How Much Line Do You Need On Your Inshore Spinning Reel
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: *Tackle & Gear, Fishing Tips, Line, Weekly Newsletter: 8-8-21
How much line do you really need for inshore saltwater fishing?
If you’re targeting redfish, trout, snook, and flounder back in the bays or on the flats, it’s a lot less than you may think.
And there’s a difference between how much you need to land a fish versus how much you need to have on your reel.
Check out the new video below that explains the difference!
How Much Line Do You Need? [VIDEO]
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It’s rare that you’ll need more than 100 yards but 150 will definitely keep you covered!
You can do a monofilament backing if 150 yards of braided line is not enough to fill up the spool.
There may be times that you hook into a bigger fish that’s cruising the shallows.
But there’s no reason to get spooled.
When you see your line getting low, grab your spool to break the line.
You don’t want to leave all of that line out in the water.
One last thing to keep in mind is that different reels have different size spools.
There’s no one size fits all answer to how much line to put on your reel.
Here are some other helpful tips on this subject:
- How To Never Get Spooled By A Fish
- How To Spool Your Spinning Reel
- Why You Should Use A Mono Backing
- How Much Line To Put On Your Reel
Have any questions about how much line you need?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who will be spooling their reels soon, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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I am fairly new to surf fishing and have had some “learning experiences” with wind knots, resulting in the loss of an unknown length of my J Braid. When I bought the reel (Spinfisher VI5500) from my local dealer, the line (30lb) was right up to the inner edge of the black ring around the spool (that left about 1/16 inch from braid to edge of spool). After losing some line, the measurement from the braid to the edge of the spool is now about 1/8 inch, so I am not sure if it is time to respool. It’s hard for me to tell if I have lost any noticeable casting distance. I guess this is mainly a question for the SS team or anyone who has this same reel. Thanks very much for any guidance you might be able to provide.
For a 30 lb line, the 1/8th inch gap is good (the 1/16th inch gap is more for the thinner lines like a 10 lb line).
Thank you Luke…I appreciate the quick response to my question!
Hey guys. How do you count the yards you are putting on the reel with no line counter? I have worked in shops and it is easy there. I do not now and I have not figured out the best way to get it exactly 100yds on the reel? Thanks
I agree. 100yds is plenty for any inshore species unless you run into a Tarpon. But even then in a boat you can run them down.
We have to rely on our best-guess when it comes to loading line on a reel for the first time. When I want a 100 yard top section of braid, I’ll spool it up to a point where I know that there will be at least 100 yards of line on the reel when it gets to my favorite line gap (1/16th of an inch). Then I’ll go to a local park with a big grass field and walk out 100 yards of line to the cut it at that point and splice the line back together. Then for future re-spools, I know that I’ll get 100 yards of line when I start at the spliced knot.
No excuse for leaving braided line in trees, water,or land. I see where people snag, and just cut off at the rod. 😠
I agree!!!
I would rather have a little bit more line then not enough about 200 yards
Hi Luke, do you notice a difference with the new TFO Professional rod you have? How would you compare it to the Bull Bay Salt Strong rod? I know you’ll do a review just looking for your quick opinion. Thanks Brother!
The new TFO pro feels very similar to the old one in terms of its power and flex. The benefit of the new one is that the grip is more comfortable and it feels slightly lighter… the benefits are very slight so it’s not to the point of retiring the old one in place of the new one.
As for the TFO vs. the Bull Bay Custom, I prefer the Bull Bay Custom if having to decide between the two because its hardware is better and the blank has a bit more feel. That being said, I think that they are both priced to the point where they are top contenders for their respective price points.
Great video Luke, as always. 75 yards is plenty for me, gets 4 spools from a 300 yard power pro package.
I load the braid first, measured distance on the street. Then mono till I get a nice 1/8″ gap. Reverse the line behind the trolling boat threading the line through a hole in a scrap piece of wood to help pull the line off the spool while holding the mono end. After all the braid is out, the wood scrap is lost. let it wiggle in the current for a while to shake off any line twists. Arbor knot the mono end and retrieve.
Thanks for making time to post the helpful tips Oliver!
Nice tip Luke – thanks
Thanks Pablo!
Keep these videos coming Luke. Very basic info but very useful to beginners.
Thanks Mario!
Just curious, what were the two reels you used to compare? Brand, model? Thanks
The first was a 2500 Daiwa Fuego, and the 2nd was a 2500 Daiwa BG.
Anyone have experience with the Piscifun Fishing Line Spooler? Claims to eliminate line twists.
I have one and use it all the time. So far it has worked well for me.
Thanks. I work at a marina where I spool up new reels every week for rental rods. We’ve had lots of line twist problems. Maybe this is the best solution.
I recommend against using those line spoolers that claim to eliminate line twists as well as the line spoolers from tackle shops… it’s best to just load the line just like you do a baitcasting reel in which the line gets pulled off of the spool and goes through the guides without any twists… that way, the line will do a slight twist as it gets loaded on the reel, but those twists will then cancel out as the line gets casted out leaving the line untwisted as it flies out the guides. Here’s a detailed lesson: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-spool-a-spinning-reel-with-braid/
Outstanding! Thanks for this advice which saved me from wasting $$. I think I might finally understand line twist. I’ll be doing the reels for the marina by your method. Will drag the lines behind a trolling boat to shake off the twist.