# Balancing a Spool



## huckfinn38 (Jun 13, 2006)

Black Beard and Tommy;
You guys can probably answer this better than anyone on here. I have read instructions on balancing a spool on different forums. Mainly what you 2 guys have written. I have tried this but can quite get it figured out. What I was thinking was I could take all the line off my spool. Once the line is removed add strips of lead tape on the spool to balance it. What are your guys thoughts on this. Seems you could really balance a spool by doing this, kinda of like balancing a tire???


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Jeb..The idea of balancing a spool is to do it so that its balanced when FULL..If your spool itself is out of balance..you need a new spool. It is the line that would cause balance problems. Just follow what you have read from BB and Tommy on how to balance. It will take a couple times to get it right and can be really frustrating..I only worry about precise balance on my tourny reels..Although I use the same technique for my fishing reels, I am not so anal about them.


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## CrawFish (Sep 23, 2003)

barty b said:


> Jeb..The idea of balancing a spool is to do it so that its balanced when FULL..If your spool itself is out of balance..you need a new spool. .


How could a spool itself be out of balance? What's the cause of that? I should have stuck with fixed spool reels.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

CrawFish said:


> How could a spool itself be out of balance? What's the cause of that? I should have stuck with fixed spool reels.



Its a disease, the more you know, the more you ask, the more you worry lol Good question though.... bent shaft? hmm


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

Yes spools can be unbalanced iny fact most are , finding a perfectly balanced spool is rare . And yes you can prebalanced a spool before you add line . There is a product called suspend dots made for creating neutral bouyancy crank baits which works good for doing it . You can also add a dab of paint on the outside face of the spool to balance too . 
And adding line will again effect the balance too .
And every cast you make changes the balance too . You should only worry about balance if you are into tournamnet casting or you reel screams like a banshee when fishing .


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## huckfinn38 (Jun 13, 2006)

*Braid Backing*

One problem maybe that I am using braid backing. Could that be a problem?


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## huckfinn38 (Jun 13, 2006)

*Reason I am asking*

I threw a guys abu and it casted way further than mine. He had abec 5 ss bearings in is abu and I had abec 7 ceramics (brand new) in my abu. I think both of us were using yellow RF. His reel just kept going and going and going. Then we got to talking about balancing a spool. When i tested my spool it was way out of balance. (It would spin back to the same spot every time when I would spin it on free spool). Another problem maybe the line we had on our reels. He had 14 Suffix Tri and I had 15 Penn Crap. I just didnt think 1 lb test and quality line would make that big of a difference. I would say it was a good 15-20 yard difference. My reel isnt screaming (at least not this one, one of my 525 mag screams like a man on fire every time I cast it)


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*My .02*

I think lead tape would be very tough to work with. A small piece of electrical tape usually has sufficient weight to help balance an empty spool. Then the trick is to get the line started on the spool without throwing the spool back out of balance.

BTW - many of the UK distance casters consider ABEC 7 bearings a no no for tournament reels- too tight of tolerances.

Hope this helps.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*additional thought*

I have several of the same model reels and they are often inconsistent in the way they perform.

I doubt that it was just the bearings in the two abus that was causing the difference. Set up, mag settings, Spool tension- amount of oil, line diameter, line type (castability), line level (how full the spool is) all factor in to performance.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Conn..Your my hero


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## huckfinn38 (Jun 13, 2006)

*One more thing*

I would not be worried about balancing a spool for a fishing set up. I am interested in tournament casting.


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## clpoudnine23 (Dec 21, 2005)

Hey Jebson, 
Getting a spool balanced can be a real pain. I had to re-balance my 6500 last week after my line stripper kicked into over drive and I was not paying attention and took all the line off my reel. The line I used to balance that reel was about two years old. Once a reel is balanced you should not change the first 40 feet or so. If you change your line just tie an in-line knot and leave that first 40 feet alone. Anyway after about 10 to 12 times of casting then walking the rest of the line out I finally got it balanced. What a big difference! I tried 1 hump, 2 hump, 3 hump, big hump, small hump so try all different ways when you balance. I think lead tape is not the answer just keep trying with different line starts. By the way, I would not fish with an out of balance spool. Good luck with it!


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

clpoudnine23 said:


> . I had to re-balance my 6500 last week after my line stripper kicked into over drive and I was not paying attention and took all the line off my reel.


been there before lol....a few times


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## Black Beard (Jan 25, 2001)

Line balancing on a spool is a sort of a black art!

I have found some spools simply will not balance out and frankly, I throw them away!

Having been at this for 30 odd years I can tell you that the most difficult spools to balance are the ones that are close to perfect without line.

