My Baitcaster reel's drag has stopped working, I know why, but I don't know how to fix it

[Cody B.]

What happened:

I was done fishing in a spot, so I put my frog back and hooked it on the actual reel as most do, I went to tighten my line and it just kept going, and I look down and realize it was because the frog has stopped it the spool from spinning, meaning the handle was spun but the spool didn't go. I didn't thing much of it until I realized doing that made my drag not work. I tried testing by having someone pull from the last eye hole, and it did in fact not work, I tired loosening it and tightening again and it did nothing, but when my friend pulled it again, it made the line go under other line, almost like a reverse backlash, and I'm not sure how to fix this issue.

[Aaron_H]

I may be misunderstanding, but is it possible the braid is slipping on the spool? Is the spool itself not moving when you reel or is it just the line that's not moving?

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Aaron_H said:

I may be misunderstanding, but is it possible the braid is slipping on the spool? Is the spool itself not moving when you reel or is it just the line that's not moving?

what he said. If the braid is slipping, that’s an easy fix.  Make a mega bomb cast, strip another 10 yards, and mark the spool where the remaining line is. Then strip off the rest and fill with mono backing to that mark. Then top with braid. 
 

if the actual drag is pulling, then it could be a couple things in the drag and warrants being looked at by a professional if the reel is worth anything to you. 

[Jar11591]

Most likely your braid is slipping on the spool. 9/10 when drag stops working on a casting reel, this issue is actually line slippage. Unspool all your line (braid I’m assuming), and put some cheap monofilament as backing and then fill the rest with braid. Mono will grip the spool and prevent slippage. If you don’t want to use backing, when you tie the braid to the spool just put a piece of tape over it, then fill the reel normally. Try that and I bet your drag issue will go away. 

[ska4fun]

I never saw 4x braided slipping in the spool of bait casters. Take the line off, it will allow you to test both the line slipping and drag discs problems.

[WRB]

Not good at deciphering gibberish. 

It sounds like you don’t have a drag issue and doubt seriously that you can strip the thread by hand tightening the star drag.

Most if not all modern bait casting reel have a spool with holes to lighten them and use to tie your line through.

1. Pull out the line and or backlash so you can re spool the braid correctly by tying the line through the spool holes.

2. Use a wet rag to run the braid through to keep it tight while re spooling the braid. The problem may be as simple as loose line on the spool if it was secured to start with.

3. If the spool doesn’t turn you broke something. We need the reel brand and model number to help further.

Tom

 

[Cody B.]

17 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

I may be misunderstanding, but is it possible the braid is slipping on the spool? Is the spool itself not moving when you reel or is it just the line that's not moving?

The line and spool move, it acts as if the spool is all the way down, the drag works I figured out, but to a small extent

[Cody B.]

Thank you everyone, I was wrong, I thought the spool and line were spinning, nope just the line, I pulled all the line to the end and turns out my knot came un done, cut off an inch of excess, tied it back and it worked perfectly, quick help too!

[QED]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Not good at deciphering gibberish. [stuff deleted]

 

LOL!  Accurate characterization and yet you still offered help.  Good on you.  "You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!" (Kipling)

[king fisher]

I agree with previous posts and am sure you will be able to fix your drag, simply by respooling the line, either with backing or by securing it solidly to the spool with another method.

    Lately I have had a more serious problem with the drags on all of my reels.  I'm not able to fix the problem, and am starting to get desperate.  I have not been able to catch a bass big enough to pull drag.  Even on a very light drag setting a half pound bass doesn't seem to be able to make a drag ripping run.  Closest thing to a drag screaming run in over a month, was a snagged gill net while drifting in a strong wind. 

[hunterPRO1]

My .02 is that what WRB (no disrespect the the biggest bass catcher of bassresource) and the op are saying to do is wrong, braid cannot grab the spool like mono and should not be tied around the spool or even to a hole in the spool. Even if tied through a hole there can still be light slipping and the knot can fail like it did for Cody and then you are really in a mess, especially if a fish takes off with your lure and a full spool of line.

 

Always coat the bottom of the spool with mono backing, then tie a connection knot and start spooling your braided line.

[redmeansdistortion]

8 minutes ago, hunterPRO1 said:

My .02 is that what WRB (no disrespect the the biggest bass catcher of bassresource) and the op are saying to do is wrong, braid cannot grab the spool like mono and should not be tied around the spool or even to a hole in the spool. Even if tied through a hole there can still be light slipping and the knot can fail like it did for Cody and then you are really in a mess, especially if a fish takes off with your lure and a full spool of line.

