Maximum Drag

[glenpandrews]

Hello,

Looking at buying a Shimano reel for kingfish fishing. Will be a spinning reel, but not sure which series. Basically planning on sizing what I need based on line capacity and drag.

Question: Anyone know close you can plan on getting to a reel's maximum drag? Say i'll be fishing 24kg for example and hence want a drag that can put out 8kg pretty easily, can I look at reels with a max drag of 8kg or should I be looking for a max drag 25% or 50% greater than this?

Even if you can't answer this question specifically, any experience on Shimano drag performance at or near the max drag would be useful.

Cheers

Glen

[Guest]

Hello,

Looking at buying a Shimano reel for kingfish fishing. Will be a spinning reel, but not sure which series. Basically planning on sizing what I need based on line capacity and drag.

Question: Anyone know close you can plan on getting to a reel's maximum drag? Say i'll be fishing 24kg for example and hence want a drag that can put out 8kg pretty easily, can I look at reels with a max drag of 8kg or should I be looking for a max drag 25% or 50% greater than this?

Even if you can't answer this question specifically, any experience on Shimano drag performance at or near the max drag would be useful.

Cheers

Glen

Hi Glen,

The drag can be increased on most reels with a carbon tex set of drag washers.

The Stella will have all the drag you can handle and a spheros upgraded will do the job as well.

Cheers Stewy

[jordan.widz]

+1 for the carbon tex drag washers. My dad has a spheros 14000 and got the upgrade for it and now it is so much smoother when under heavy drag pressure.

And I would strongly recomend the spheros to if your looking for a new kingfish reel. Something around the 8000 to 14000 size will do the job on most kings around sydney. Great value for money too and if taken care of it will last you for ever.

[glenpandrews]

OK - so that's two votes for Spheros so I had better take notice Thanks guys.

I was considering a Stradic (or similar, Sustain / Twin Power) in about the 8000 size which has a max drag of 13kg. Thinking was that the heaviest i'd fish was 24KG, so drag at one third of this is 8KG, which is well short of the maximum. How does that logic sound? Reasons why Stradic might not be best to consider?

The Spheros has a max drag of 20KG (and with Carbon Tex washers a smooth drag it seems!) and I note that it is listed on Shimano's website under "Offshore Spinning" rather than "Spinning". Is this (big drag, offshore spinning) the reason it is regarded so well? That, and it's large sizes for lots of line (deep water) and value for money?

Cheers

Glen

[tentonner]

I have two stradics in the 2500 and 3000 size and they are sensational for their price, smooth and tough. However I wouldn't buy them for King fishing depending on your budget I'd go for a spheros like they have said. Otherwise I bought a tuff tackle diablo 9000 two months ago and am loving it, heaps of torque, line capacity, designed for 80lb braid so would handle 50lb easily and aussie made too, I picked mine up for around 370.

Also when you ask about a reel's drag capacity, I personally would not want to go anywhere near any of my reel's drag capacity as it just stuffs your drag washers get a reel with loads of drag.

Edited October 18, 2010 by tentonner

[framedtrash]

if your thinking of getting a Spheros and then upgrading it you might as well just go and buy a saragosa to start with

the gosa's are a pimped out spheros and there a great reel

ive got 2 and i love them i have the 5000 and 18000

no need to upgrade any thing they work strait out of the box (the 5000 might need a drag upgrade) i haven't bothered tho

[glenpandrews]

Right - you have talked me in to it I have changed tack and am considering Spheros and Saragosa now. Thanks for the comments.

"Dartainium Drag" - sounds like something out of back to the future!

Cheers

Glen

[Guest]

Just another thing to remember Glen,

If you are fishing such heavy drag settings ?? make sure your rod is up to scratch as you will surely break any inferior rod.

Regards Stewy

[glenpandrews]

Howdy Stewy,

I should be right for a rod initially - have a t-Curve 15kg to 24kg and i'll be using 30lb line on my spinfisher 8500. The rod looks good for 15kg, but despite the spec i'll have to be careful if / when I go up to 40/50lb on a new reel (drag on the spinfisher isn't what it once was, very old and 30lb is about as much as it can handle. Locks up past about 12lb of drag- goes from 12lb to infinity real quick) as the stick just doesn't LOOK 24kg.

In the meantime, and before any further expenditure, actually find some spots where there are fish! Then when I get spooled by a big one, tackle time Gonna try a few spots off Terrigal on Saturday. I'll also have a 20lb setup in the water, so sods law says that's the one that will get smashed (if I am lucky enough to get smashed).

Off to google "Carbon Tex" now - a new concept for me, replacing the manufacturers drag washers with an aftermarket part, maybe breath some new life into my spinfisher...

Cheers

Glen