Braided lines overview: Spooling and troubleshooting
Fill to 1–2 mm (about 1/16 in) below the lip, never flush. Tape the bare spool or lay a few turns of nylon first: braid on a bare spool can spin as a whole.
| Reel | Line | Holds | Backing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinning 2000–2500 | PE 0.6–1.0 | 150–200 m (165–220 yd) | 30–50 m (33–55 yd) of nylon or Dacron first |
| Spinning 3000–4000 | PE 1.5–2.0 | About the same | As above |
| Baitcaster, standard spool | PE 3–4 | 100–150 m (110–165 yd) | Cover work never uses that much: back it and top-shot |
| Ice reel, small inline | Fused line | 40–60 m (44–66 yd) | — |
- A frog cast is 15–25 m (16–27 yd) and a flip under 10 m (11 yd): cover fishing does not need a full spool of expensive braid.
- To size the backing: wind the new braid on first, backing on top, then reverse the whole lot onto a spare spool.
- Read the reel's own capacity chart before buying: spool depth varies more between reels than diameter between brands.
- When the outer 20–30 m is tired, reverse the line onto another spool and fish the fresh half.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wind knots | Spool filled to the lip; slack | 1–2 mm below the lip; first turns under tension; close the bail by hand |
| Loops after a month | The general braid's coating has worn off | Not the reel: reverse or replace the line |
| Digging in | Loaded line cuts into the layers below | Set the drag to slip before it digs; spool under steady tension |
| Fuzz | Load-bearing fibres are cut; it is not lint | Run your fingers over the last metres after every fish or rock; cut back to clean line |
| "Fuzz" in the first hour | Excess coating rubbing off in the guides | Not damage; real fuzz appears at the business end after contact |
| Guide hum, grooved tip guide | Coarse x4 surface; soft guide inserts | Run a cotton bud round the tip guide: if it snags, the guide is cutting the line |
| Cracked guide inserts | Big leader knots hammering small guides | Tie an FG |
| Slipping knots | Dry, coated heavy braid pulled fast; FG on fused line | Wet and seat slowly; double uni or Alberto on fused line |
| Sinking PE no longer sinks | The weighted coating has worn | Compare with new line in a bucket at season's end |
| Fused line comes off in coils | Cold memory; a season in a hot car | Stretch 10 m or so before fishing; replace if permanently set |
| Dacron mildews or smells | Stored wet | Dry the spool before storage |
| Break point in the wrong place | Label lb is not measured break strength | Build a planned break-off into the leader, not the main line |
Braided lines overview
Braid in six tables: carrier count, PE number vs lb, colour, leaders and knots, other braid types, spooling and troubleshooting.
- Carrier count
- PE number vs lb rating
- Colour
- Leaders and knots
- Other braid types
- Spooling and troubleshooting