hanging out there.  I only remember it happening 3 times in the last 12 years. The Penn digital line counters that I use actually measure actual length of wire.  There is an electronic gizmo that you use when you fill one that calculates how fast the spool is filling and somehow figures it.  I have spooled many a spool of 1000' of wire and ended up within a few feet of 1000 when I got done.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Miss em

[Second Nature]

Backed mine with 30lb big game also and have never had a problem. Running the tekotas 600s for all four of my wire rods and have measured out 300' in my back yard and with a full spool I get 294-306 on the counter with all four reels. very slight variation in numbers due to a a hair more or less of mono and wire on each reel but they are so close to 300' I feel it's as close as your gonna get

[spoonfed-1]

30 lb Ande

[Yankee Troller]

Thanks guys!

[Legacy]

Thanks Rick, now im inspired to do the same thing. I have 4 that im respooling so it looks like im doing it too. How much 30# mono backing on a 30s size Okuma?

[Yankee Troller]

When I was ordering some parts a while back I talked with the guy at Tuna's Reel Troubles and he said always back up your reels with mono and not straight wire. 

 

Curious why he told you this?

[Miss em]

If you have a couple empty reels Rob, spool the wire on on first, then connect your mono and continue to fill the spool.  Then tie connect the mono to the the other empty reel, reset the counter to zero and fill the empty reel off of the full reel.  Note the footage on the counter when you get back to the wire.  Then you can get the same amount of mono on the rest of your reels.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Miss em

[Sk8man]

He said that it can create problems with the drag mechanism or the level wind when the wire tries to creep off the spool. They recommended putting on about 100ft of mono backing. Also the Dragmasters company sent me a note with the carbon fiber drag washers that said the same thing....here is what they sent me:

Edited March 19, 2013 by Sk8man

[Willy-C]

If you have a couple empty reels Rob, spool the wire on on first, then connect your mono and continue to fill the spool.  Then tie connect the mono to the the other empty reel, reset the counter to zero and fill the empty reel off of the full reel.  Note the footage on the counter when you get back to the wire.  Then you can get the same amount of mono on the rest of your reels.

Miss Em, great advice......I'm ready to spool up two reels and was wondering how...

[Yankee Troller]

I understand what he meant now Sk8man. Thanks!

[Sk8man]

Good luck with it!

[Legacy]

He said that it can create problems with the drag mechanism or the level wind when the wire tries to creep off the spool. They recommended putting on about 100ft of mono backing. Also the Dragmasters company sent me a note with the carbon fiber drag washers that said the same thing....here is what they sent me:

 

good to know!

[Tim Bromund]

if you put a wrap of electrical or duct tape over the arbor knot, wire doesn't slip at all eliminating that issue. 

 

Personally, in the extremely unlikely event I get into a fish that takes all 1000 feet of wire, I wouldn't trust any wire to mono/braid knot to hold, so whether you get spooled or have the knot break, I would say you're pretty much screwed regardless.

 

Tim

[Jolly II]

I've got a copy of a spread sheet that is a reel fill calculator that could be used to figure out how much backing to put onto the reel and fill it with 1000' of wire.

 

I tried to upload here, but it tells me I'm not permitted.

 

If anyone is interested in it let me know and I can email it to you.

[capt ace]

Hey Rick, let me chime in here.I like to have all my reels filled to the top for reasons that you mentioned, but I do use dacron backing, specifically the Cabela's Musky braid.I fill all of my my wire spools off of a bulk spool of wire for both my 20lb and 30lb wires. Depending on the reels I use determines what size dacron I use. On my 20lb 600lc Shimanos I use about 800ft of 30lb dacron for backing. On my 700lc Shimanos I use 125lb test dacron for backing. The nice thing about using dacron is that it doesn't absorb water and rot like mono does so you don't have to change it every year. It lasts for a good long time. I have 600lc's that have had the same dacron backing on them since the 600lc's first came out.I do not use a 1000ft of wire to fill my reels, more like about 650ft for the 20lb rigs and 800ft for the 30lb rigs.The very few times I have been into the backing, the knots and the quality and integrity of the dacron backing stood up just fine. The money I save on not using as much wire more than pays for the dacron I use.A 10,000 ft spool of wire gives me 15 reel fills of 20lb wire. That's 5 extra reel fills. What's a 1000ft spool of wire go for now a days?(x5) AND I don't have to change or worry about my backing going bad on me!

For connections with 20lb wire/30lb dacron, I use an overhand knot in the wire and then put the dacron through it and tie the dacron over the wire with a uni knot. This goes back to the Chip Porter days. For connecting wire to 125lb dacron I set the dacron up for an albright knot, put the wire through the loop and double back the wire on itself twice and pull it tight through the dacron loop, then trim. Tim Brommund is right about trying to put mono on wire, the wire will cut the mono if you pull hard on it. I have an article on my website written about using larger capacity reels and their benefits(with the math reasons why) if anyone would like to check it out. It's in my informational section.

Edited March 19, 2013 by capt ace

[Yankee Troller]

Ace....I love ya...but if you ever write that much on one of my post again I will kick you square in the family jewels at the next tourney I see you at.