At Penn I have spent hours with a clock gauge meauring the run out of a spool. Generally they are between -1 or 2 thou to +1 or 2 thou and these work pretty well. 

However, its is the initial line lay that makes or breaks the balance of the filled spool.

Generally, once I have balanced a spool I will never remove the first 30 odd feet on the spool, when it's time to renew just take it down to that level and tie on new line. I like to have that first shot a bright colour, different to what you feed on top, that way you will not take of the balanced line.

It's like casting, goes like a dream one day while the next you are cack handed with multiple crack offs .................Duh!

BB


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## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

So, the knot used to join the first 10 or 15 yards of line to the rest of the running line won't throw it off balance? Interesting. 

This then raises up a thought I've had for some time: if the line lay is so important for the first 15 yards, and most fish won't get into those 15 yards, wouldn't it be better to use line that's a class or two lower than the rest of the running line (ie 12lb test for "balancing line" and 15lb for running line)? With the thinner line, it's easier to make the "humps" and control the height and width and general line lay, using just enough to make the "humps" the same dimensions. Any thoughts on this?


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## passionesurf (Feb 18, 2007)

this may help

http://myfishcasting.org/casting_forum/viewtopic.php?t=1060&highlight=balancing


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

AtlantaKing said:


> So, the knot used to join the first 10 or 15 yards of line to the rest of the running line won't throw it off balance? Interesting.
> 
> This then raises up a thought I've had for some time: if the line lay is so important for the first 15 yards, and most fish won't get into those 15 yards, wouldn't it be better to use line that's a class or two lower than the rest of the running line (ie 12lb test for "balancing line" and 15lb for running line)? With the thinner line, it's easier to make the "humps" and control the height and width and general line lay, using just enough to make the "humps" the same dimensions. Any thoughts on this?


Have thought about trying braid backing to start the spool out (thiner) but haven't had the time to test this theory out yet. The guys that are talking tournament line are already using 10 or 12 lb test for the most part, they could go to 6 lb initially or as suggested braid. 

I would want braid on a fishing reel to allow for higer test strength - on the off chance you do get into a fish that takes you down to the backing. - Tho if it's the last 30 feet it's not likely to make a difference to the fish if he has already run you that low. Never know tho- worth experimenting I reckon


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

2 things . 
I have found light line the best for doing the initial line balance . I have used 4lb , I believe this is because the lighter line packs tighter and has fewer air gaps in between . And for tournament casting I use a lot of backing balance line . If my reel holds 1000' of line and I am casting 700' , I will use about 250' of balance line . My logic is that the bigger amount of balancing line I have on the reel the less the other 700 getting reeled and cast onto the spool has an effect on it .
I have found braid underlay to be a balancing nightmare , braid compacts inconsistantly and can really cause you to lose hair when trying to balance.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Connman said:


> 2 things .
> I have found light line the best for doing the initial line balance . I have used 4lb , I believe this is because the lighter line packs tighter and has fewer air gaps in between . And for tournament casting I use a lot of backing balance line . If my reel holds 1000' of line and I am casting 700' , I will use about 250' of balance line . My logic is that the bigger amount of balancing line I have on the reel the less the other 700 getting reeled and cast onto the spool has an effect on it .
> I have found braid underlay to be a balancing nightmare , braid compacts inconsistantly and can really cause you to lose hair when trying to balance.



I've lost enough hair,  thanks for the heads up, will try the lighter mono approach


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## big brother (May 15, 2002)

just keep in mind that if this is for a tourny application, the rules allow only two line sizes,
28 or 31 depending on the weight being cast. i don't believe you can have smaller line anywhere on your reel.
charlie


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## Black Beard (Jan 25, 2001)

Not sure how it works your side of the pond Charlie, but I believe here in the UK - where some people do use a lighter backing - as long as it is backing and the only line that comes off the reel to make the cast is within size limits it should be okay.

But I do feel it is a gray area...

BB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

big brother said:


> just keep in mind that if this is for a tourny application, the rules allow only two line sizes,
> 28 or 31 depending on the weight being cast. i don't believe you can have smaller line anywhere on your reel.
> charlie


Charlie, do you know who to contact to check on this- I think as long as the line used for balance is taped off - with no potential to become part of the cast, there shouldn't be a problem.

Still I'd like to know for sure- I'd hate to balance my spools with smaller line only to show up at a tourny and find out I have to redo the balance.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

I believe (and this is just my opinion) that as long as the backing line stays on the spool it should not be a problem. I've seen lines measured, but never have i seen a reel stripped of line to measure all the way down.

This could really upset someone that had spent a considerable amout of time balancing a spool.

