Front Drag Or Rear Drag, What Do You Prefer?

[flippin and pitchin]

Front. Set it and leave it. If you are afraid of breaking off, back reel.

[J Francho]

I may add that rod position adds drag too

No it doesn't. It only changes your leverage on the fish. Resistance of the drag is relatively constant, save for situations where it gets wet, or overheats (a possibility in salt). You can easily prove this to yourself by attaching a spring scale to a fixed object, tying to that and measuring the force applied using different angles.

[iceintheveins]

With a big fish, I'll actually dial the drag back a bit. Nothing worse than getting 99% of the job done, and the fish tries to take off on a short leash. Not so much a bass issue, but with northerns, steelhead, and salmon it is.

Bingo!

[Bill16]

I vote for front drag too. For the reasons already given.

[SirSnookalot]

No it doesn't. It only changes your leverage on the fish.

I may have used the wrong word, but you got the drift of what I was saying. For the people that didn't comprehend, I thank you for making it clear to them. A change in the rod position will change the amount of pressure on that fish, it's one those things that I may not be able to explain but understand how it works. After a couple of hundred tarpon and many other hard fighting fish, it just comes natural without thought, one does not need a scale to prove that, experience is the best teacher.

J Francho, on April 20 2012 - 03:45 PM, said:

With a big fish, I'll actually dial the drag back a bit. Nothing worse than getting 99% of the job done, and the fish tries to take off on a short leash. Not so much a bass issue, but with northerns, steelhead, and salmon it is.

It isn't always the size of the fish but the power it has. Dialing back the drag may work for a steelhead or salmon, but catch a blackfin tuna of similar size like about 20# and dialing back will get you spooled. This is exactly why people use heavier gear (whether it be conventional or spinning) with line capacity for this kind of fish, that's offshore fishing. Inshore fishing from shore could I catch a 20# snook backing down the drag, well maybe if I got lucky, but a 20# jack crevelle, not a chance in the world. I'd be looking at a 4000 spinning reel with any empty spool on it if I didn't put drag pressure on that fish 200 yds of line just isn't enough if you let it run. It boils down to what you are catching and where at and be able to adjust yourself accordingly.

[J Francho]

it's one those things that I may not be able to explain but understand how it works.

I know JUST what you mean. Like trying to explain steering a fish with "side pressure" with words. You kind have to see it.

[SirSnookalot]

I know JUST what you mean. Like trying to explain steering a fish with "side pressure" with words. You kind have to see it.

Exactly !

I probably would never have even thought about or realized until I watched Mark Sosin on tv, he explained it while battling a fish. The next opportunity I had to " experiment " I found he was right, I also credit Mark Sosin for demonstrating how to palm a spinning spool with a fish on to increase the drag without making an adjustment to the reel. A word of caution from my own experience, if you grab the spool don't hold it too long before letting go, I've had fish break 30# braid or that's when my knot might fail. These techniques are are strictly to momentary slow the fish down, full max drag may end in disaster. Nothing replaces using the drag as it was intended to be used.

Amazing how strong some of these fish are and they don't have to be huge.

[BrianSnat]

I like the drag in the rear for convenience, but they don't seem to work quite as well as a front drag. At least with my reels they don't. The drag doesn't seem as smooth and a tiny twist one way or another makes a huge difference in the amount of drag. About half of my reels are rear drag Shimanos, but whenever I buy a new reel I go with front drag now.

[0119]

Oddly enough, in Europe more spinning reels are rear drag than front. Especially for carp fishing and they really scream a drag. Makes me wonder if that market gets better technology similiar to what Japan gets before we do.

[tracker01]

Front

[G_money]

Front drag. They r lighter, usually more refined too.

IMO there's a reason most all high end reels come with front drag.