Front Drag Or Rear Drag, What Do You Prefer? 2024

outdoorsman110 reply :

I prefer Rear Drag on my spinning reels, what about you?

Stasher1 reply :

Front drag. I rarely have to adjust my drag while fighting a fish, and in some (many?) cases front drag reels have larger diameter drag washers.

00 mod reply :

Front

Jeff

J Francho reply :

Front.

Siebert Outdoors reply :

Front. I only adjust the drag for the lb line I'm using then never touch it. I also believe front drag is smoother.

outdoorsman110 reply :

Interesting guys, I like my drag in the back because a can adjust it faster, maybe I should learn to adjust front drags faster.

J Francho reply :

Or set it properly in the first place. No need to adjust it then.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Right, the drag should be adjusted to the line weight/strength which won't change mid-fight. Also, rear drags are difficult to service.

J Francho reply :

I use the force to check my drags, but occasionally hook them up to a scale to validate my feel. I like 1/4 to 1/3 line breaking strenth or rod rating, whichever is lower.

SirSnookalot reply :

Front drag and pretty normal for me to adjust it when I'm fighting certain fish. I know where I like it and I set it differently for different fish and different techniques.

After I got comfortable with a lever drag on a conventional reel, I don't think I would go back to a star drag, that drag hasn't been touched in 4 years.

Hooligan reply :

Front. The mechanical advantage of a front drag reel is that it's more accurate than a rear drag reel. I've seen a lot of results of rear drag reels varying in consistency throughout a period of pressure. Front drag reels pressure remains much more stable during the time period, not to mention, like DVT said, they're a pain to service.

Hi Salenity reply :

I like the rear drag location but I won't buy a reel that has the rear drag due in part to the extra bulk on the rear of the reel.

Nodda4me reply :

My drag is on top of the spool, is that "front" drag?

Diggy reply :

Yes^

tholmes reply :

Another vote for front drag.

Tom

outdoorsman110 reply :

Well guys, I compared my Spriex Rear Drag to a Spirex Front Drag, the front drag IS better.. Easier to maintain and such.. I kinda like to fight the fish so the rear drag DOES make that easier, but if you set the front drag you don't need to play the drag.. So I'm gonna play around with front drags, and maybe I'll change my mind, I'm used to 80/90's shimanos with the RD, just gotta adjust.

21farms reply :

front drags are mechanically simpler and typically offer a more direct route to a larger drag stack. otherwise, in addition to the quick access to the drag lever, a rear-drag reel offers super fast and easy push-button spool swaps. still, front drags are my choice.

J Francho reply :

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a rear-drag reel offers super fast and easy push-button spool swaps

That is about the only advantage I can see with a rear drag. Abu used to make a spinning reel with what they called a "middle" drag. The stack was behind the spool, instead in front of it. The base of the spool was a dial that adjusted the resistance. The stack was huge, like 9 elements, and at least 2" in diameter. Greater surface area, easy to adjust, and still had push button spool swaps. These were Swedish built reels. I guess that's just too complex for China to make.

tugsandpulls reply :

_front

mikeeasttn reply :

Front Drag only. Have had 2 rear drag reels and will never buy one again. Lost quite a few fish due to the drag not being consistent in letting line come off spool.

iceintheveins reply :

Front always, they just are much smoother, even though I adjust my drag during a fight with a big fish.

NBR reply :

Front. While I back reel instead of letting the drag slip before I converted to back reeling I saw no need to reset the drag during the battle with a fish.

This might be different with a huge saltwater fish but I have no experience with this.

iceintheveins reply :

Since I also fish channel cats, big trout, and pike in addition to bass, a smooth drag is a neccessity. When catching 4 pound smallies in swift river current, you will appreciate a smooth drag.

J Francho reply :

On 4/20/2012 at 3:50 PM, iceintheveins said:

Front always, they just are much smoother, even though I adjust my drag during a fight with a big fish.

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.

SirSnookalot reply :

All depends on the fish. Dialing down with a bigger fish like a 40# tarpon will get you spooled pretty quick. I may tighten my drag to about 15# but I'm always palming and releasing the spool to slow it and tire it out. I may add that rod position adds drag too, more at the 11:00 than at 9:00. An amberjacks on the other hand, even a small one like 30 or 40#, caught on one my offshore spinning reels which have 30# of drag may not stop that fish on full drag, we have to run them down with the boat. IMO it's easier to handle a bigger fish from boat than from shore, more open water, no pylons to deal with and the fish can always be chased down. The helmsman may be important than the fisherman.

flippin and pitchin reply :

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

J Francho reply :

Quote
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 reply :

On 4/21/2012 at 3:45 AM, J Francho 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.

Bingo!

Bill16 reply :

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

SirSnookalot reply :

Quote
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.

Quote
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 reply :

Quote
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 reply :

On 4/22/2012 at 4:22 AM, J Francho said:

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 reply :

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 reply :

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 reply :

Front

G_money reply :

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

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

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Front Drag Or Rear Drag, What Do You Prefer? 2024

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