Leftover Braid 2025
CTBassin860 reply :
You buy a 150 yard spool of 50# you get 120-125 of that on there.What do you guys do with the remaining 25-30 yards?? Do you keep it,recycle it,toss it in the can?? Or do you get creative and do something with it?
bigturtle reply :
I use all my old or leftover braid as backing. even if they are really short, like 20-30 yards, you can just tie several pieces together.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
75 yards is two long casts worth and enough to bury the joining knot. There's no use spooling yards of braid that will never see the light of day.
KDW96 reply :
I use it to tie the skirts on spinner baits, buzzbaits,an jigs.. among other things
Team9nine reply :
On 1/17/2017 at 8:39 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:75 yards is two long casts worth and enough to bury the joining knot. There's no use spooling yards of braid that will never see the light of day.
^^THIS^^
Applies to every spool of line and line type I buy 
You only need enough line for the longest possible cast you'll ever make, and then just enough more to bury the connecting knot well. The magic number for most any spool of line you can buy will be somewhere between 70-100 yds.
-T9
CTBassin860 reply :
On 1/17/2017 at 9:12 AM, Team9nine said:
^^THIS^^
Applies to every spool of line and line type I buy
You only need enough line for the longest possible cast you'll ever make, and then just enough more to bury the connecting knot well. The magic number for most any spool of line you can buy will be somewhere between 70-100 yds.
-T9
So buy 100yd spools or only use half the 150 yd spool?
Scott F reply :
This is why I stopped buying 150yd spools. when I find a braid that I like, I buy the biggest spool I can buy. A 1,500yd spool is expensive, but there is only 1, 15-25yd piece leftover to discard instead of 10.
Team9nine reply :
On 1/17/2017 at 9:22 AM, MassBassin508 said:So buy 100yd spools or only use half the 150 yd spool?
Yep - 100 yd spool = 1 reel, or split a 150 yd spool between 2. Unless you are just crazy bombing some big baits, 225 ft is way more than the average caster ever needs.
-T9
fishnkamp reply :
I usually buy the 300 yard spool and I always spool 1/2 the reel with 14 pound test Stren Original Clear blue mono first. This saves a ton of money by filling a bunch of reels with that 300 yard spool of braid. The cost per reel for the 1/2 spool of mono is around 3 cents a foot. Makes each reel much cheaper to spool. Also if you ever get a catastrophic backlash you only need to replace 1/2 of a reels worth of braid or fluoro.
Angry John reply :
I think people do it backwards. I fill the spool with braid and when I run low then I add backing. Granted I have spare spools and some don't so an extra spool helps. I also flip the line at the same time so the fresh line is on top.
Robert Riley reply :
I use it to hang things and for general stuff around the house lol
Further North reply :
I have my daughter braid it into super-duper braid (8x32x32x32). When it's thick enough, I use it as a tow straps for our cars.
fishwizzard reply :
On 1/17/2017 at 10:50 AM, Further North said:I have my daughter braid it into super-duper braid (8x32x32x32). When it's thick enough, I use it as a tow straps for our cars.
Hah, I was thinking about this the other day. I am teaching myself how to splice hollow core line and was wondering just how strong of a 1/8" line I could get if I started with weaving 50lb braid.
MassYak85 reply :
I just bought a line counter for this exact reason. I was sick of having that extra wasted bit. Now I just use 75yards of the 150yd spool and use backing if I need to add some to fill the spool, mark how much line is left, and leave the extra half for later where I won't waste any.
A-Jay reply :
I do it a little different - I'll spool up with mono backing & braid, but I'll use a little more than two full casts worth of braid.
In most situations the braid lasts a while but when it starts getting a little toasted, I'll end for end the braid section back to the mono backing, putting the new / unused portion back on top. Takes no time at all and it can be done on the water by running it out behind the boat and retying. Careful of the bitter end though, don't want to lose the whole thing. I do it with spinning gear as well.
A-Jay
blckshirt98 reply :
I'm pretty terrible where I'll keep the leftover line and wait until I cut off enough line from snags/tying knots from the reel I spooled to require more line to fill up the spool. This can take a couple of seasons depending on how often I use the combo but I'll then just run a double-uni and spool on more line from the rest of the spool.
Goose52 reply :
On 1/17/2017 at 9:23 AM, Scott F said:This is why I stopped buying 150yd spools. when I find a braid that I like, I buy the biggest spool I can buy. A 1,500yd spool is expensive, but there is only 1, 15-25yd piece leftover to discard instead of 10.
On 1/17/2017 at 10:44 AM, Angry John said:I think people do it backwards. I fill the spool with braid and when I run low then I add backing. Granted I have spare spools and some don't so an extra spool helps. I also flip the line at the same time so the fresh line is on top.
On 1/20/2017 at 7:10 AM, A-Jay said:I do it a little different - I'll spool up with mono backing & braid, but I'll use a little more than two full casts worth of braid.
In most situations the braid lasts a while but when it starts getting a little toasted, I'll end for end the braid section back to the mono backing, putting the new / unused portion back on top. Takes no time at all and it can be done on the water by running it out behind the boat and retying. Careful of the bitter end though, don't want to lose the whole thing. I do it with spinning gear as well.
A-Jay
Good strategies all...
Me, I gave up on trying to calculate cast lengths or otherwise figure out how to apportion out a filler spool. I have my "brands" selected for braid and flouro and I buy bulk spools. I fill the reel completely full with the braid or flouro and then due to trimbacks or whatever I'll get to the point where I'll add backing to bring the reel spool back up to full. Eventually, after adding enough backing, on a long cast you will hit your backing knot. At that time, I pull the remaining line off the reel; the remnant of flouro goes in the trash, the remnant of braid is used as backing.
webertime reply :
Dreamcatchers...
