When spooling a reel with high quality fluorocarbon, do you use the same size line as a backing? How much fluorocarbon would you advise to put on a 200 series Shimano?

I used to back everything up with 12lb mono, but have switched to 8lb because you can put more on the spool making it heavier. You don't have to match the diameters if you tie the proper knots. I don't put on more then 75 meters (About 250 feet) of my high quality line because I can't cast that far and I doubt 99% of the population can. So I think 75 meters is a safe bet, leaves you enough to spool up a few more times if need be.

In the normal course of fishing, I never get down to the backing, therefore I never thought it made a difference what kind or size of line was used for the backing.

65 yards is all I put anymore. I can get 3 spoolings off a 200 yard spool.

Don't worry about the size.  As far as how much line to put on, here is a dummy proof way of figuring it out.

 

Spool it full with cheap backing.

 

Go out and get the heaviest lure you will be throwing on that rod/reel.  Cast out as far as you can.  Then free spool the line and walk back to the lure laying on the ground.  You now have exactly 2 full casts worth of line laying on the ground.  Cut the line there and throw that away.  Now spool your good line on and you have 2 full casts worth of good line.

 

Jeff

Jeff, that's genius!! What knot do you tie the two lines together?

I haven't spooled with any flourocarbon yet, but when I do, I will fill my spool with a cheaper line that is is the same diameter or as close as possible to the flourocarbon that I will be using, make several casts with the heaviest best casting lure that is suitable for that particular rod. After a series of casts, I will pull off a little bit extra line, cut the cheap line, tie on the flourocarbon and fill up the spool with the flourocarbon.

Jeff, that's genius!! What knot do you tie the two lines together?

I can't speak Jeff, but a good Modified Albright knot works very well for joining two lines. Its also what I use for braid to fluoro.

Here are some good knots

Jeff, that's genius!! What knot do you tie the two lines together?

 

Modified Albright/Alberto or a uni/uni knot.  Just depends, but both do the job correctly!

 

Jeff

Don't worry about the size.  As far as how much line to put on, here is a dummy proof way of figuring it out.

 

Spool it full with cheap backing.

 

Go out and get the heaviest lure you will be throwing on that rod/reel.  Cast out as far as you can.  Then free spool the line and walk back to the lure laying on the ground.  You now have exactly 2 full casts worth of line laying on the ground.  Cut the line there and throw that away.  Now spool your good line on and you have 2 full casts worth of good line.

 

Jeff

 

That was easy!

Jeff, that's genius!! What knot do you tie the two lines together?

 

I'm obviously not Jeff, but I use a uni-to-uni knot. But as I mentioned in my earlier post, I don't think it matters since, at least in my case, I never get down to the backing.