How Much Drag Do You ACTUALLY Need on a Spinning Reel?
- By: Pat Ogletree
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Saltwater Fishing Reels, Tackle & Gear
Have you noticed how spinning reels keep advertising bigger and bigger max drag numbers?
Eighteen pounds. Twenty-two pounds. Even twenty-five pounds on reels meant for inshore fishing.
On the surface, it sounds powerful and reassuring.
But when you slow down and think about how we actually fight fish, those numbers start to feel disconnected from reality.
So when I put real weight on the rod and tested it out, the results caught me off guard.
Featured Gear
- Rod: Slam Stick Medium
- Reel: Otis 2500
Key Takeaways
- Those massive max drag numbers on spinning reels are solving a problem most inshore anglers never actually face.
- The amount of pressure you think you’re putting on a fish and what’s really happening at the rod are two very different things.
- One small detail in your setup determines how much drag you can safely use, and it’s not your reel.
- Seeing drag pressure visually changes how you think about fighting fish on medium power rods.
- Choosing the right reel has far more to do with how you fish than any single number on the box.
Final Thoughts
Big drag numbers look great on a box, but they don’t automatically mean a reel is better for inshore fishing. In reality, you only need enough drag to control the fish while protecting your leader, knots, and hooks. A smooth, consistent drag system will land you more fish than raw “max drag” ever will.
Question for you: What drag rating do you usually look for when buying a reel, and after seeing this, would you shop differently?
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I actually don’t know alot about poundage in drag ratings I just set my draws on my reels to the level where I can still hook them properly and they can still take line when need be I think to many anglers worry to much about issues like these but you know me pat im very old fashioned and while im no proffesional angler I do have alot of experience on the water plus the fact while catching fish I do love to do its only a very small part of my enjoyment that I get from being out there the peace from big city life and the not worring about crime to me surpasses just catching fish and the few times I go out and don’t catch any I still consider it a good day when I was young yes it was all about the catch rate but now im fully retired and can slow down and fully enjoy my time on the water plus being fully retired I don’t have to be a weekend warrior or fish those crowded holidays I used to have to do its one of the few things about getting old that’s good thanks for the info and all you do🤔😉👍
Avery good video, Pat. Thanks!
Good video. Liked the demonstration. As for how I have been setting up my drag, honestly I set the drag by the last fish I caught or at least had on the hook. After initially giving it the pull test on dry land, If I felt it was paying out too easy in my estimation with a fish on, I increased the drag. Probably completely wrong after watching your video. But somewhere in history when I was a kid, that is what some adult showed me to do. Thanks again. Please keep up the good work.
Great myth debunked. Thanks so much for that great info, Pat!
Really nice information. I would have thought it would have been more than 5 pounds to bow the rod like. Thanks for this eye opener .
That was an amazing demonstration! Thanks pat.
I tend to think that high rated drag systems can sustain a lot more wear. Does heavy drag capability increase drag system life span? In my mind I see bigger longer wearing surfaces. I am going to use two or three pounds like you do but lasting a long time seems a good quality.
I just use pull test. Initially setting lighter so that a large heavy strike doesn’t break off but has enough pressure for a good hook set. Once the fish is on I readjust tighter then loosen up again once the fish gets near to the boat in case they run.
This video was very informative. I appreciate everything you guys do. And I normally just pull my line like you do to test the drag works. Great, thanks again for the awesome video.
Thanks Pat, this was helpful. It also reinforced some questions I’ve long had about how to tell how much drag I’m setting? I’ve never really learned how to determine how to measure it – or set a reel to that measurement. I typically pull some line and hope I’ve dialed in a safe amount. When you picked up the bag containing the water bottles, I started to get a glimmer of how to test the drag. Can you, in a future report, delve into this subject a bit deeper?