A-Jay reply :
On 1/20/2017 at 8:17 AM, Goose52 said:
Good strategies all...
Me, I gave up on trying to calculate cast lengths or otherwise figure out how to apportion out a filler spool. I have my "brands" selected for braid and flouro and I buy bulk spools. I fill the reel completely full with the braid or flouro and then due to trimbacks or whatever I'll get to the point where I'll add backing to bring the reel spool back up to full. Eventually, after adding enough backing, on a long cast you will hit your backing knot. At that time, I pull the remaining line off the reel; the remnant of flouro goes in the trash, the remnant of braid is used as backing.
I hear that - I'm not actually measuring anything either - it's a total eye-ball job that nearly always ends up being way long & perhaps a little 'wasteful'. But I also by bulk spools and it seems to work out in the end.
A-Jay
BrackishBassin reply :
I split 150 yard spools of braid in half. Means I can spool twice for the cost of one spool. People mentioned a line counter, but if you don't want to pay to do it then just use a tree. I go to a park, tie the line to a tree, walk out the whole spool, fold the braid in half, cut it, respool half of it, and put the other half on the reel. Works like a charm and it makes people wonder if you've lost your ever loving mind. If you really want to make them wonder, do some test casts in the park with some solo cups as targets.
OkobojiEagle reply :
Always interesting to read of anglers short changing the line they put on their 200.00 reels and 200.00 rods throwing 1000.00 worth of lures from their 40,000.00 boats to save a few dollars... I'm fortunate enough to fish waters where 50lb Musky, 40lb Drum, Carp & Catfish, as well as, 7lb Smallmouth have been caught and I've been totally spooled of line on a couple of occasions; so I prefer having my line of choice spooled all the way to the arbor without knots or "cheaper" line.
oe
BrackishBassin reply :
On 1/21/2017 at 3:26 AM, OkobojiEagle said:Always interesting to read of anglers short changing the line they put on their 200.00 reels and 200.00 rods throwing 1000.00 worth of lures from their 40,000.00 boats to save a few dollars... I'm fortunate enough to fish waters where 50lb Musky, 40lb Drum, Carp & Catfish, as well as, 7lb Smallmouth have been caught and I've been totally spooled of line on a couple of occasions; so I prefer having my line of choice spooled all the way to the arbor without knots or "cheaper" line.
oe
If your knots are tied correctly, it shouldn't be an issue regardless of the size of the fish. The FG is darn near 100% breaking strength of the lines in the knot when correctly tied.
OkobojiEagle reply :
On 1/21/2017 at 8:50 PM, BrackishBassin said:
If your knots are tied correctly, it shouldn't be an issue regardless of the size of the fish. The FG is darn near 100% breaking strength of the lines in the knot when correctly tied.
OK... Be sure and write me how it goes after you hook a 30lb musky with 6lb Fireline tied on, or even a 10lb walleye.
Education is seldom free.
oe
Skeeter Dan reply :
Some reels I use backing and others I spool a100% braid . Just depends on size of the reels. I keep some braid for hook removal .
FryDog62 reply :
Been buying the 150 yard spools for awhile now. Go to the park and tie one end off, walk to the other end and around a bench and back. Not exactly 75 yards but close enough. Find the mid point and snip it. Put cheap mono backing on my reel, Albright knot to the braid and fill to 1/8 from the top. Put the leftover 75 yards back on the original spool and save for the next time.
Goose52 reply :
On 1/21/2017 at 3:26 AM, OkobojiEagle said:Always interesting to read of anglers short changing the line they put on their 200.00 reels and 200.00 rods throwing 1000.00 worth of lures from their 40,000.00 boats to save a few dollars... I'm fortunate enough to fish waters where 50lb Musky, 40lb Drum, Carp & Catfish, as well as, 7lb Smallmouth have been caught and I've been totally spooled of line on a couple of occasions; so I prefer having my line of choice spooled all the way to the arbor without knots or "cheaper" line.
oe
I think the key word here is "cheaper line".
As I mentioned above, I start with a full spool of flouro or braid but eventually, due to trimbacks or whatever, I will be adding backing. I'm not going to throw away $10 or $15 dollars worth of mainline after some trimbacks. The key is to of course use a good knot, but also "good enough" backing in the event that you think you have a chance to connect with a fish much larger/heavier/stronger than your targeted species. OTOH, some folks fish places where it's unlikely to catch anything very large so the quality of the backing is of less importance - it's just basically a filler, or perhaps you could call it an "arbor" to keep your adequate (for purpose) amount of mainline at the top of the reel spool.
For me, I occasionally connect with something larger than LMB so I do give thought to my backing. Nowadays, I tend to use 15lb Big Game under whatever mainline I have (or, as I mentioned above, I might have braid as the backing). I have found that in my, mostly open, water that 15 BG is adequate for those unexpected "collateral catches".
In the past, I even used lighter backing...but it was relatively good line. These were caught the same day on 10 lb mainline with 12 lb backing - seemed to work ...
BrackishBassin reply :
On 1/21/2017 at 9:45 PM, OkobojiEagle said:
OK... Be sure and write me how it goes after you hook a 30lb musky with 6lb Fireline tied on, or even a 10lb walleye.
Education is seldom free.
oe
Like I said, it's got close to 100% breaking strength of the line you're using. So, you're saying that without the FG knot to a leader that 6lb Fireline is going to do the trick when you hook up with the fish you mentioned?
Lightest line I currently use for bass is the 15lb braid mainline with a 12lb leader. I think it'd do just fine. I've caught plenty of rockfish, carp, red drum, and flounder with the same rod, reel, and line. Never had an issue. Are they the species you're talking about? Nope. Are they in the same size category? Definitely. And like I said, never had an issue.
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