 

Always coat the bottom of the spool with mono backing, then tie a connection knot and start spooling your braided line.

Alternatively, if you don't want to run backing line, go 4 wraps around the spool and terminate with a uni-knot.  It won't slip.  Even hard running Atlantic salmon never got this knot to move.

 

[dodgeguy]

On 8/24/2022 at 5:55 PM, king fisher said:

I agree with previous posts and am sure you will be able to fix your drag, simply by respooling the line, either with backing or by securing it solidly to the spool with another method.

    Lately I have had a more serious problem with the drags on all of my reels.  I'm not able to fix the problem, and am starting to get desperate.  I have not been able to catch a bass big enough to pull drag.  Even on a very light drag setting a half pound bass doesn't seem to be able to make a drag ripping run.  Closest thing to a drag screaming run in over a month, was a snagged gill net while drifting in a strong wind. 

Half pound bass don't pull drag

[BlakeMolone]

Had braid slip on me for the first time the other day, thought my reel was broke for a good ten minutes until I remembered I spoiled my braid with no backing just to test it out ? 

[Tatulatard]

17 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Half pound bass don't pull drag

6 punders don't pull drag either. I got one last night on a popper and it went every which way by the boat but couldn't get 2 to 3 lbs of drag to budge.

[JustJames]

1 hour ago, Tatulatard said:

6 punders don't pull drag either. I got one last night on a popper and it went every which way by the boat but couldn't get 2 to 3 lbs of drag to budge.

And you tell me ppl here want big rod, big reel big line even 50lb braid to catch those pathetic bass.

[redmeansdistortion]

22 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_SoCal said:

And you tell me ppl here want big rod, big reel big line even 50lb braid to catch those pathetic bass.

This is what I get a kick out of about bass fishermen in general.  People fishing species such as walleye, panfish, salmon, steelhead, and musky typically use tackle that's matched to the fish.  Bass fishermen are different, using meat sticks, lamp cord, and locking down the drag with a pair of vise grips.  I'm only half joking!  I'll never understand.  Using evenly matched tackle lets you relish the fight of the fish.  Going too big isn't a challenge, more like shooting fish in a barrel to some extent.

[QED]

18 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

This is what I get a kick out of about bass fishermen in general.  People fishing species such as walleye, panfish, salmon, steelhead, and musky typically use tackle that's matched to the fish.  Bass fishermen are different, using meat sticks, lamp cord, and locking down the drag with a pair of vise grips.  I'm only half joking!  I'll never understand. [stuff deleted]

 

I grew up adjacent to the SJ County delta system and started bass fishing using UL spinning and baitcasting gear.  No heavy gear for me except at venues that strictly required it.

[redmeansdistortion]

23 minutes ago, QED said:

 

I grew up adjacent to the SJ County delta system and started bass fishing using UL spinning and baitcasting gear.  No heavy gear for me except at venues that strictly required it.

Similar with me.  I grew up fishing Lake St Clair plus many rivers in Michigan.  I have yet to need anything bigger than a ML unless I'm actively pursuing king salmon, musky, or sturgeon.  A hot coho on a light power is a complete riot.  They can really peel line like you wouldn't believe.  

[dodgeguy]

3 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

This is what I get a kick out of about bass fishermen in general.  People fishing species such as walleye, panfish, salmon, steelhead, and musky typically use tackle that's matched to the fish.  Bass fishermen are different, using meat sticks, lamp cord, and locking down the drag with a pair of vise grips.  I'm only half joking!  I'll never understand.  Using evenly matched tackle lets you relish the fight of the fish.  Going too big isn't a challenge, more like shooting fish in a barrel to some extent.

Fighting the fish to long raises the mortality rate. It's much better to make the fight as short as possible by using equipment that will get them out of cover fast.

[WRB]

On 8/25/2022 at 6:37 AM, redmeansdistortion said:

Alternatively, if you don't want to run backing line, go 4 wraps around the spool and terminate with a uni-knot.  It won't slip.  Even hard running Atlantic salmon never got this knot to move.

 

Good solution for a smooth shallow spool without holes.

Tom

[redmeansdistortion]

14 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Fighting the fish to long raises the mortality rate. It's much better to make the fight as short as possible by using equipment that will get them out of cover fast.

Bass are not fragile like trout or musky, they're exceptionally hardy unless you're catching them in excessively warm water.