Hi everyone, 

 

I've been doing a lot of Googling and I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I figured I would ask here. I recently purchased and ugly stik elite spinning rod. The actual rod is the USESP702M. The specs for it are medium power, fast action. The line rating is 6-14lbs.

 

I purchased a Daiwa BG 3500 to pair to the rod. The reel can take 10, 12, and 14lb mono. It can also take 20, 30, and 40lb braid. Here is where my confusion comes in. I have been researching it but I can't find a definitive answer. If I put 20lb braid on the reel, will that be too much for the elite with a 6-14lb rating? If 20lb braid is too much, is it safe to put 15lb braid on the reel? The BG can take the following amounts of braid:

 

310yds/20lb
230yds/30lb
150yds/40lb

 

Is it safe to go below 20lb braid to 15lb braid if 20lb braid is too much for the rod? I'm sorry for all the questions. I'm just having a hard time trying to find the right answers to these. I've even reached out to Daiwa but haven't heard back. Any help would be appreciated. 

 

Thanks so much! 

 

 

The line rating on reels is just to give you capacity information. You can put just about anything you want on that spinning reel - from 2# mono to 50# braid. Though pay attention to the line diameter printed on the spool - I wouldn't put anything that's thicker than .012" on that reel.

 

The rod rating a general guideline, not a hard limit. You can use higher strength braid on that rod...in fact I'm putting 20# braid on a rod that's rated 6#-12#.

The line is fine, but a 2500 series reel might have been a better choice.

You are going to need a couple of hundred yards of backing on that reel.

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately, I didn't think about the 2500.I don't mind adding backing to the reel though. Maybe I can split it at 150/150. I think I will definitely do the 20lb braided line then. Thanks so much for the advice guys. 

Okay that will work, but you really don't need more than 70 or 80 yards of braid.

4 minutes ago, Goku said:

Maybe I can split it at 150/150.

I'd go further - I don't put more than 70yds of mainline on any of my reels - the rest is filled with backing...yes, even on my spinning reels.

And it’s not the end of the world. To me, the bigger thing is that big a reel is gonna wear your wrist/arm out faster. 
 

But I have a few ugly stiks. Always love them. 

4 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Okay that will work, but you really don't need more than 70 or 80 yards of braid.

 

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'd go further - I don't put more than 70yds of mainline on any of my reels - the rest is filled with backing...yes, even on my spinning reels.

 

1 minute ago, huZZah said:

And it’s not the end of the world. To me, the bigger thing is that big a reel is gonna wear your wrist/arm out faster. 
 

But I have a few ugly stiks. Always love them. 

Thanks a ton guys. These tips will definitely help out. I appreciate it so much.  I started fishing shortly after the pandemic started. I have a couple of BG's already. An 8000 and a 4500 that I use for saltwater fishing only. 

 

The 3500 will only be used for freshwater. Thanks again for all the advice! I wish I came here before I made purchases. Lesson learned!