Line for Mooching Reels

[gungadin]

My mooching reels, which I also use when using my downriggers have a line capacity using only 50lb braid (dia. .35) of about 1800ft. At this point my reel would be near capacity, and line retrieval would be at its maximum, or close to it, per revolution. I have found that this is an excessive amount of line for my needs, but I still want the retrieval advantage of a full or at least nearly full spool. One of the easiest way, at least for me, is to use some sort of lagging around the spool of the reel. I chose to use a combination of Gorilla Tape and used downrigger braid. to increase the effective diameter of the spool before adding my fishing line. I then add my 60lb braid (dia .45+/-). I only put on about 600ft to bring the level closer to the rim of the spool. . Adding the 30lb mono which is about the same diameter as the braid brings the level to about 5/16th to 3/16” of the rim lip, just below the full mark on the reel.

I never have 600ft of line out, and did not indicate that I did. How did arrive at that conclusion??

The blowback that I have is less then having straight mono.

 

[ericl]

Good info. Looks like Lots of different ways to skin a fish. For those running braid then mono, what weight of braid you using? Anything less than 50 or 60 lbs seems like you would need quite a bit of it on the spool before you can get to the mono section. When the fish takes line and your connection from braid to mono passes the eyes of the rod, does it ever get snagged or caught up for a split second? What knot do you use? Double uni?

Thinner line = less drag = getting deep easier. Price per foot is pretty similar for 20# - 80# braid. Heavier Braid is easier to knot. Heavier braid seems less tolerant of being wound-on too loose. I have used 20# & 40# braid & used a 40# mono topshot with both as it holds really well in the release clip & will accept some abuse before needing replacement. Length of topshot = 30-40ft so that plugs can be run far back from the reels clip. A guide in Massett told me you need way beyond 300 yds of line if you ever hook the REALLY big one.

As far as mono <-> braid connections, hollow core braid with a "served" connection is the smoothest, but hollow core braid is much more expensive.

Served connection:

You can perform the last wind by hand instead of using a bow string server. You will need a threading needle. I got all my stuff for this at www.charkbait.com

My favorite knot for solid braid is the "FG" knot:
https://www.animatedknots.com/fg-knot

Whatever method, trim the tags short to avoid snagging in the guides.


The braid will last at least 15 years & the lack of stretch is a real plus IMO - this lack of stretch requires finess versus brute strength.

 

[gungadin]

Well they certainly have nice sales people. . The braid I am using is hollow core, but I have always just used a double uni. Maybe Santa will be nice to me this year.

 

[ericl]

Maybe Santa will be nice to me this year.

I made my own "station" for clamping the lines by drilling holes in plywood then using long carriage bolts with lock nuts, then 2 rubber coated washers then wing nuts to actually clamp the line.

I can make you a kit & send it to you (for free) if interested.

 

[gungadin]

I made my own "station" for clamping the lines by drilling holes in plywood then using long carriage bolts with lock nuts, then 2 rubber coated washers then wing nuts to actually clamp the line.

I can make you a kit & send it to you (for free) if interested.

Thank you for the offer, and the thought. I think I will start on a build after I finish a rifle stock i am working on. Pretty sure I can fab up the stand, and the "serving tool" it would be the needles, probably order them after the Christmas rush.

 

[chromatose007]

Is that just the lack of forgiveness you're talking about? I find newbies do fine with mine set up that way but the titans have a little to do with that I'd assume. A little more play in the tip... just the tip.

Yes, mainly the lack of forgiveness. We have to supply our own tackle. The less guests lose the better...
I have and will be using level winds a lot more this next season. Especially out on the highway fishing deep.

 

[the butcher]

I looked at 30lb Dacron backing and from what I could research it seems to have less than half the diameter of 30lb mono. If I use the dacron as a backing I am going to need a heck of a lot of it to get a decent amount of line on my mooching reel before putting the mono on. If dacron is used as a means for absorption(cushion) and as a means to decrease the amount of mono needed to fill the spool, why can't you use 80lb mono or a mono weight thicker than 30lbs to quickly fill the spool? Since mono has cushioning/stretch I would assume it would act a good cushion for hard line pulls and due to the thicker diameter would take up a lot of the spool. Is there a reason why I haven't heard of this method as a common scenario? Am I missing something important? I wonder if the thinner diameter 30lb mono on top of the thicker mono backing would dig into the thicker mono on a hard pull or a fish run. Any thoughts?

 

[Rain City]

I looked at 30lb Dacron backing and from what I could research it seems to have less than half the diameter of 30lb mono. If I use the dacron as a backing I am going to need a heck of a lot of it to get a decent amount of line on my mooching reel before putting the mono on. If dacron is used as a means for absorption(cushion) and as a means to decrease the amount of mono needed to fill the spool, why can't you use 80lb mono or a mono weight thicker than 30lbs to quickly fill the spool? Since mono has cushioning/stretch I would assume it would act a good cushion for hard line pulls and due to the thicker diameter would take up a lot of the spool. Is there a reason why I haven't heard of this method as a common scenario? Am I missing something important? I wonder if the thinner diameter 30lb mono on top of the thicker mono backing would dig into the thicker mono on a hard pull or a fish run. Any thoughts?

Because 80lb mono doesn't come in sweet sweet colors to make your cool gear even cooler

 

[Dogbreath]

Am I missing something important?

Yes Dacron is cheap and lasts a long time.

The mono idea works too but I like Dacron because you can 'set it & forget it'.

I got lucky with a bunch of brand name Spectra that I use a on a number of my reels but that was just happenstance.

