My friend gave me a spool of braid, and I read here that you should use a backing on the spool. What do you use, electrical tape?

Also, how long of a fluoro leader do I use and what's the best knot?

I have never used braid before, but everyone on here seems to like it so I wanted to give it a try.

I dont use a mono/floro backing, but most people here will tell you that they do. The key is to make sure that you keep a lot of tension on the line while spooling. Slipping is the main concern with braid, and I have never had a problem, but I think you will find I am in the minority here for not using a backing of some type.

As far as knot goes, I tie a polymar, but at the end you HAVE to just make another loop which will keep the knot from slipping.

I  use masking tape and tape it right to the spool with no backing

I have spiderwire 10lb test, what affordable brands are worth a try?

Any superline is "affordable" since it lasts for years.

Power Pro, FireLine Braid, Suffix

tie to spool and then put electrical tape over it.if you want to use less line then use more tape.i never use leaders.use a palomar knot and crazy glue the tag end so it doesn't fray.and use fireline braid.

I use the cheapest, oldest mono I have for backing.  Not only to deter from slippage, but it fills up the room that would have been taken by the much pricier superline.

I just left a good covering of the mono or flouro on the reel from the old line and joined the two with a Uni to Uni knot. braid can slip on the spool if there is no backing. some use old line, some use tape. Either is good enough but i think there should be some sort of backing.

I tie an arbor knot around the spool. Then load up. I guess I'm lucky, I've  hauled many a bass on braid with no teflon tape or any of those urban legends.

my reel has holes in the spool so I just tied a regular knot around one of them so it doesn't slip at all. Never had a problem.

Tape or backing is the ticket. Otherwise, braid will sometimes slip.

Plus, there is no reason to waste all the braid needed to fill a spool.

80 or at most, 100 yards is plenty.

8-)

The abu sorons have a braided line slot in the spool and an o ring to keep it place.........an unnecessary gimmick, but it does work.

I fill up the entire spool with braid for saltwater and reels with larger line capacity, many topshot but personally I don't care for it. For freshwater a I see no problem in topshotting and you only have to buy small filler spool 100yds or so. Even if you casted 50 yds and had a 50 yard bass run , you just hit the backing and this is a very unlikely scenario.

I wish I had read this thread an 3 hours ago.  I just bought my first 150 yard spool of braid and just tied it right on the spool with out a backing.  I'm using 20lb braid with a 12lb flouro leader.  I just got back from the pond down the street and it worked great, but I'll cross my fingers in the hopes that it doesn't start slipping.

Posted by: SirSnookalot      Posted on: Jun 27th, 2009, 1:03pm

I  use masking tape and tape it right to the spool with no backing

agreed....

i use gorilla tape.

and as for leaders, in fresh ..... no way, straight braid with a polomar...

in salt, yes. 40 lb mono for inshore.

i use 40 lb suffix braid.

Sorry, I didn't know this was a spinning thread. I wouldn't put braid on a spinning reel, so I have no advice.

n salt, yes. 40 lb mono for inshore.

i use 40 lb suffix braid.

yea but you're a weenie...........lol

I use 40# to tie up my tomato plants