Backing -How Much do You Really Need?

[SteelheadJunky]

A week ago, on the Miramichi I had a fish take 100-120yd of backing off the reel on its initial run. Played it a little over 10 min. The barbless size 10 Green Butt Black Bear popped loose at the net. The guide estimated it somewhere over 20.

Personally, I like 300 yds.
I had a 42" steelhead on the Clearwater run well over 100yd and chased it 1/4 mile down river. It went through the rapids above the Fishnet and I landed it just down from the power lines at Goose Island.

The large arbor reels I own have 300 yds of 30# Micronite or gel-spin.
I used 30 lb Dacron on my standard arbor reel.

My largest steelhead ever almost spooled me. I had 120 yds of Dacron on a Loop Sea Trout reel. I looked down to see bare spool with only a dozen or so wraps of backing left. The large buck turned into slack water and after 53 min. I beached it. You'll have to ask me how big it was.

[speyhurricane]

Originally Posted by SteelheadJunky

You'll have to ask me how big it was.

How big was it?

[marcusfin84]

I like full spools. Reasons mentioned earlier by others.

Also, when I landed my record atlantic salmon I needed almost 200 yards of backing. The fish was big and current swift. The fish almost spooled me but I was able to follow it to a pool where I was able to tire him and finally land him.

I was also witnessing when my bother fought against his record fish and during the fight there was a moment when he had only few rounds of line left on his reel. Luckily he landed the fish.

On both of these situations factors of size of the fish and heavy current required the maximum amount of backing. I want to add that our drags were adjusted very tight and took maximum benefit out from our gear when fighting against our fish.

As much backing for me as possible. There is no harm of having full spools.

[rewick]

I vote for 150 yds of 30 lb dacron for steelhead. Have used gel spun but got cut once and I don't need all the backing that will gel spun will provide. Have tried 50 yds 30 lb dacron double uni knotted to the gel spun which works and kept down the cuts.

[ozswitch]

I'm sure 150 would be fine for the most part as long as it fills your reel properly, no point in living by 150yds if it only half fills your reel, just making more work for yourself.
As far as gel spun and cuts on fingers go...don't put your fingers on the line when the fish runs and don't buy cheap braid which tends to have a rough finish and could indeed be harsh on the fingers if they are touching the line as it blasts off. Again keep your fingers clear and no probs.
Good braid is as smooth as dacron but half as thick for the same diameter so if u want more backing to avoid being potentially spooled get a good braided line and fill your boots...well .... your reel.

[Brookie]

OZ - what product are you referring to as "good braid"? Dose it have the same tendancy to dig into itself on a reel when under tension - the way regular gel spun does?

[ozswitch]

Fair question.
Firstly: to stop braid digging into itself spool it up tight, like f'en tight, this gives u good foundation for when a fish rips line off at 8000mph and u have to wind it back on under not as much tension as u first put it on....iv never. had braid bite in on my spools, even when losing 100's of meters to our northern blue fin tuna here in Queensland.

As for "good braid" ... have a feel of it before u buy, look for braid with 8ply (8 major strands each consisting of 100's of smaller strands) as opposed to 4ply braid which is typical of the cheap variety of braids (think eBay 1000yds of braid for $10 type stuff as being cheap nasty crap).
Power pro is nice, as is tuffline (despite being sorta cheap), a lot of the jigging braid is very nice but can be exe, typically multi colored which looks cool to and is designed with seriously large fish in mind so can cop some flak without failing.
I use bionic braid (made locally here in oz) which is hot pink, looks the part on reels and is tough gear, in 30lb.
Most jap braid is ultra smooth but was the tendency to break at its stated breaking strain and also appear to break down in strength after maybe a season or two, your American braids tend to break well over the stated break strain and have come along in leaps and bounds regarding smoothness.
I'm sure your local tackle store should have ample variety.
Spool it up tight and tie good knots I haven't used dacron in about 15 years and likely never will again.

[btree]

Depends on what water you fish, but if you fish a variety of rivers from relatively small to somewhat large, where runs can vary from 50 yards to over 300 yards, I'd want at least 100yards of backing and the option of running down river...

