So while I like braid, I do get a bit cracked up on all the varying information on the line diameter equivalencies.  If 20 lb braid is the diameter of 6 lb mono, then why does the manufacturer say that I'll get more 6 lb mono on the reel than 20 lb braid?

For those of you who do use braid, do you find yourself getting as much braid on the reel as the reel specs say?  I don't really care much about my baitcasting braid capacity, but I do pay closer attention to the line on my spinning reels since they get double duty for inshore saltwater as well.  I just spooled by 4000 Stradic FIs with fresh braid for the salt and was quite surprised with how far off I *THINK* I was.  The specs show i should get a little over 200 yards of 20 lb Power Pro on the 4000, but I only got 150 yards of new braid + another 10-15 yards of older 20 lb braid.  I am spooling the reels with tension on the line, running the braid through a paper towel that I have held tight between my fingers.

So how are you guys faring in this area?  Getting close to the manufacturer-listen capacities, or are you getting a good amount less like I am?

Chris, I have found the same thing - been that way since braid's introduction.  It was a little concerning & frustrating at first, but I have since adopted the "subtract 20-25%" attitude when loading reels up with braid.

On a positive note (and I'm betting you're already on top of this) but for anglers who may not be;  some on the newer braids recently / currently being introduced, have a much thinner diameter per test size, than many of the older products.  Diawa Samuri, Seagar Smackdown, & Maxima Ultragreen Braided Lines can be included on the "thinner" list.

However, it pays to remember that with thinner braided line diameter, comes a reduction in abrasion resistance, regardless of rated pound test.

Either way, I still enjoy the properties the braid possesses, even if I can't get 500 yds on a 1000 reel.

A-Jay

It always seems to hold a bit less than stated but I use #10 on my spinning reel so it's still way more than I'll ever need. Another thing I noticed on some spinning reels is it states to not fill the spool as much if using braid. 

Consider this if you are worried about having enough line then spool  1/2 of the spool with mono and then your braid.  You will probably get much closer to the correct amount of line on the reel and you will save a bunch of money since the mono cost about 1/10 of the braid.  All of my reels are spooled that way.  I fish for bass and stripers but often I catch big blue cats. The cats are the only fish i have ever hooked that have taken over half a spool of line out, oh but that was fun!!

20 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

Consider this if you are worried about having enough line then spool  1/2 of the spool with mono and then your braid.  You will probably get much closer to the correct amount of line on the reel and you will save a bunch of money since the mono cost about 1/10 of the braid.  All of my reels are spooled that way.  I fish for bass and stripers but often I catch big blue cats. The cats are the only fish i have ever hooked that have taken over half a spool of line out, oh but that was fun!!

I don't pay much attention to any of that. On my freshwater reels, I fill the spool with mono, and top it off with 50-75yds of braid. If I hook a fish that takes 75yds of braid off my reel....solid chance I'll never land that fish anyway  

As for my saltwater gear...I usually fill the spool with mono, and top it off with 150-200yds of braid, which too is rather overkill in almost all situations.

Thanks for the input.  Just seems so odd that the manufactures would both overstate the thinness of the braid AND overestimate how much you can realistically fit on the reel.

 

Oh well -- like I said, zero issues or concerns for bass but I have this mental thing about my saltwater reels having as much line as possible since I'm landbound just about 95% of the time.  You know, just in case

 

I am 54 years old and until two years ago I had never worried about my arbor knots or being spooled. Then I moved near the Chesapeake Bay and started fishing its tidal rivers.  I mainly bass fish but come September the bay starts to cool down and tons of alewifes ( a 3 inch minnow ) come into the shallower and warmer rivers. The stripers are on the tails and stay here for 3 months or so. A 5/8, 3/4, and 1 ounce rattle trap mimics these baitfish perfectly so we throw Redeye Shads, Excaliburs, and Bill Lewis Rattle Traps. This is when the big cat come roamin in too. I have hooked two cats that weighed 18 and 18.5 and each of them took me past the uni knot and almost to the arbor knot. When you can see it through the remaining knot you get nervous. In each case I was fishing along side an island (there are 2) and the fish hit next to the island and shot out 25 feet and directly under the boat. By the time my partner got the trolling motor up and I worked the line out from under the boat I had lost most of the line. Those cats fight incredibly hard even after I got the line straightened out.  They also taste pretty good my friend says.  So I understand your concern on your salt water reels.

10 hours ago, Chris at Tech said:

 

For those of you who do use braid, do you find yourself getting as much braid on the reel as the reel specs say?

 

Honestly can't say as I only put 50 yards of braid on any of my spinning reels, the rest is mono backing.  I can say this, my TwinPower 2500HGS only holds 10 yards of backing and 50 yards of 15# TufLine XP.....and it's absolutely full.