 

[Ian wagner]

The best way I have found to back a mooching or centrepin reel that needs way more line than you need is to get quarter inch sheets of cork board cut to spool diameter with a ruler and olfa knife use a small piece of tape add as many layers you think you need saves on a lot of wasted line

 

[the butcher]

I am trying to figure out how many spools of 30lb dacron I need to order to be order to apply enough backing on my shimano GT2000 and GT4000 reels. The 30lb dacron spools come in 100 yard and 300 yard sizes... Anyone know how approx how much of your mooching reel is filled with 100yards of 30lb dacron? Would it be half the reels capacity? 3/4? I understand the capacities of reels are different between the various different models/brands etc... I would like to get enough 30lb dacron on the reels to allow 300 feet of 30lb mono on top. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

I have shimano GT2000 and GT4000. The capacity based on mono line is below.

GT2000 gets 350 yards with 20lb mono
GT4000 gets 520 yards with 20lb mon and 420 yards with 25lb mono.

 

[tubber]

How are you going to fill your house with fishing junk if you buy the right amount in the first place?
50-100 yds will do. It's mostly for a safety cushion so the mono doesn't crush the spool on those reels.

 

[searun]

I've been using Suffix 832 super braid for last 6 seasons. The stuff is super thin, super strong and lasts several seasons. Just use the Uni knot to join in 40 foot section of 40 pound floro as top shot for the scotty clips to grab hold of. Main benefit of 832 is it is perfectly round, unlike other braids and dacron - so it doesn't wrap under itself like braids and dacron does. 832 is more expensive, but it lasts so long it ends up being far cheaper than using mono. I wouldn't mess around with special rigs to connect braid to mono when a simple uni knot works fine. Just one less complication if you ever need to add in a new section of tag line. Been guiding for 20 seasons now in Barkley Sound and the 832 braid is by far the best I have worked with thus far.

 

[the butcher]

what weight of the sufix 832 do you use?

I've been using Suffix 832 super braid for last 6 seasons. The stuff is super thin, super strong and lasts several seasons. Just use the Uni knot to join in 40 foot section of 40 pound floro as top shot for the scotty clips to grab hold of. Main benefit of 832 is it is perfectly round, unlike other braids and dacron - so it doesn't wrap under itself like braids and dacron does. 832 is more expensive, but it lasts so long it ends up being far cheaper than using mono. I wouldn't mess around with special rigs to connect braid to mono when a simple uni knot works fine. Just one less complication if you ever need to add in a new section of tag line. Been guiding for 20 seasons now in Barkley Sound and the 832 braid is by far the best I have worked with thus far.

 

[the butcher]

Sorry too late... house, garage, shed already full of fishing gear and crap with a lot of it that I dont' use... Sometime I will go through and clean out my fishing stuff and find goodies that haven't been used and still in original packaging... like xmas all year long. The worst thing about having too much fishing junk in multiple spots and on tables in places where it's pilled up on top of life jackets, buoys, boxes, etc... is that you know you have what you are looking for somewhere but can't for the life of you find it... easier to go buy it again then to spend hours looking for it... then when I go to the tackle shop and have 1 or 2 things that I can't find in mind.. I usually see other things hanging on nice shiny hooks and for the life of me.. My right hand slowly reaches out and grabs it. I try to stop it with my left hand but notice that my left hand already has my wallet and charge card out.

How are you going to fill your house with fishing junk if you buy the right amount in the first place?
50-100 yds will do. It's mostly for a safety cushion so the mono doesn't crush the spool on those reels.

 

[tubber]

Sorry too late... house, garage, shed already full of fishing gear and crap with a lot of it that I dont' use... Sometime I will go through and clean out my fishing stuff and find goodies that haven't been used and still in original packaging... like xmas all year long. The worst thing about having too much fishing junk in multiple spots and on tables in places where it's pilled up on top of life jackets, buoys, boxes, etc... is that you know you have what you are looking for somewhere but can't for the life of you find it... easier to go buy it again then to spend hours looking for it... then when I go to the tackle shop and have 1 or 2 things that I can't find in mind.. I usually see other things hanging on nice shiny hooks and for the life of me.. My right hand slowly reaches out and grabs it. I try to stop it with my left hand but notice that my left hand already has my wallet and charge card out.

That sounds right.

 

[SteelyDan]

I've been using cheap Chinese 60lb xtreme braid with a 30ft top shot of 40lb pro spec for 3 years now. Have not had a single line failure. I use an Albright special to join them. I gotta say though that the xtreme braid that can be found on ebay from China is good stuff. Its been put to the test. I can say that the 60lb high vis is good anyway.

 

[searun]

50 pound Suffix 832, and 40 pound floro for my tag line. I fish 70 to 80 days a year and the stuff stands up well and over multiple seasons. I will replace the floro top shot a couple of times each season tho.

 

[ericl]

I am trying to figure out how many spools of 30lb dacron I need to order to be order to apply enough backing on my shimano GT2000 and GT4000 reels. The 30lb dacron spools come in 100 yard and 300 yard sizes

I don't think a bunch of knots in your line is a good idea; your line could easily catch on these knots. Finding a large enough spool of line should not be an issue. Also, whoever spools the line must know that these braid lines must be spooled with the proper tension; tightly wound line on top of loosely wound line is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[the butcher]

Perhaps I was a bit vague in my reply. I wasn't stating that I'd tie multiple lengths of dacron together. I was trying to state I have multiple reels to spool up and don't know whether I should buy multiple spools of 100yard x 30lb dacron or multiple spools of 300 yards because I am not sure how much of the dacron will fill my reels to the point where I can get 300 feet of 30lb mono on top of it. I am ordering it online along with other supplies.

I don't think a bunch of knots in your line is a good idea; your line could easily catch on these knots. Finding a large enough spool of line should not be an issue. Also, whoever spools the line must know that these braid lines must be spooled with the proper tension; tightly wound line on top of loosely wound line is a disaster waiting to happen.