AVET DRAG AT FREESPOOL?

[CAPTJohnny]

Can someone explain to me what people mean when they say they can get certain drag @ freespool. I just have no idea what this means. Sorry to sound lame, but just not understanding the concept.

[fillet1]

On Lever Drag reels, t he more you turn up the drag adjustment, the less freespool you will have with the lever backed all the way off. In other words, if you turn the drag adjustment KNOB as tight as it goes, the reel will be capable of its maximum drag with the lever at 'full", but with the lever all the way back at freespool the spool will not be as "free" as with a lesser KNOB setting. The Betters reels claim higher drag pressures while maintaining a "free" spinning freespool. IMO for trolling reels it doesnt matter at all. Hope this makes sense!

[pooldoo73]

To add a little to what fillet said, you can increase the drag on a lever drag reel to a certain point and still have a free-spinning spool when you pull the lever all the way back to the free position. When you tighten the drag knob past that point, your spool will not spin freely when the lever is pulled back to the free position. That point is different on every reel. The amount of drag the you have at the point of losing freespool is the max that you would normally try to use the reel at. The amount of drag is checked with the drag lever in the strike position also, and sometimes it will also be noted what it is at the full setting too.

[good stuff]

It does matter on trolling reels.

[fillet1]

Why? I dont troll with maxed out drags on 50 wides. The free spool issue only becomes an issue when using under sized reels and trying to get as much drag as possible out of it. Also, with the exception of free spooling a bally to a white or blue, a completely unencumbered freespool is not necessary to drag artificials.

[good stuff]

Yes on 50's you would not but like you said, on smaller reels (not under sized reels ) it does.

[Bullshipper]

You guys have done a a great job talking about the lever drag system, but there is also a screw-in bearing adjuster that will make the reel spin easier in free spool with less screw pressure, and spin less on a cast with more screw pressure on the bearings, and this is freespool drag adjuster is entirely separate from the lever drag adjuster.

Increase this pressure slightly if you are having problems with back lashes, and less if you want to throw it a mile and have tape or thick skin on your spool control thumb.

But remember that too much pressure on this bearing will shorten its life, so go easy tuning your reel.