10wt backing, gel-spun or not?

[Hardyreels]

Hi TB,

Without entering into the gel spun vs. braided issue I'll tell you how I solved my backing needs years ago. Taking into account that I don't fish for Tarpon this is what I did.

I found a 1200 yard spool of 36 Lb. Cortland Saltwater Micron for sale on the auction site and bought it for 62 dollars. I simply make sure that none of my terminal tackle is heavier than the backing. Regardless of what you choose for the material I believe that if you were to find an attractive deal on a bulk amount of your choice you'll be a happy camper. There will be no more choices to make, no more trips to the tackle shops spending a considerable amount of money to spool 1, 2, or 300 yards of backing, it's a happy ending for these needs for years to come.

One more thing, if you ever decide to come up here to fish you might want to get in touch here. I'll help you to have a day when you'll see the backing a few times.

Ard

[axle27]

Interesting thread....I'm about to buy some Dacron 30# backing for my boss and I. About 200 yards a reel... I just don't see paying the money for backing that I'm gonna use 3 or 4 times a year....call me cheap...

[swirlchaser]

At the risk of throwing this thread into a whole different direction I'll make one more point. The only reason I use 30 on my 9+ reels is for abrasion resistance. My tippets are never over 30lbs and my reels don't even have 20lbs worth of drag force so when could my backing ever fail?

[biggie_robs]

Originally Posted by swirlchaser

At the risk of throwing this thread into a whole different direction I'll make one more point. The only reason I use 30 on my 9+ reels is for abrasion resistance. My tippets are never over 30lbs and my reels don't even have 20lbs worth of drag force so when could my backing ever fail?

I know what you mean; I'm right there with you. Ignoring your tippet strength but regarding your drag force, the answer to your question is when/if you grab the line or palm the reel.

[swirlchaser]

Knowing when NOT to grab your reel is more important than knowing when to grab it.

[tbblom]

Ok, now we'll really go on a tangent.

A static weight rating like '30lb' is describing an amount of force generated by 30lb while being accelerated by gravity. So the force would be F=MA
Converted to metric for the math:
F=13.6Kg x 9.8m/s^2 = ~133 Newton (unit of Force) to break 30lb. line.
Acceleration above 9.8m/s^2 could generate equal forces at less weight.
Not so much the weight of the fish, but the force generated by the acceleration of acrobatic jumps, abrupt turns, and rapid dives. In theory a 20lb fish could shake its head hard enough/quick enough to generate enough force to break 30lb line unless the rod bends or the drag takes the force. A 20lb fish is 9.09kg. If the 9kg fish accelerates at ~14.6m/s^2, even for a split second, it will develop the same forces as the 13.6kg fish hanging from a line.

Climbing gear is more appropriately rated in Newtons, as a falling climber rarely impacts the gear statically. I weigh 90.9kg, exerting ~891 Newtons of downward force at rest. If I am moving at 5m/s, and get tackled and come to a dead stop in 0.25s, my acceleration was -20m/s^2, or almost twice that of gravity. The force of the stop becomes F=90.9kg x 20m/s^2 =1818N.

Now say I or some other angler messes up, introducing a bit of slack to the system, and the fish shock loads the reel and rod... There you would get the sort of acceleration above and beyond that offered by gravity. Unhindered motion coming abruptly to a stop.

Physics is much more fun when applied to fish...
Very similar to a 3lb. fish breaking 5lb. line with a rapid direction change or head shake.