Drag or Back-Reel

[PerchJerker]

I just read a post or two where people were talking about getting good quality reels so you get good quality drags.

That's good advice, but don't rely too much on your drag. You should be back-reeling.

The instant I hook a good fish on a spinning reel I flip off the anti-reverse switch and back-reel the fish as needed. With my line counters and baitcasters, when a fish starts making a run I release the bail and thumb the spool - same for when netting a good fish.

I constantly check and adjust my drag but I NEVER rely on it when playing a good fish. You never know when a weak spot or bad knot or line abrassion will show up and wreck your day.

So ..... how many other back-reelers do we have out there?

[RedDB76]

I use drag - I always felt more comfortable with the drag. I'm curious though - how does backreeling help if you have a bad knot, weak spot, or line abrasion? You still have tension on the line if you are backreeling.

[traveler]

Perchjerker, I never back reel, at al. I have a good fishing friend who swears by it, go figure?? I've been trusting drags for all my fishing years, including lots of fast, strong fish...I always buy quality reels, and really just have 0 breakoffs I can attribute to drag issues. My main problem w/backreeling is it pretty much defeats the purpose...line going out under a prescribed drag setting tires a fish, backreeling is just not precise enough (at least not in my hands) athough I grant you that if a guy were to do it all the time like you do I'm sure you could get the feel for it and be successful. So what happens when you're solo/netting your own fish? One hand on the rod/reel won't work, (or is risky at least) so you have to engage the drag then, right? I want to be very confident in my drag at that most crucial moment (especially on big fish) and if I'm not useing it consistently I wouldn't want to trust it then (think emergency brake on a car, use it all the time or not at all) Just my .02, if it works well for you, keep it up!

[PerchJerker]

Back-reeling does not defeat the purpose of a drag, it enhances the performance of a drag. And back-reeling is more precise than a drag.

If your anti-reverse is off but you don't back-reel, your drag will still operate just like when your anti-reverse is on. But the way I play my fish I back-reel as needed so they never put enough pull on the line to make my drag go.

If I only have 1 hand on the rod/reel, like if I have a net in the other hand, I put my index finger against the bail. It stops the anti-reverse from spinning, and if the fish pulls hard the drag still operates and a split-second later I've moved my finger and am back-reeling again.

I've got top of the line spinning reels, mostly Shimano Stradics, and I constantly test and check and adjust the drags, but I still back-reel every fish that I think might pull hard enough to make the drag go.

[traveler]

I hear ya PJ, but I gotta ask...why? Again, I never lose fish to a good drag (and you darn sure have a good one on the Stradic) and I just can't agree that backreeling is more precise. I've tried it plenty of times, and trust the drag MUCH more. So what do you feel you gain backreeling? Not that it matters much here, but I also fish saltwater some, and those drags are always measured with a scale to a precise poundage, just some more evidence that when it comes to big, tough fish that a good drag is a must. Smalleyes and such, I think whatever you're comfortable with will work, but for wearing down a fish, ya can't beat a good drag:)

[PerchJerker]

Saltwater is completely different - you're talking 30 or 50 or 80 or 100 lb test line, mono that is stiff and abrasion-resistant, and bigger reels with bigger spools and bigger drag washers that spin easier and with less friction. Even so flats and in-shore fisherman will still backreel --- or turn their drags WAY down and let the fish peel off tons of line.

Contrast that to the 6 or 8 lb test line we use, and 1000 and 2000 series sized reels with small drag washers. It doesn't take much of a nick or abrasion to weaken lightweight, limp monos, and it's harder to get small drags to start spinning. Bottom line, a lot less margin for error.

What do I gain? I gain a safety net or bigger margin of error by by not relying on the drag (it's still there as a backup), and I think I play and control the fish better by being able to give it line when needed.

[traveler]

I hear ya perchjerker; didn't mean to argue...I'm gonna stick with the drag, you're a backreeler:) It'll be interesting to see where others come in on this.

[Northlander]

I think backreeling came into play back when spinning reels had a poor drag system. Now that we have very good spinning reels with fantastic drag systems I dont back reel hardly at all anymore. Some friends still do though. I feel that if you have a good reel/drag and you take care of them you are ok. If you have a lower end spinning reel than you may want to try back reeling. My 2 cents.

[iffwalleyes]

I just plain can't back reel. I also don't understand it. I have Shimano's on my main rods for open water and Tica's on all of my ice rigs and I can say I have hardly ever loose a fish to my drag. I always run the drags a little on the loose side. But I just can't figure out back reeling it feels really strange to me. I bet that if a survey was don't it would show more people don't back reel that probably do back reel.

[outdoor ran]

Back reeling just makes no sense to me if you have a good reel and drag. I landed a 60" sturgeon on 6lb test and have never back reeled in my life. I always get a kick out of watching Butch Furtman how he always back reels so he can fight the fish longer. There about dead time he gets them in.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I dont back reel. Like others said it feels awkward to me. Also I feel I keep better tension on the fish with the drag.

