Spooling reels

[boyzie]

how much line should you put on a reel? should you spool it up as much as it will take? i know every reel is different but say a TLD20 or there abouts should i fill it right up? i want to spool it with braid but to fill it up will cost me an arm and a leg or should i just put like 500yards or something like that?

[2iar]

You're local tackle shop should do it for you if you buy the line from them. They'll put down some mono backing, and work it out based on the class of the braid you select (and give you advice on this too). They'll also set the drag correctly, so I reckon it's worth getting them to do it.

Leave it to the pro's I say, rather than save a couple of bucks on the line and stuff it up.

Some tackle shops will also do it for a small charge (~$10), even if you don't buy the reel or line from them...

Good luck,
Mike

[Cheech]

Depends I suppose on what you are fishing for. If just normal bottom bashing and not out in major deep water, which is what I do with my overhead, I just put on a standard 300m roll, and under that I have enough backing to fill the reel. If you are after fish that are likely to strip off a heap of line then you may need to go with more.

People have different views on backing. For me, I use a heavier line class than the braid because if it ever gets down to the backing, I do not want the backing to break on me.

Cheech

[baldyhead]

Get yourself 300m of the braid that you want to use. Lets say 50lb. Spool this braid onto your empty TLD 20 first. Then get a spool of 60lb mono and spool this on top of the braid until it is about 1 to 2 mm below the red line on the TLD 20 spool. Get an electric drill and remove the mono and the braid (from the TLD) then put the mono back onto the TLD 20 first, tie a bimini loop in the mono and the braid and put em together loop to loop then wind on the braid. Make sure that you put both the mono and the braid onto the TLD very tightly. I use a cotton glove and loop the line thru my fingers to achieve the right tension of line on spool. It really is a piece of p*ss to do.
have fun doin it yourself...cheers baldy

[boyzie]

baldy head thats a f*&cin great idea never heard of it but you can bet your morgage on what i'm going to be doing tonight !!!!
thanks mate

[Duyz72]

So how much tension do you use? Would you estimate it to be a kg rating? Or just a wild guess so long as the line 'feels' tight as it is spooling on?

[baldyhead]

As tight as you can hold the mono and braid with your gloved hand. I do some loops thru my fingers and over the palm and where the line contacts my fingers and palm it gets bloody hot ...so if you call that a wild guess so be it hahaha. Usually the first good run of a fish or two will spool it tight too. cheers baldy

[2iar]

Here's an embarassing admission on how I set the tension on a TSS4

After spooling the line up loosely (ie with little tension), I put the rod on the boat, tied a big sinker ton and cast it out. I then motored along until all the line was out. Then retrieved the line under the tension of 500 yards of line and the big sinker. Not very scientific, but it seems to have worked ok.

I don't reckon the pro's would recommend this method. Don't try this at home kids!

Good luck,
Mike

[szopen]

To het the tension right and right is as tight as possible I run the braid through a wet towel placed in a well tightened vise.

[banshee]

I always use a backing that is roughly the same thickness as the braid I am useing,if you use a thick backing you run the risk of the braid diging into the backing and locking the spool,the same problem arises if you don't pack the braid on real tight.

[Cheech]

I have heard comments about braid cutting into backing. Does that happen? That is also a reason I go heavier, so that there is less chance of the braid damaging and weakening the backing.

[Scott15]

I have heard comments about braid cutting into backing. Does that happen? That is also a reason I go heavier, so that there is less chance of the braid damaging and weakening the backing.

Sure does, ive taken braid off before and the backing is all chewed up

[banshee]

G'day Cheech,the problem isn't so much damaging the backing it has more to do with the gaps that a thicker backing leaves when fed on allowing the thiner braid to be pulled down into the coils of backing causing a lock up of the spool.I think there are fish that just aren't ment to be landed with the gear we use,if a fish takes 300m of line and you haven't turned it or stoped it I think it falls into this category.