The Modern Lever Drag Reel and You :).

[johndtuttle]

Reading the original post and the linked thread at 360tuna was very educational for me. The smallest 2 speed that I have is an International 12VSX, and thought it was small when I was buying it. I've seen people with very small 2 speeds on the So. Cal. Party boats, but never understood the purpose of them. They fish line tests that, in my opinion, don't justify a lever drag or a 2 speed for the same fish that have easily been landed with the same single speed star drag reels for the last 30 years. I can't think of a good reason for me to buy a 2 speed that  has  6/4 to 1 ratio and holds 300 yd. of 30 lb. braid. Maybe I just don't understand marketing..

I'm kinda exploring this with a Fathom 15 LD2 to see where it takes me. I think what people are gaining are reels that cast remarkably well but have straight cranking power when it is desirable. I prefer star drags for live bait, but the prevalence of rail technique has made pure cranking power a premium.

Needless to say, star drags have gotten faster and faster for the young guys, some of the older crew appreciate something that makes turning the handle easier with even modest drag loads as they can't get low gear ratio reels any more. More than one older fisherman I have run into swears by 2-speeds to make his fishing enjoyable.

One young sharpie I ran into was using one for swim bait fishing at cedros when a nice YT picked him up. Having the cranking power of 2 speeds was helpful to quickly turn his head and keep him out of the kelp. Turning the handle at 15lbs of drag is challenging with most single speed reels. So, they do have their performance niche.


regards