Drag or Back reel?

[Bobby Bass]

Drag or back reel? With the advancements in drags the past 10 to 15 years how many of you still or have some of you ever back reeled? Do you always just go with using your reels drag?

[Doop]

I have backreeled many a northern in on 4lb test. I have a hard time believing I would have landed these fish on a drag system.

Backreel till the cows come home!

[Tofishem]

Back Reel....Take the lock off right away and have landed many-a big fish back reeling. It's just habit for me. I've seen to many fish lost on a drag!

[youngie22]

I am not a expert here.. But I can't beleive that I can out preform my shimano drag system by back reeling. I have only used the back reel few times for snags rather than opening the bail. I do own a few reels w/ a dual drag system w/ a lever that loosens and tightens the drag during the fight of a fish. I realy like that feature when it is needed.

[stmichael]

I have always counted on my drag, I also have caught 26" Walleyes through the ice on 4 lb. test. and also 4 lb. test using the ultralight in the boat catching 19" inchers. I have tried to back reel, but, I could never get it to work right.

[nofishfisherman]

This exact topic was discussed in depth a while back. If you do a search I am sure you can find it.

Seemed most people had faith in their drag systems.

[eyepatrol]

Drag

[Tofishem]

Ford or Chevy.. Preference.

[Dan Thiem]

My luck with using the back reel technique usually ends up with a messy birds nest. So ya the reels drag and the rod flex for me too.

[GlassEyeangler]

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Ford or Chevy.. Preference.

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Johnson or Mercury?

[riverrat56]

Drag, pulled a 13lb northern in on 4 lb line using drag. Also many big carp on walleye gear.

And it just sounds better.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Drag!!!

Plus, I prefer baitcasters in most situations...can't backreel one of them.

[Deitz Dittrich]

For me it really depends on what I am fishing for, and what I have for gear.. and what I have on the end of my line?

I do fish with baitcasters quite a bit, and none of them have back reel, so drag! But I also fish with a lot of spinning gear, and if I just have a large fish of what I am after, then I will usually just trust the drag. But if I am fishing a jigworm for bass, and hook a muskie, then I will usually do a little backreel action. So, if I know I am undermatched I will help the drag out... but otherwise... trust the drag.

[Tofishem]

Ok, no duh? Baitcasters definitely!

I assumed we were discussing spinning rods! I have NO problem putting my hand below the spool to control the unspooling.

[slipperybob]

Depends on the kind of fish. Something that has nice steady pull for long time, I'd back drag it. I don't like line twists. Something that quickly bursts into speed for short distances, I'd allow drag. I don't want a bird's nest either.

Then again I could almost as easily reach over and loosen the drag and then tighten it back up...

[CrappieAttitude]

Drag....

I remember the first time I saw someone back reel and it looked like he was jerking the reel and I thought he looked totally awkward. He did land the fish and I remember looking at him dumbfounded and asking him "doesn't your drag work?"

I personally don't think there is a better sound than the "zing of the drag"

But thats just me!

CA

[311Hemi]

The last 3 reels I have purchased have been the Shimano spinning reals with the rear "fighting drag" lever. I use this quite often. I usually have it set on high to set the hook and then will back it off right away.

I have never back reeled.....or even understood why my reel even did that until now!

[BobT]

Sounds like I'm in a bit of a minority but, my name is Bob and I'm a backreeler. I think backreeling is something of an art that takes practice and patience. It took a while for me to get comfortable with it but there have been times when I believe I would have lost fish were it not for backreeling. One time I was using a spinning reel with the drag adjustment on the spool. I got into it with a really nice northern and every time he peeled line off my drag, the turning of the spool also turned the nut causing it to increase drag tension. Of course this was happening without my knowledge and eventually the line gave way. Had I been backreeling, I would have had a better chance at landing him or more likely her. I still set my drag to about 35% - 50% of line strength so I have the drag as a backup to my backreeling.

My baitcaster reels also have the ability to backreel.

Bob

[Dark Cloud]

I let the drag do most of the work but still click it over to backreel when I hook something better. If they make a big run at the boat,shore, or hole I can backreel a tad.

there is definatly an art to it that some perfected before drags became what they are today...

[PerchJerker]

For big fish I backreel. If they're on casting gear (baitcasters or linecounters), I'll release the spool and thumb the spool if the fish is close to the boat and I think it's going to run.

