Question about straight line reels

[calebgh]

Just bought a jig pile with a straight line type reel (looks like a fly reel). I am new to this type of equipment. My question is do I spool it with monofilament completely or should i use some type of backing to build the spool up first? It looks like it would take about a mile of line to fill it with no backer. Also,do i fill the spool all the way our just put on 50-100yards of line at a time? Any help or experience is certainly appreciated.

[shadboy]

I filled mine 90% with backer and then added mono to fill it up. It's a 1 to 1 ratio so the bigger the diameter of the spool of line, the more line is recovered per turn of handle. If you just put a few yards of mono on it, it takes a lot of winding to recover just a few feet of line. But, then again, you may never need to wind the reel at all if you fish with less than a rod's length of line out.

[Cray]

Filled mine with 20 lb mono then topped of with about 40 ft of braid.

[Grainraiser]

I never saw the need to fill the spool since the reel is nothing more than a line holder. I have 50 yards of 10lb braid on my reels. I need a line just heavy enough to straighten the jig hook if I get hung up.