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What do you do when you lose some line?

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TheNapeaguePissMan

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What do you do when you lose some line after hanging up? It seems a shame to pull off practically brand new braid and throw it away because the spool isn't full enough. Maybe pull off and add more backing? Braid to braid knot? Starting fresh? Just curious what others do... I lost some line on my surf reel toward the end of last season messing around in places that I do not know. Most of my fishing so far this year has been in inlets and bays using other reels, but I have been getting out there with the long rod in the past week and my cast distance is definitely suffering from an under-filled spool. 

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I've taken my reels to my fave local shop from time to time with a "Can ya help me by taking off the braid (and flipping it end for end if the braid has been used for more than one full season) and putting on some backing for me?"

 

Most of the time, they do it for free, with a "We will get you next time."

 

That's why I buy there.

G.B.O.G.H. -- DT326

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."--M. Mead

Be safe, be smart, be kind.--Gary Crocker, Maine Humorist/Philosopher

 

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Some years ago when I built my line winder I bought the counter used on the tackle shop machines from Triangle Manufacturing. All my spools start with 300 yards of braid on top of the appropriate amount of backing. When i get down to where I think  I'm too low on the spool I strip off the braid and add some backing and then put the used braid back on. Using the line counter when reinstalling the braid I know  how much braid I have at any time.  When I get below 200 yards its' usually time to discard the old braid and install new.  I remove the additional backing added over time and start again with 300 yards of fresh braid. 

Marc

"Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! BS and brilliance only come with age and experience!"

In favor of an immediate moratorium on both Commercial and Recreational taking of Striped Bass.

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46 mins ago, Southcoastphil said:

I've taken my reels to my fave local shop from time to time with a "Can ya help me by taking off the braid (and flipping it end for end if the braid has been used for more than one full season) and putting on some backing for me?"

 

Most of the time, they do it for free, with a "We will get you next time."

 

That's why I buy there.

Good idea.

 

 

I take a lot of heat from by buddies if my spool looks low but most of the time the fish are in close enough that it doesn't matter. 

Crushed barbs save fish, keep that rod bent! 

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Not once in decades of SW fishing from shore in New England have I ever needed more than 200 yards of braid on my reel.  When I had line spooled onto my new BG5000 last season I requested 300 yards of 40#, plus appropriate 30# mono backing.  (I think it holds something like 480 yards of 40, but i could be wrong.)

 

I prefer to have a full spool for better casting distance, not necessarily because I need 200-300-400 yards of braid.

G.B.O.G.H. -- DT326

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."--M. Mead

Be safe, be smart, be kind.--Gary Crocker, Maine Humorist/Philosopher

 

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I buy 1500 yard spools and put on little backing and a lot of braid. When I get low (and ambition kicks in) I take the braid off and with a guesstimate add backing then put the braid back on after awhile you can come close most of the time 

"If you know that and you don't know anything else you know more than if you know everything else and you don't know that."
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I add braid to braid using back-to-back biminis and loop-to-loop five times through.  Practically unnoticeable going through the guides, and about as strong as the line itself.  It takes a few minutes, but this is not an every day exercise.  I've been doing it for a few years with no issues.

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23 mins ago, mike1010 said:

I add braid to braid using back-to-back biminis and loop-to-loop five times through.  Practically unnoticeable going through the guides, and about as strong as the line itself.  It takes a few minutes, but this is not an every day exercise.  I've been doing it for a few years with no issues.

Interesting, I was wondering if anyone did anything like this. Might give it a try. 

 

Also so thought about adding more backing. My line removal technique consists of a piece of dowel in a drill though, and then just reeling the line back on. Not the end of the world but not the best either....

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When trying to make the braid last, I'll ad mono to the end of the braid until the spool is full.

Then I'll take off the new mono and braid together and reverse it, tying the new mono to the old mono backing.

The old mono backing fits a 150 yd filler spool so that never changes....

 

I learned this here years ago:

Drill a hole thru the cap of a water/soda/seltzer bottle. Put a nut thru the cap sticking out of it and secure with a bolt.

Chuck the bolt into your drill and screw a (dry) bottle onto the cap. Tape the line to the bottle to remove it.

To reverse the line, screw an empty bottle onto the drill cap combo and put the line on that one.

Finish by reeling the reversed line onto your reel.

Easier said than typed :)

 

If there is so little line on the reel that I'm casting down to the backing, I'll spool it onto a bottle, label it and save it for when a freshwater reel needs a refill.

 

When that's too low to use the remainder goes on a bottle of "ends" to be used for sewing repairs and other odds and ends.

 

Yeah, I'm cheap.

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23 hours ago, yemista said:

IF you break the line by pointing your rod tip straight out, locking the drag, and walking backwards, it should break at the knot and you wont really lose any

Respectfully, I would avoid this. Undue stress on the reels components would be my reason.

I have added backing before. Occasionally it's nice to strip and repack the braid anyway.

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3 hours ago, redfin said:

Respectfully, I would avoid this. Undue stress on the reels components would be my reason.

I have added backing before. Occasionally it's nice to strip and repack the braid anyway.

An alternate way to do this is loop the braid around a stick near the reel, and pull using the stick, that avoids any stress on the gears

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I've done the add more backing routine, usually when I lose roughly 50 yards or so.  If I lose ~150 I'll double uni more line right on top.  I don't like using a reel that doesn't have 250+ yards of braid, but I'm not afraid of having a knot just past casting range in my spool.

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