Mike's Reel Repair

steve1357 · adult Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 49

When I got my first Ambassadeurs as a kid, I either read or someone told me to put Dacron or some other kind of backing on the spool before loading monofilament to keep the monofilament from shrinking after getting wet and damaging the spool or the reel.

I've read an old Ambassadeur manual and it doesn't mention it.

I regularly use 15-20lb test monfilament I have laying around as backing up to half capacity, then add the line I intend to use for the other half. I have some old dacron backing on some reels I haven't removed under the 15-20lb monofilament.

Never gave it much thought until I saw this:

www.realsreels.com/servicing/Ambassadeur%205000%20service.pdf

Looks like an old spool separated by the mono?

I'm using backing to save from having to load 200 yards of line instead of a hundred yards.

Or is this all much ado about nothing?

Ken D · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:27 am Post subject:

Hio....I suspect it's all rendered nugatory...unless your spool has that split.
Today's spools are solid all the way across, and pretty well mono-proof.

Lots of guys will fill the bottom part of the spool with tape, string, and other assorted stuff, and just buy "topshots" once in a while, because they know from experiance that the fish they target never take them past the increment of topshot they pick.

Tall narrow spools like fly reels are a whole new game.... they get cacked all the time, if they are fished with mono.
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steve1357 · adult Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 49

Thanks Ken.

My bass fishing, I probably don't need much more than I can cast and use to tie carolina rigs with from the spool...

cbiegel · smolt Joined: 18 Sep 2009 Posts: 38

I use backing on most of my reels for one main reason: cost.

50-150 yards of braid or fluorocarbon is a lot cheaper than 300 + yards. If it’s never going to come off the reel, why pay for it?

steve1357 · adult Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 49

Thanks cbiegel.

I squeak when I walk, I hate wasting a 100 yards of Berkley BigGame! I found some 15-20lb 1/4lb spools of Stren at Walmart a few years ago for a buck, that's my backing now.

Dacron lines are high too.

With the cost of an Abu round reel spool these days, I'd hate to ruin one.