How much backer
 

When filling a spinning reel with new braid is there an easy way to tell how much mono backer to put on first? thanks in advance.

Not really easy but you can put the braid on first and then fill the spool with mono backing. After filling it up with the mono on the outside you strip everything and reverse it.

I like just buying the bulk spools of braid and not having to worry that much about it.
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I bury the spool to where I can't see with mono, that's enough to give a "grip". Then fill with braid.

I would go with dacron over mono, dacron will last forever compared to mono and you can put the same pound test. What kind of reel are you using? Reason I ask is maybe someone on here has the same or a simlar reel and would be able futher help out.

I usually do a Layer of Mono, then the braid.

Also depends on how much braid you are filling it w/....you want to end result to be that the braid looks like it completely fills the spool.

Joe from SRI (where has he been?) once posted how to figure this out. It had to do with using the diameter of the mono and braid and calculating how much would fit on the reel. For example, if you used 20lb mono for backing, you'd need x yards to fill the spool with 300 yards of 50lb braid.

This is what I do.

If you post the reel, the test braid you'd like to use, where you're fishing (boat, surf) and your target species, it would help a bunch.

While it might not be the most economical choice, I get my reels spooled at a shop that sells line in bulk. If it's a surf reel, the spool generally gets around 50-75 yds of 20 lb mono backing, then the reel is filled with braid. It's very rare that anything from the surf will take more than 250 yards of braid off your spool, unless your drag is set incorrectly. If it's a spinner that's meant for tuna, I'll have just a single layer of mono put on, and the rest of the reel loaded with tuna spec braid. They can run. :uhuh:

A little pricier than buying a 300 yard spool probably, but much less headache. Most tackle shops should be able to do this for you.

There's definitely a formula to determine exactly how much braid to put on if you put X yards of mono on the reel first... Just don't have time to figure it out right now.