Lever Drag freespool affected by drag setting?

[pitchinwedge]

Hi guys,  just noticed before I left home for yesterday's overnight trip that freespool was being affected by drag settings.  IIRC, the drags at strike were set to approx 15, 20, and 30lbs for 25NLD2, 40NLD2, and 30VISX.  Is this normal or did I have my pre-sets too high?

Once I got on the boat, I backed off the drags a bit and just fished them.  All the action happened on the 25N and I'm guessing I had it just over 10lbs at strike on the boat.  The reel had 60lb flouro + 80lb main.  Although it performed very well with smooth drag, I couldn't help but think it was well under what the 25N is capable of.   

I'll be tearing down all reels later today or tomorrow so hoping for some advice on what look for.  Thanks!

[SoCalAngler]

Hi guys,  just noticed before I left home for yesterday's overnight trip that freespool was being affected by drag settings.  IIRC, the drags at strike were set to approx 15, 20, and 30lbs for 25NLD2, 40NLD2, and 30VISX.  Is this normal or did I have my pre-sets too high?

Once I got on the boat, I backed off the drags a bit and just fished them.  All the action happened on the 25N and I'm guessing I had it just over 10lbs at strike on the boat.  The reel had 60lb flouro + 80lb main.  Although it performed very well with smooth drag, I couldn't help but think it was well under what the 25N is capable of.  

I'll be tearing down all reels later today or tomorrow so hoping for some advice on what look for.  Thanks!

Most here in So Cal use a 25NLD2 as a 40 lb test reel, 50 in a pinch. The 40NLD2 as 50-60 lb test and the 30 as 80 maybe 100 lb.

Set the 25N at 10-12 lbs at strike and only move the lever past strike if your getting spooled and you should be golden. Measure the drag as you move the lever past strike as most LD reels ramp up fast past strike. That way you will know where you start to exceed the max drag for the line used. Max drag should be 1/4 to 1/3 of the lines breaking strength for normal fishing.

So yeah I think you were over taxing that reel.

P.S. Know were your drags are set, never any approximate settings as those are usually off one way or the other.

[pitchinwedge]

Appreciate the input SoCal! It seems I may have indeed been on the high side. 

I would like to know, however, what exactly is happening that causes the free-spool to be affected at higher drag and what components are at risk.  I'm considering the possibility the reduced freespool is just a trade-off.   

Also, I set my drags by lifting straight up on dumbbell weights (with no rod) and then back off a bit more once the weight begins slips slowly.  Does pulling on a scale with the rod at 45* angle could produce drastically different results?   I'd hope not because I don't have a lot of confidence in the accuracy of a $20 spring loaded scale.

[RowdyW]

The higher the pre set drag setting the more pressure you are puttings on the bearings. More pressure on the bearings is causing a loss of free spool at higher settings & equals more bearing wear & tear. That's why when the reel is not in use you back the lever all the way down & into free spool.            Rudy     ps A cheap scale is better then no scale.

[pitchinwedge]

Looking at some spring scales now...  perhaps a Manley 50lb?

[SoCalAngler]

Yep the pinion bearing should be causing the loss of freespool and it can get damaged if fishing too much drag for any LD reel.

Penn lists a max drag of 33 lbs for that reel and that would be at the full setting. I don't own a 25NLD2 so I can't do testing to see where the strike drag would be if you set the reel at its max setting at full. But, like I said most if not all LD reels ramp up very fast once you start to push the lever past the strike setting.

IMO to set your drags correctly you need a spring scale. I use to go through the cheap scales every few years as their accuracy would diminish. I back off my drags after every trip and reset when I gear up for my next trip so my scales would get a lot of use every season.

I finally bought a Chatillon 50 lb spring scale this year. Yeah they cost much more but check sales and such. I had a gift card that I had not used in a year and it just so happened these scales were on sale at the same place I had the card for, a win win right?

I will see how long this one stays accurate but you can also make adjustments to these scales.

[SoCalAngler]

Looking at some spring scales now...  perhaps a Manley 50lb?

They look fine but I have never used one. It also looks like you can make adjustments to that scale too.

Just check your scale every now and then with a known weight. That's how I knew my other scales were out of wack.

You would think that as the scale got worn it would read heavy. That was not the problem in my case. the scales read light.
Meaning if I set my drags to 10 lbs with the scale I was really getting 11.5 to 12 lbs. The higher the drag setting and the more off they got.

[pitchinwedge]

Yeah, I'm going to buy a scale and set drag with mounted on rod and line through the guides.  Looks to be the best approach.  Then, I'll see if there's any freespool issue at my desired drag levels.

BTW, is the pinion bearing the one under the handle assembly?  Between the right side plate and gears?

[SoCalAngler]

Yeah, I'm going to buy a scale and set drag with mounted on rod and line through the guides.  Looks to be the best approach.  Then, I'll see if there's any freespool issue at my desired drag levels.

BTW, is the pinion bearing the one under the handle assembly?  Between the right side plate and gears?

Yes, the pinion gear fits inside that bearing. That is where the name pinion bearing came from.