I have no idea now much backing is on my Marquis #2 but I guess it's about 150 and it works find with me. Have only seen the last few wraps once and was glad they were there.

But I also fish a 1980's Uniqua 3 3/4" on my switch with probably 75 yards of backing. I'd be a bit worried if fishing a river where the fish has some room to run, but on smaller flows I don't worry much at all.

If I get spooled, so be it. I think I'd have a pretty big smile on my face to get spooled for the first time

[Steffen Juhl]

Fishing for Atlantic salmon I never advice my guests to fish with less than +200 meters dacron backing. My own set up looks like this. 100 meters god old 30Lbs Dacron and +100 meters of 20Lbs backing. Sometimes even smaller 7 – 24 Lbs salmon can strip you for more that 150 meters under less than a minutes. Fishing Russia we very often fish pocket water with 200 – 800 meters of strong rapids below the pockets. I have several times witness anglers, get spooled for 300 meters of backing in a split second under conditions like I just mentioned. However, I have also landed salmon up to 40Lbs without more than the running line outside the rod

[jabster]

You guys must get fish that are on steroids. The only fish that have stripped more then 150yrd of my reel are a few sea liced Chums. Other then that, never needed any more then 125yrds of backing. The only other fish becide the few chums that have topped 100yrds are Sailfish.

Caught a bunch of saltwater species + pretty much every anadromous species there are and a few of the fish from rivers have been near the 40lb mark. What's wrong with me? Why don't i catch those reel emptying monsters?

[Brookie]

Jabster - I have to laugh at all of us guys and gals - myself included. We all say we want enough length and strong enough backing to land EVERY fish. Yet we all really dream of being spooled

You'd almost think we'd go with smaller capacity reels and less backing - so we had a risk of being spooled. I guess we all really want a picture with that heroic fish more than we want a story of having been bested by the fish that spooled us. Are we an ironic bunch or what??

BTW, in my opinion, when it comes to hero shots - picutres of victorious fishermen and their catch - I think we all too often miss the point. It is the fish that is heroic not the fisherman But that is a topic for another thread....

I wanna get spooled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snap T]

If you don't bend your rod to the max and walk with the fish you need a lot. If you do bend and hold your position you need surprisingly less...

[frankspeycaster]

Originally Posted by tassiespey

I run just enough mono backing to pack it out so the spool is full when the heaviest skagit head is installed, I dont use dacron backing because of the moisture retention, there are some excellent small diameter mono lines on the market today and they will only get better,300m spools, the amount , well thats a trial and trial and error thing , after a few attempts you will get the feel of how much is needed and with mono its best to put more on the spool and cut some off if the head of the line packs out on the reel frame......by the way. to date i have never had a fish go into the backing....almost.to the end of the running line ......still waiting for that day....mostly where i fish ,if your into the backing you will undoubtedly loose that fish.........tasmanian:

If you do get taken onto the backing, remember that mono stretches, unlike dacron. If you wind a lot of mono backing on under heavy tension, it will put enormous strain on the spool and could even burst it open- or so I was told years ago on a fishing course.

[foreach71]

I'm going to atlantic salmon fishing trip soon, and guide advised at least 150 meters (=170 yds) of backing. More backing wouldn't hurt , if reel have enough space

[fredaevans]

Originally Posted by Brookie

Jabster - I have to laugh at all of us guys and gals - myself included. We all say we want enough length and strong enough backing to land EVERY fish. Yet we all really dream of being spooled

You'd almost think we'd go with smaller capacity reels and less backing - so we had a risk of being spooled. I guess we all really want a picture with that heroic fish more than we want a story of having been bested by the fish that spooled us. Are we an ironic bunch or what??

BTW, in my opinion, when it comes to hero shots - picutres of victorious fishermen and their catch - I think we all too often miss the point. It is the fish that is heroic not the fisherman But that is a topic for another thread....

I wanna get spooled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 60 years of fishing, only got close to that once. A life experince!!

Fred