With the prohibitive cost of quality braided lines these days I often ask myself do I really need to pack 100m or more onto my spinning or baitcasting reel. I've become a lure tosser not too long ago and I know my casts are around the 25m or thereabouts. Every fish I have caught so far has not stripped line beyond 50 meters. My primary target is Jungle Perch aka Hampala barb or Kahsoob in thai. Largest is just short of 2kg. In trying to cut costs, I've resorted to spooling with old and worn line first and then top up the last approx 50meters with the good stuff. By doing this, I can put new line in 3 times from a single 150 meter spool. Makes sense to me but probably I am missing something and would like to hear from more experienced folks here. Thanks.

You are not the only one to do that and if you never have you line stripped past 50 meters its quite ok to do so.

For anything that isn't going to run more than 50 meters, I'd do exactly what you're proposing.

The only places in Thailand I'd want a full spool of $$$ line are BSR where I haven't measured how far they can run, and offshore where I have never been fishing anyway.

Well, it seems this is the norm then. Thanks Robblok and Impulse.

Well, it seems this is the norm then. Thanks Robblok and Impulse.

That's what I used to do as a youngster when money was tight, what happens when you get that fish of a lifetime and it strips line from your reel way past 50 mtrs, maybe this will only happen the once, is it really worth saving money to miss out and regret saving those few bht, I fill my reels up with braid and leave nothing to chance!

Well, it seems this is the norm then. Thanks Robblok and Impulse.

That's what I used to do as a youngster when money was tight, what happens when you get that fish of a lifetime and it strips line from your reel way past 50 mtrs, maybe this will only happen the once, is it really worth saving money to miss out and regret saving those few bht, I fill my reels up with braid and leave nothing to chance!

Valid point there dogpoo. I guess the only fish capable of spooling me would be a large giant snakehead taking the lure. I'd still be very pleased if this happens-just for thrills. But so far only juvenile snakeheads which are easily subdued. Thanks.

Well, it seems this is the norm then. Thanks Robblok and Impulse.

That's what I used to do as a youngster when money was tight, what happens when you get that fish of a lifetime and it strips line from your reel way past 50 mtrs, maybe this will only happen the once, is it really worth saving money to miss out and regret saving those few bht, I fill my reels up with braid and leave nothing to chance!

Valid point there dogpoo. I guess the only fish capable of spooling me would be a large giant snakehead taking the lure. I'd still be very pleased if this happens-just for thrills. But so far only juvenile snakeheads which are easily subdued. Thanks.

It's a little bit different when you are fishing for monsters In particular the Mekong catfish, they only stop running when they can't go any further, good quality fishing line should last you a few yrs in freshwater, when you feel it's necessary to change you just reverse the line, now you have new line with not very old quality line as backing!

It's a little bit different when you are fishing for monsters In particular the Mekong catfish, they only stop running when they can't go any further, good quality fishing line should last you a few yrs in freshwater, when you feel it's necessary to change you just reverse the line, now you have new line with not very old quality line as backing!

I have read and seen videos of folks battling the Mekong giants but have not had a chance myself. I only have access to a large reservoir and anyway my reels are sizes 1000 and 2000 which would be hopeless against those monsters.

Thanks for the 'reversing line' tip.