Backing, Leader, trace

CRocker

New member
Please help in the definition and choosing when to use a backing to a leader, to a trace. I can understand a main line to a trace as in a braid to a fluorocarbon but don’t understand why you have a backing before it.
Also braid to a stretch leader, to a trace.
I mainly do edible rock and surf fishing if that makes a difference in choice.
 
One may want a braid leader or tougher or heavier braid topshot to help against rocks or abrasion. One may have a thinner or cheaper bottom backing due to budget or line capacity, depends on the fishing or situation. I think a mono leader before the terminal gear is to prevent loosing line and polluting with braid (which is a nightmare for sealife and swimmers etc. and has caused drownings of divers), one would make this mono lighter than your mainline so when you bust off you just leave the terminal rig behind and don't break your mainline off randomly somewhere where it has a nick. Also breaking off heavy mainline and an even heavier braid leader and very heavy mono/wire trace which is jammed up, is actually a huge mission and can cause injury without some tool to wrap your line on to break off(I've quite badly injured myself)..

Ja but for edible rock and surf..I am now over the braid for that application. The mono is much more suited to the environment and fishing..and fighting of the fish among in the rock and surf. The reels are more robust and last longer. I am grateful to those that dragged my stubborn ass into the multiplier world.
 

Enigma

Moderator
There are many reasons for backing:

To just fill the reel to a point where you will just have a set amount of line/braid to fish with. This cast you could for example fill your reel to a point where you have 200-300m of topshot.

This way when the mainline is worn and damage or pieces lost then you only respool the mainline because the Backing is generally unused and or undamaged. So your filler spool goes further.

Your backing could be mono or braid and should have a breaking strain higher than your mainline ie. should a fish run you into your backing that the backing doesn't break leaving you with an empty reel, the mainline or trace should part

Using a braid as backing to a braid or mono backing works out more economical in the the long run as it will be good for 10 years or more.

The braid is thinner and stronger than your mainline giving more capacity

Leaders have 2 purposes.....

Stronger than mainline allowing you to cast harder and get better distances

Protection against rock, sand and fishes body in landing a fish

There are a myriad of connections of mainline to leader and which leader to use when.
 
if fishing just for edibles, then a braided backing is not needed.
the backing is nice for respooling worn out line as you get 3x filling/ respooling on a roll of line.

it just makes our life easier when respooling with fresh line
 
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