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Line strengths for rod.

Eddie Bray

Senior Member & Supporter
I am getting my Barbel Buster centrepin on Tuesday and my plan was to stick 50 yards of 15lb mono on it as a backing and then 100 yards of Daiwa J-Braid x8 Grand 28lb (0.18mm) which is apprlximately the thickness of 6lb-8lb mono to trot for Barbel. If I was using it on a float rod with line ratings of 4-8lb, would it cause an issue any more than if I was using 8lb mono?

Obviously if it got hung up I would not use the rod to try to pull it free but use a stick with the line wrapped around it.

Just curious, what would others do?
 
If I was using it on a float rod with line ratings of 4-8lb, would it cause an issue any more than if I was using 8lb mono?
Not if you treat it like 8lb mono it won’t.
Ie give it line when it needs it and not bully it thinking “well I’m using 28lb braid, what could possibly go wrong”. Or use a suitable hook length that would let go before the rod does.
 
Hi Eddie
I know nothing about The Barbel Buster reel so I may be talking rubbish but if you are trotting with a pin why do you need a backing line?
About 80% of my fishing nowadays is trotting and like many anglers I have never found the need to have more than 70 yards of line on the reel
The thinking behind this has been that having too much line on the reel could lead to more bedding in and causing the line not too pay out so easily and also can you really see the float at long distance anyway?
After trying out braid for trotting I have gone back to mono as I found that with float rods mono had that little more forgiveness when playing a fish. Although I still use braid when legering or rolling meat.
However that's just my opinion and I am sure there will be lots of different thoughts from others.
Good luck with your new reel and Tight Lines
Mike
 
I use a 0.18mm (20lb) soft braid on my pin when trotting for barbel, 50 yards and no backing line. I use a much lower BS fluorocarbon hooklength to suit the swim and size of target fish. No issues apart from a bit of bedding in after a big fish.
 
Tried a pin a few times, can't see any benefits over a decent fixed spool reel other than nostalgia, but each to their own.
Tried a decent fixed spool a few times, can't see any benefits over a centrepin, but each to their own. :)
 
Tried a pin a few times, can't see any benefits over a decent fixed spool reel other than nostalgia, but each to their own.

I never used a pin as a kid, so nostalgia isn't a factor in my choices. I don't use a pin for legering, but I rarely leger if I can help it anyway. As far as I'm concerned, trotting is where a centrepin really shines. However, you have to be pretty well practised to get the best from them. Without being able to cast reasonably proficiently with them, they are just a bit too restrictive. Even the more direct contact and speed control of a float takes a bit of practice. Once you've got it, it's nigh on impossible to replicate with a fixed spool reel, especially in faster water.

However, truth be told, I use centrepins because I enjoy using them and (eventually) I enjoyed trying to master them. That only came after I'd passed through a period of initial frustration when I'd have happily taken a sledgehammer to the bloody hamster wheel. I eventually learned that not all centrepins are equal. Different sizes and features can make for a quite different experience. I now know that the first pin I tried was not a bad reel, it was just too small, and had too deep an arbour, for my liking and use.
 
Now for a reply to the OP. Eddie, I'd not bother with any backing at all, it's not required and is likely to offer little beyond a greater chance of bedding in. I went through a long period of trotting with braid on a centrepin. It has upsides and downsides. Upsides include a very direct contact with your float and very good line pick up when mending. However, these positives can also be negatives. In adverse wind conditions, braid can be picked up too easily when you don't want it to be. It can also make rods that are perfectly good with mono seem almost useless unless you significantly alter your playing and striking style. With the wrong rod, you are likely to lose/bump a higher proportion of fish than you might be used to with mono. In benign conditions, and with the right rod, trotting with braid can be a good experience. With the wrong rod, and less than perfect conditions, it can be a PITA. With the significantly heavier braid you are intending to use, you may find that wind is less of a problem than I found using lighter stuff. However, I'd urge you to use a much lower breaking strain mono/fluoro hooklink if you use really heavy braid. I'd also suggest that you be wary of how little abrasion resistance some braids have when they come into contact with rocks/concrete.

When it comes to the question of how much line to load, it comes down to preference and circumstance. I fish the higher reaches of fast Dales rivers. Even on pegged stretches, it can be possible to fish well in excess of fifty yards. Not surprisingly, I don't use teeny stick floats when doing so. I also don't risk the maximum of 50-75 yards of line that some pin users advocate. I invariably load 100yards/metres of line. Even if I'm not trotting to extreme distances, this allows me to remove a few feet of past its best line after a busy session. If I only loaded a bare minimum of line, I'd get away with doing this after just a few sessions before having to replace the whole lot.
 
Thank you all for your replies.

I will stick the J-Braid on direct without a backing and look for some kind of material for the hooklink.

Rods I could use are:

13ft Avenger
15ft Acolyte Plus
18-20ft Browning
 
Re. suitability of a line for a given rod ... it's has nothing at all to do with the reel you use, or the thickness of the line you choose, but everything to do with the line's breaking strain (especially your hooklength).
IMO.
 
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