If you’ve ever fished with braid without any kind of backing, it probably didn’t take too long before you started having trouble. Braid is quite slick and without backing it tends to slip on a reel which can cause it to cut deeply into itself. On a spinning reel, this is a pain and usually results in needing to cut off your spool and start over. But what about baitcasters? Can you use braid on a baitcaster with no backing? Well, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.
Using some sort of backing for your braided line, even on a baitcaster reel, is recommended. For one, this will prevent braid from slipping and cutting into itself. Even if that wasn’t an issue, the backing itself (usually monofilament) is going to tend to be less expensive than braid. This cuts down your costs, allowing you to get more reels out of your spool of braid. All you need to do in exchange is tie one knot, which makes this a great exchange in my book.
Why Your Braid Needs Backing
Braided fishing line has many wonderful qualities but it does have two vices: it can slip easily and it is expensive. These are two great reasons to use backing, as it addresses each of them.
Braid Will Slip Without Backing
The slippage is caused by the slick braid sliding around on the spool. Unless you use some sort of backing, the braid can’t cut into the metal at all. What ends up happening is it slides around from the moment you start spooling it. This caused tangles on spinning gear and makes baitcasters prone to backlash. Obviously, this is a problem.
While some spinning reels (such as the Pflueger President) are now designed with little rubber strips on them to give braid something to cut into, your favorite baitcaster probably doesn’t have this feature. This means you’re going to need to use some sort of dedicated backing.
Braid is EXPENSIVE!
While you’ll always want to check Amazon for the best prices, what you’re going to find is that braided fishing line is considerably more expensive than monofilament. It takes way more money to fill up a spool with braid, and for what benefit? You’re going to want to add more line to your spool once it starts getting too low and gives you casting trouble. There is absolutely no sense whatsoever in spooling your reel with “the good stuff” all the way down to the spool. This is even more apparent when we’re talking about a line that slips as much as braid!
What Backing Line for Braid on a Baitcaster?
Your best bet for backing your braid is going to be a layer monofilament. It really doesn’t matter what kind–you can just use whatever you have lying around. Heavier monofilament will get the job done with less line than lighter test, but there’s no need to make a special trip to the store. Further, you can use old monofilament for this, at least if you’re going to have enough braid on your rod that you’re confident you’ll never get to the backing. I’m a bit paranoid, so I do like to use “fresh” line for everything, but really, if a fish pulls all the way to my backing, I’m in trouble.
Why Monofilament Line is the Best Backing for Braid
Monofilament is the best line to use as backing for braid for two reasons. One, it’s probably already in your tackle box, and two, it’s cheaply available if it isn’t.
You Already Have It
There’s an extremely good chance that you already have plenty of monofilament fishing line lying around that you can use as backing for your braid on a baitcaster. It doesn’t matter if it is old, or what type it is. All it’s doing is filling a spool and giving the braid something to bite into. Go to town with it.
Monofilament is Inexpensive
Monofilament is, by far, the least expensive of the three main types of fishing line you can buy. This makes it far and away the best backing for braid on a baitcaster if your intention is to try and save money by using it. Again, you can use pretty much anything you can find, no matter how old it is. The only time this would be a problem is if you get a fish that pulls enough drag to expose it. This is pretty darned unlikely if you’re using braid, as one of its benefits is you can horse fish in. All the same, know your target and keep this in consideration.
How Much Backing Do You Need for Braid on a Baitcaster?
You don’t need too much backing at all, just enough to cover the spool. After all, you’re just trying to give the braid something to bite into rather than the slick metal reel spool. I like to get the full benefit of backing which means also saving on braid, so I tend to fill mine up a bit. I want to have enough braid on that I can cover maybe two or three cast lengths just in case I run into a large fish that pulls drag.
Can You Use Electrical Tape as Backing for Braid?
While researching this article I found a handy one by the guys over at Castaic Fishing that claims you can use electrical tape as backing for braid, sort of. See, they aren’t actually using it as backing. What they’re doing is taping down the initial loop that one makes with braid to the spool. The theory is if you do this, you’re preventing the braid from slipping, thus removing the need for monofilament backing.
While you can read the article here, I’d point out that this probably isn’t as helpful as it might seem. Sure, it might prevent your line from slipping, and that’s good. But now you have all that extra spool you need to fill with expensive braid! One of the biggest benefits to backing your baitcaster with monofilament is that you cut down on the amount of braid you need on a spool. If you use electrical tape instead of monofilament as backing for braid, you lose this benefit.
While I wouldn’t recommend using electrical tape as a backing for braid, I suppose it’s good to know that if you’re off on some fishing trip and it’s all you have, it’ll do the trick.
Can You Use Fluorocarbon as Backing for Braid?
While most folks will use monofilament to back their braid on a baitcaster, there’s nothing wrong with using fluorocarbon. It too will accomplish the goal of preventing your braid from slipping on the spool. However, fluorocarbon (or at least the good stuff, like this Seaguar InvizX) tends to be much more expensive than monofilament. This surrenders the advantage of using less expensive line as backing to cut back on costs. Rather, you’re basically doubling them. If it’s all you have, it will do the trick, but I’d stick to the monofilament if it’s an option.
Conclusions: Use Backing to Save Trouble
In conclusion, I’d make the argument that you should always use backing with braid on your baitcaster. It will save you trouble and line in the long run and helps reduce your costs. While you could get tricky and use some electrical tape in a jam, that’s not going to save you much money so I wouldn’t recommend it as normal operating procedure.
I hope this article was helpful to you. Feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email with any questions.
Thanks,
John Paxton
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