Drag Confusion

[Catfish Noob]

I am  new to this forum and just got back into fishing this summer after taking a few years off. I am trying to get into catfishing and I finally think I may have found a spot for catfishing since I don't have a boat. I am fishing with 65 and 100 pound braided line with sunfish as bait. I learned that you need heavy drag like 20-30 pounds for catfishing. My reel is the Avenger AV 40b spinning reel and I looked up the max drag on this specific reel and it said it was 13 pounds. My other reel is rated at around 30 pounds. I cranked the drag all the way up on my 40b reel and I could not pull it out, so I am having a hard time believing that it is 13 pounds at this point. I then tried the reel that was around 30 pounds max drag and it was tough but I could pull it. So I thought maybe the 40b has a "lock drag" on it. So I looked it up and found a forum on here that was talking about "lock drag", however, they said that max drag and "lock drag" are the same thing. I know for a fact it is not 13 pounds and I know my source said my specific model is 13 pounds max drag. So I am really confused as how the max drag/lock drag is only 13 pounds when I couldn't pull it but I could pull 30 pounds of drag on my other reel? Can someone explain to me all this confusion?

[Choporoz]

I cannot help you.

 

But...

-I wouldn't be surprised if max drag could conceivably higher (or much higher) than the highest advertised spec....

-Couldn't you test those drags with some known weights?  Like dumbbells or gallons of water?

-Requiring 30# drag sounds a little crazy off the top of my head....I've landed cats over 20# with regular bass gear (10# test....3-4# drag)

-Interesting questions, though....I fish piers alongside cat fishermen and I would bet you a dollar that not one of them ever considered what proper drag setting in pounds ought to be

Good luck

 

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

A lot of these terms have no clear definition and get thrown around with different meaning. No drag should be "locked down". That defeats the purpose. There needs to be some give to protect the weakest link in the system. Drag should be 1/3 of line or leader. 20# should suffice. Straight pull on a scale will tell you where you're at. Don't stress over it. 

[Catfish Noob]

The reason I am so concerned about drag is because of the spot I will be fishing. The spot I am fishing is literally a whirlpool where the current seems to be going every direction. I know that if I fell in, I wouldn't survive as it would pull a human under. So if I do hook onto a fish, that fish would have to be huge to survive in those conditions. Plus it is right by rocks and a huge beam structure for a bridge. I don't want the fish getting near there and I already pretty close. So I need to control the fish without the fish pulling too much line out, and I realize that puts more pressure on the line and that is the reason I have heavy fishing line. So I need a very strong drag. Your guy's theory of maybe the 13 lb max drag could be wrong, makes since. I am going to go and grab some left over heavy line and attach it to a 25 pound weight and see if the drag pulls out. Will let you guys know what happens.

[Catfish Noob]

Okay so I gave the ugly stick gx2 too much credit. Those you tube video's claiming how strong the ugly stick is must be fake. Anyways, it started to lift the 25 pound weight up without any line coming out and all of the sudden my ugly stick snapped in 2 places and the 40 pound braided line that I had lying around broke too. I know I had tied the knots right. So I need to get a new rod...R.I.P ugly stick. I think the 13 pound drag is a lie...

[Choporoz]

LOL....sorry....not laughing at you...with you...

 

You may be the only person in years here on BR who has given Ugly Stick too much credit

 

IDK about a 'lie', but I think that the mfr probably figures 13# or better...anything above is a bonus ?  :)

[Catfish Noob]

Ya, I learned my lesson today, which is that the ugly stick isn't that strong...

[riverbasser]

I don't own any rods that I would dead lift a 25lb weight with. 

[Catfish Noob]

So I am guessing you don't catfish then. 

[MisterDeadeye]

2 hours ago, Catfish Noob said:

Ya, I learned my lesson today, which is that the ugly stick isn't that strong...

To test the drag without stressing the rod, you should be pulling on the weight, not trying to lift it like a fish. Like this:

 

O----------------=============()=====

 

Horrible little diagram, but the weight is on the left and you should be pulling straight backward. The rod should not be a factor at all.

 

For future reference, this is the technique you use for snags as well. The rod should be pointing directly at what you're caught on. Obviously, you've figured out what inevitably happens when you do it the wrong way.

[Catfish Noob]

Well, I wasn't thinking about the rod at all because I saw you tube videos of the ugly stick holding up a lot more weight than 25 pounds. However, since my broke, all those videos are fake. So I really don't think it is my fault entirely since I was relying on faulty information.

[TylerT123]

7 hours ago, Catfish Noob said:

Well, I wasn't thinking about the rod at all because I saw you tube videos of the ugly stick holding up a lot more weight than 25 pounds. However, since my broke, all those videos are fake. So I really don't think it is my fault entirely since I was relying on faulty information.

I don’t think they all can be fake, just different conditions..? Not much help with your drag issue and I’m almost sure it’s not but I have to ask is the braid slipping?

[Brad in Texas]

I wouldn't think there is much accuracy in the drag metrics from one reel manufacturer, even model, to another.

 

And, reviews of various reels often indicate that drags are often over-stated.

 

In the end, snapping your rod with 25 lbs. is actually your answer, though, a tough lesson for sure. Those rods ARE tough to break compared to many others. So, if it snapped trying to lift a dead weight of 25 lbs., the result should sort of dial us in on how unnecessary a super high drag capacity is, a drag that exceeds the limits of the rod we are fishing with. Or, fishing line.

 

There is no doubt that you need some power to catch big catfish. I even have issues here on my lake with bowfin taking off with one of my bass lures and making super strong runs, this typically on 10 lbs. braid with an 8 lbs. leader. As the drag is set for that line strength, the junction knot to fluoro, a 4 lbs. bowfin can run out line against drag seemingly effortlessly. My line would likely snap before my rod, for sure.

 

But, I "get" your original question which related to how odd it is that two much different drag ratings don't make any sense.

 

Next up for you? What rod to buy for big cats!!!

 

Brad

 

 

[Catfish Noob]

I did go out and I got a big thick rod that said it was for catfishing. So I hope this one doesn't snap, I am certainly not going to repeat my mistake by putting a 25 pound weight on the end. I will do the test differently next time so that there is hardly any pressure on my rod. However, I think it is safe to say that my reel is at least 25 pounds of drag and not that 13 pound drag that the manufacturer or people of amazon are saying. 

[.ghoti.]

I'm gonna go out on alimb here and say; if your reel is rated at 13lbs of drag, and is giving you more than 25lbs, something is wrong with the reel. Get it fixed before you snap another rod.