A drag only has to fail one time, or you only have to have one nick or weak spot in your line, to wish you would have backreeled. Backreeling is 2nd nature for me now, I don't even realize that I'm doing it.

The thread that discussed this is in the Walleye forum.

[slotlimit]

It only takes one time where you are using the back reel method and you forget to flip the switch while you are reaching for the net. A couple of buddies and i where fishing in my boat and another buddy was in his boat and he had a nice eye on. Needless to say when he was reaching for the net he forgot to flip the switch and the fish was gone. I think he threw his back reeling ideas in the garbage. But we will never let him forget!

[Bobby Bass]

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The thread that discussed this is in the Walleye forum.

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Well that's why I didn't see it!! You don't think Bobby Bass reads the walleye forum! I don't back reel, I will feather the spool with my hand or on a baitcaster I will burn the thumb from time to time. If I am flipping docks I will set the hook then free spool and use my thumb, Have lost a few nice fish really close in when forgetting and just have the drag on. Thanks for all the answers so far guys..

[Orlip]

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Ford or Chevy.. Preference.

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Johnson or Mercury?

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Marcum or Vexlar?

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Drag!

I never could figure out why anyone would back reel if they had a decent reel with a good drag system that was set right for the line you had spooled.

I did have a spinning reel once that had a poor drag that would get tighter as a fish pulled out line. Filed that reel at the local dump!

Cliff

[slipperybob]

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It only takes one time where you are using the back reel method and you forget to flip the switch while you are reaching for the net. A couple of buddies and i where fishing in my boat and another buddy was in his boat and he had a nice eye on. Needless to say when he was reaching for the net he forgot to flip the switch and the fish was gone. I think he threw his back reeling ideas in the garbage. But we will never let him forget!

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Oh that's classic! But that's not as funny as someone else I witnessed. They'd got their drag set so low that line spools out at the same time it's being reeled in. Now I don't know how many times a person can do that, but I was expecting line twist on the cast. Well sure enough, after the third fish and line, the next cast went "boing!" and hook and sinker went flying and there's a big mess in the rod guides. LOL's

What a lot of people forget is that while back spinning you can just touch the bail and it'll stop. While using a very loose drag, you can just touch the spool to increase your resistance and stop it too. Touching the bail is easier, but like the classic above, if you're not proficient and forget...LOL's the fish has just out-smarted you.

[BobT]

I think we can easily come up with scenarios if favor or against either method. I believe it comes down to what one is comfortable with and I incorporate a little of both relying primarily on backreeling with a sense of security knowing that I have a drag system that can kick in if I don't.

Because I prefer to backreel, I also like to leave my anti-reverse unlocked all the time. This proved to be a problem one time when a friend who was fishing with me noticed my line going out and grabbed my rig to set the hook only to find out that the reel was able to free spin. Turned into a "reel" mess.

Bob

[eyewinder]

I've seen a number of good fish lost by anglers who try to adjust their drag during the fight.

I set my drag relatively loose, and don't engage the anti-reverse until it's time to put the rod & reel away.

I think the drag is fine for average-size fish and even larger fish that aren't known for fighting qualities.

I've seen large trout-salmon-hybrid stripers move so-o-o fast that a drag is an impediment to landing the fish.

But, probably most important, when using no-stretch lines the drag will often contribute to ripping the hook out of the fish's mouth, where backreeling won't.

[TKO_PUNCH]

No doubt about it, backreel with a big walleye. You can feel and respond to her every move. More of an art and better experience once you land the big pig. With a drag, you just wait until she tires.

[slipperybob]

Back reeling is sort of an art. I'd almost wish that there were some kind of drag system for back reeling, because sometimes when a fish take's off and "Zzzzzziisssshhhhhh!" you're other hand is not on the handle...it wouldn't just bird nest on you.

About some years ago, there was this company that came out with a back reeling spool bail system. I purchased the reel. It was heavy, very heavy with probably twice the weight of an equivalent spinning real. I really like the engineering design of it. However it was poorly machined and the part's didn't fit so well together. It was a very wobbly reel in comparison to it's engineered concept of eliminating wobble and bird nests. I never even spool line on it. I returned the mail ordered reel and took whatever refund I got back.

[upnorth]

I rely on the drag, but I set my drag pretty darn light. I rely on my finger for added a bit more drag/pressure when fighting a larger fish and it allows me to let a big fish run if he wants too. I have landed some pretty good sized Steelhead(upto 10 #) and Salmon(upto 19 #) on 6# line using that method.