How Much Braided Line To Put On a Spinning Reel? – Your 2021 Guide

Here’s what manufacturers advise; spool your reel with 200 yards of braided line. While that may be the standard recommendation, braided lines don’t usually come in that length. 

What do you do if your braided line is 150 yards or as long as 600 yards or more? 

Read on to find out.

Why Use Braided Line on a Spinning Reel?

Braided lines come with a handful of advantageous features that make them desirable. Let’s look at the most obvious ones.

Braids Are Resistant to Abrasion 

Unlike other line types, braids are tough and can last for a very long time. You are more likely to lose it to tangles and tangles than to wear and tear. 

Ultraviolet light has little to no negative impact on braid lines. The typical braid will outlast monofilament, whether on the reel or shelf. 

Mono may last for one or two fishing seasons and will deteriorate whether you use it or not. But most types of braids will remain strong from day one until you lose them.

They Have Little to No Stretch

One of the single, most important advantages of using a braided line is the “no-stretch” quality it possesses.

Monofilament has plenty of stretches that make it feel like a rubber band when compared to braided lines. This quality makes braids the preferred choice for deep water fishing.

You will be able to feel almost every bite, nibble, and the slightest movement of the sinker with a braided line, even at 350 meters deep. 

Making the switch from mono to braid requires getting used to this no-stretch quality.

How Much Braided Line Should I Put on a Spinning Reel?

Making the switch from monofilament line to braid means you have to determine how much braided line to put on a spinning reel. 

It might not seem obvious at first, but the size difference between braid and mono can make it quite costly and even impractical to fill your spinning reel with only a braided line. By the way, you shouldn’t put only braid on your reel, but we will discuss more on that in a moment.

Braids are way thinner than monofilament lines. For example, a 65-pound braid is nearly the diameter of 16-pound mono.

Now, for a precise answer to how much braided line to put on a spinning reel, a good approach would be to fill the reel to about 1/8 or 1/16 from the outer edge. This method works, regardless of your line diameter. 

Does the Size of My Reel Affect How Much Braid It Can Hold?

Reels come in a variety of sizes, ranging from small (1000 – 3500), medium (4000 – 6000), large (7000 – 9000), and biggest size (10000 – 30000). 

How many braids your reel can hold depends on the size and the diameter of the line. 

For example, a 1000-size reel (small) is suitable for holding four to eight pounds of braided line, while a 9000-size reel (large) will be ideal for 20 to 60 pounds of the braid.

Can I Use Only Braided Line on My Spinning Reel?

A braided line is way ahead of other lines when it comes to superior performance on spinning reels. That is due to its smaller diameter, incredible strength, durability, stretch-free quality, and almost zero line memory. 

Having said that, the line is not completely invisible underwater, and line-shy fish will likely avoid it and whatever bait you offer.

In other words, it is not usually a great idea to use only a braided line on your spinning reel.

Many anglers who use braids tie a fluorocarbon leader to the line before attaching a lure. Fluorocarbon is almost invisible in water. Combining it with a braided line gives the bait a more natural look, and increases the chance of attracting more fish. 

How Do I Know When My Spinning Reel Is Full?

Too much braid on your reel can cause wind knots, and putting too little on can hinder casting distance.

A simple way to know when your spinning reel is full is to invest in a reel that comes with an indicator. It is a hassle-free way of telling when you have the right amount of line.

However, you don’t necessarily have to spend extra money just to determine whether your spinning reel is full. 

A good level is to fill up the spool to roughly between an eighth of an inch and sixteenth of an inch, measuring from the outer edge of the spool’s lip. 

Common Issues With Braided Line 

Braids are not the “perfect” fishing line. There are none. You will likely encounter some issues but there’s always a workaround.

One of the common challenges with braids happens to be their biggest advantage, which is the lack of stretch. Fish can quickly feel the resistance from your end of the line and may drop the bait.

You can get over this problem by using a lighter powered rod with a soft tip. 

There is also the issue of lack of friction, resulting in the line slipping off the spool if you load your spinning reel with nothing but braid.

It is nearly impossible to reel in if your braided line is under immense tension, as it will simply spin out of control just when you need it most. 

You can prevent that from happening by winding a layer or two of mono backing before adding the braided line.

The 200 yards recommendation is another tricky bit. What do you do if you have a longer or shorter line?

Simple. Use mono backing.

First, you can save good money because braids are quite expensive. 

Secondly, it provides friction to keep the braided line from slipping off the spool at the most crucial moment.

What About Monofilament Backing?

As hinted above, monofilament backing has a better grip, providing the necessary friction to keep braided lines from slipping off the spool when you are reeling in a big catch.

Monofilament backing also adds length to short braids.

How Much Mono Backing Should I Use?

There is no hard-and-fast rule about how much mono backing you should use. However, a reasonable approach would be to fill the base of small capacity spools with one or two layers of mono.

You can cover up a more significant portion if you have a larger capacity reel, and make room for about 125 yards (or a little less) for your braided line. 

How to Spool a Spinning Reel with Braided Line

Spooling your spinning reel with a braided line is not rocket science, but you might miss quite a lot of fish at the most critical moment if you don’t know how to do it correctly. Let’s start with the supplies you need.

What Supplies Do I Need to Spool Braided Line On My Spinning Reel?

Here is everything you need to spool your braided line on a spinning reel:

• A rod
  
  
• A reel
  
  
• Monofilament fishing line
  
  
• Braided fishing line
  
  
• A wet washcloth or towel (to protect your fingers and hands as your spool tightly)
  
  
• A pair of scissors (to cut the line)

Now, here’s how to do it in five simple steps:

1. Slide the mono through the closest eye to the reel (the top eye) and pull it to the reel.

2. Tie a simple double overhand knot to create friction on the arbor. Remember to always flip the bail before you tie the knot.

3. Hold the mono tightly between your thumb and index finger as you begin to reel in the line. Make sure to have enough tension in the line while reeling in to minimize the chance of getting wind knots.

4. When you have the desired monofilament layer on the reel, cut the line using the pair of scissors and tie it to the braid. There are several methods to tie the knot, but a simple one is a double uni knot. 

5. Grab the wet washcloth or towel and pass the braided line through it as you begin to reel in, making sure you keep it very tight. 

Tip: Place the braid spool (with the label facing up) directly under the top eye on the fishing rod. This allows the line to go straight up into the eye and spool in the same direction as the reel.

Conclusion 

How much braided line to put on a spinning reel depends on the size of your spool and the extra length of mono backing included.

While a braided line is great for deep water fishing and has other advantages, you certainly don’t want to fill your spool with braid only.