What is Drag on a Fishing Reel?

Drag on a fishing reel is what makes or breaks your chances of making a successful catch. At the end of the day, you could lose a catch because of your line snapping. That’s why setting the drag is of utmost importance. 

Whether you’re a beginner or a novice looking for help in adjusting the drag or only learning about this, we’ve got you covered will all you need to know. 

What is the Drag on a Fishing Reel?

You first need to understand its mechanics and its purpose. 

The drag is a crucial factor in catching fish that most inexperienced anglers overlook. By adjusting the drag properly, you can catch efficiently while preventing the risk of snapping the line.

The drag system is made up of steel plates that are located inside the reel. These steel plates build pressure on the spool, which adds resistance while the line releases. This system helps you pull big catches without breaking the line.

However, before we move forward, we need to establish, what is drag in fishing?

What Does Drag Mean in Fishing?

Oftentimes inexperienced anglers ask, what does drag mean in fishing? The drag power is measured in pounds and can be adjusted according to your needs.

This adjustment is supposed to be done before casting the line as changing during angling may cause damage to the plates and reel.

What is Max Drag on a Fishing Reel?

The max drag, as the name suggests, is the maximum amount of drag power that you can apply to your fishing reel.

For most anglers, the ultimate strength is around 12 pounds during sail trout fishing. However, during bottom fishing, the amount of drag power can increase up to 20 pounds.

The maximum drag power that experienced anglers use is around 25 to 30 pounds. Any drag after that limit becomes challenging to handle and might adversely affect the chances of getting the catch as well.

Different Types of Drags in Fishing

There isn’t only one cookie-cutter fit drag for all fishing reels fixes and purposes. It’s essential to identify and understand the purpose of these various types of drags.

Centerpin Reel Drag

This type of drag is the most outdated of all other versions. Its mechanisms are simple to understand where the angler has to hold the line to block it. 

This drag requires extensive experience and control use properly. 

Spinning Reel Drag

The spinning reel cast is made up of multiple gears where the drags can be found on the front or the back of the reel. This placement is dependent on their implementations.

The front-placed gears are more potent for catching large fish and are easy to control for experienced anglers. Back put gears are not as powerful, but they prove to be useful for beginner anglers.

Baitcaster Reel Drag

Baitcaster reels under 100 use a similar mechanism as the rated spinning reel with their trigger handle and spool, however, unlike the spinning reel, this drag sits on top of the rod itself and is heavier and more durable.

This drag consists of the clicker mechanism that prevents the spool from going out of control. The clicking sound helps alert the angler when the fish has caught the bait, which makes it easier to take control over.

Baitcaster reel drags are versatile in their settings and can be adjusted to cater to the angler’s needs.

Fly Reel Drag

The most commonly used drag system is the fly reel drag. This system uses the widely known mechanism of a pair of plates. They come in a variety of sizes and designs that the angler can switch out according to their needs.

Sealed plated fly reel drags are preferred for catching large fish, while on the other hand, the “click and pawl” system is suitable for catching smaller fish.

With the click and pawl system, you can catch larger fish as well, but it will require tremendous pressure on the angler’s end.

Spincast Reel Drag

Similar to spinning drag, the spincast reel drag is a more advanced and modified version of the spinning reel drags.

They include the reversion prevention mechanism alongside anti-friction drag, which enables the angler to have more control over the reel.

Anglers prefer this system due to its easy operation and more control over the drag, which enables the angler to catch the fish smoothly regardless of its size. 

How to Set the Drag for Different Kinds of Reels

When it comes to setting up the drag on your fishing reel, it’s crucial to identify the type from the types mentioned earlier.

These types have their specific mechanisms and require different instructions for each style.

The Setting Drag of a Fly Reel

For you to set the drag on the fly reel, turn the attached knob in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction until you reach your desired drag power.

Setting Drag on Spinning or Spincast Reels

Before setting the drag on the spinning or spincast reel, it’s necessary to test the line first. For that, hold the line right above the reel and pull on it. This gives you a fair idea of the pressure being put on the reel through the drag at first.

Then you use the buttons to adjust the drag power on the reel according to your liking. The controls are placed at different locations for every model and often appear as wheels or tiny cranks.

Setting Drag on Baitcaster Reels

For baitcaster reels, the adjustment process is usually the same, and the only difference is within the mechanisms. For most reels of this type, the drag settings are present on the side as a star-shaped knob. Turn it clockwise or anti-clockwise to adjust the pressure on your line.

Conclusion

By understanding what is drag on a fishing reel, you gain complete control over your catch and can help you learn techniques that will aid the process of angling.

With different types come distinct advantages, so be sure to pick one that’s best for you.