Tommy


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## Black Beard (Jan 25, 2001)

When measring potential record casts in the UK we measure the line between the leader and the reel - BB


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Black Beard said:


> When measring potential record casts in the UK we measure the line between the leader and the reel - BB


Good thing I'm no threat to any records LOL  - no way am I micing the entire spool- tho I will check each batch in several spots


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

My backing is tied off seperate from my running line . Different color too so I know to thumb the spool when I hit a big cast ... :beer:


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Jeb,

Hope your trip was a goodun. Anyways I was thinking about your reel. I use heavy Abu oil in mine. Probably equivilant to Red Rocket. In my opinion I think your reels are too fast. Any time you have to use your thumb to slow it down you are loosing distance. When you casted mine you never had to touch the line untill it crashed into the tree. . If you were to give me your reel to tune I would take the following steps to controle it and get better distance.
1 remove bearings and thoroughly clean them. 2) remove the line and clean the spool.3) put the spool back on the reel with dry bearings and spinn it. Make sure it is relitively balanced. 3) Put on about 20 yrds or so of line trying to balance the reel. Try one hump in the middle, then try two hums on the end, then three humps ect. untill I got the spool balanced. remember the bearings are dry and your reel should spin a long arse time probably close to a minute. 4) tie an alberto or uni to uni to my running line and filler up. 5) Spinn spool again and again checking the balance the first two or three times then a few more cuz its awsome watching that sucker spin for 2+ minutes, ) put some red rocket in the bearings and take it to the field. Put on full mags and give it a flip to get the oil distributed. Keep mags full a few casts and start working the mags back untill you get to the point you have to thumb it to stop it from cracking. If and only if I could cast it with mags full off would I even concider putting in thinner oil. I would bet YOUR paycheck you couldn't get that far though. I would think maybe 2 or 3 on your slidy would be about as little as your gonna get with a tail wind. Now you got a great casting reel that you can hit hard with confidence and achieve better distance with. You only tossed my reel once and didn't put everything into it and outcast your reel by 15 yrds. Imagine where you would be if you had nailed it. The developement behind the trees would have a chunk of lead through the side.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Connman said:


> 2 things .
> I have found braid underlay to be a balancing nightmare , braid compacts inconsistantly and can really cause you to lose hair when trying to balance.


Connman,

There are quite a few folks who use braid as backing (maybe not for tournament casting) for reels such as the ABU 6500 that have limited line capacity. Have you noticed that big a difference in the reel being balanced with braid or is it just you are more particular? As for losing hair, like Surfcat, I resemble that remark!   

I like having the braid backing as insurance and never really get down to it, using 6# diameter PP.

Thoughts?


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## VG30E (Oct 14, 2006)

*Some Rookie Questions*

I understand the need for balancing a reel. The reel I'm been toying sends a nasty vibration into any flat surface I hold it against when spinning the spool.

When balancing what effect does creating a hump have if you proceed to level the hump off?

Additionally is it necessary to also balance the spool so that there is a 50-50 load on each opposing bearing the spool rides on?

Rich


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

Fishbreath said:


> Connman,
> 
> There are quite a few folks who use braid as backing (maybe not for tournament casting) for reels such as the ABU 6500 that have limited line capacity. Have you noticed that big a difference in the reel being balanced with braid or is it just you are more particular? As for losing hair, like Surfcat, I resemble that remark!
> 
> ...


 Fishbreath , I was speciifclally talking about braid backing on tournament casting reels which are much more sensitive to balance than most fishing reels as they are cast at much higher RPM and with thin line so can be prone to blowing up . 
I haven't noticed too much problems with braid on fishing reels but that could be because I run my reels so slow with very thick oil . thick oil is a cure all for me ... and I fish mostly mono on most of my conventionals .


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## big brother (May 15, 2002)

i think i can help here, reel balancing is really an FM (f^$*ing magic) process and it is amazing how much better one gets doing magic with practice. LOL
charlie


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## VG30E (Oct 14, 2006)

VG30E said:


> I understand the need for balancing a reel. The reel I'm been toying sends a nasty vibration into any flat surface I hold it against when spinning the spool.
> 
> When balancing what effect does creating a hump have if you proceed to level the hump off?
> 
> ...



If I follow things right creating a hump with thin
line and leveling off with the .28 or .31 running still imparts an effect due to the density difference of the tighter packing thin live vs. the running line. 

Regarding bearing loads, I was speaking for reels whose spools have a fixed shaft vs. spools whose bearing are embedded within the spool. I figured the balance point along the axis of the spool would be critical as well as the rotational balance of the spool.


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