[markkstanley]

I tend to rely on my drag with a lot of line out but if I have a decent fish close to the boat I switch over to backreeling. Like Perchjerker said, better control over the situation. You can control the amount of pressure on your line much better backreeling with a little practice.

[Team Otter]

I'm with Mark and PerchJerker on this one.

[garage_logician]

Yep, me too. It may be a habit born out of necessity (my previous spinning reel had a horrible drag). I definitely feel more confident with a decent fish if I can backreel and insure that the fish does not break off.

[Muddog]

I do both. If you use the drag to much on a spinning reel you will put twist in your line. With back reeling you can put just as much pressure to the fish as you wish. Not just one setting. With my bait casters and such, I go toe to toe with the fish. Plus the star drag is right there if you need it.

[BobT]

I'm with you on this one, PerchJercker. I feel much more comfortable backreeling. I figure if I fail to backreel fast enough my drag is there to back me up. I also feel I have a little more control of the tension on put on the fish and control on my rod. It's amazing how often I see guys using drag only to have a fish run under the boat. They end up putting the end of their rod in the water as the fish drags their line across the keel only to lose the fish. I can backreel fast enough to provide enough slack to prevent this in most cases.

Bob

[BFD]

Back-reeling will be like the rotary dial phone: it used to be the only way.....but now, technology is so much better that the next generation won't even know it existed. I always use the drag, have never back reeled, and have never had an issue (as long as you adjust it prior to the first fish!). I used to wonder why in the heck my reel even had that switch.

[soldoncass]

Both are an option. When I'm using my spinning reels I like them so they will back reel if I get something big. When I'm using a baitcaster (trolling usually) I like the drag set a little light so line will go out with tension , but not too tight. I've seen too many people lose the only nice fish they ever catch because the drag wasn't set right. Backreeling gives another way to hang onto that bigone when they are full of fight , and you gotta do it right. The only thing is : if you like to "tell fish stories about the one that got away", crank the drag down and don't backreel. That way you can streeeetch the truth without lying.....ha. Drag and/or backreeling and knots are the most critical part of landing nice fish in my opinion.

[PerchJerker]

Quote:

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if you like to "tell fish stories about the one that got away", crank the drag down and don't backreel. That way you can streeeetch the truth without lying.....ha. Drag and/or backreeling and knots are the most critical part of landing nice fish in my opinion.

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Right on my brother - lmao reading what you wrote

For a little while I was thinking I was the only one that back-reeled, except for my wife, she back-reels too. And from what I'm reading it sounds like she's better at it than 1/2 the guys in this thread

[Northlander]

Line twist isnt from the drag its from reeling against the drag. Either way ya do it do what works best for you. I tend not to backreel but do so at times when I have a hog on. I troll a lot and you cant backreel too good with a linecounter.

[outdoor ran]

she back-reels too. And from what I'm reading it sounds like she's better at it than 1/2 the guys in this thread

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Back reeling does kinda sound like a womens thing

[ccarlson]

I definitely backreel whenever I get a big fish on. Truth is that most people don't fish enough waters with truly big fish in them while using light line and small single hooks so backreeling is a non issue. You don't need it most of the time, only when you have a really big fish on with light line and tackle.

I specifically search out waters for trophy potential walleye and when the water is cool and the fish are shallow and strong, my stradic drag simply can't do enough to keep that fish on if it is hooked lightly. I worry more about a hook breaking the small amount of skin more than the line breaking which is why I backreel.

I can attest to the fact that I don't hook into any more big walleye than the people in my boat but I do get more in the boat simply because I backreel and they don't.

One other thing that goes with this is letting the rod go with the fish when it makes a strong run. Too many people pull back out of instinct when the fish does this but I tend to reach with the fish on the run and stick the rod tip right down in the water if I have to. The initial burst of a fish's run is when it usually comes unhooked so you have to backreel and reach with the fish when it first starts that run. Drags take more energy to start to work but once they start to spin, require less energy to sustain.

ccarlson

[BobT]

I don't agree with putting the rod in the water because the added resistance from the water defeats the flexibility and reaction ability of the rod. Part of the reason for having a good rod is to assist in maintaining tension on the line and if that rod's action is impeded by water resistance, a fish making a sudden turn at you could mean a lost fish.

Bob

[ccarlson]

BobT,

You are right about the rod in the water if the fish is close. I meant that a guy shouldn't be afraid to reach with the fish on a fast run when the fish is still out a ways. I should have been more specific when I mentioned that.

I do whatever I need to do to lessen the sudden pull of a fish when it makes that strong run. As the fish gets closer in then I like to keep my rod higher and out of the water so I still have somewhere to go with him should he make another run near the boat.

One other comment on the backreeling and all different techniques of fighting a fish is that it depends on what kind of line you are using. Mono offers great shock absorbtion for those sudden runs where the drag may not keep up at the initial burst. I use Fireline almost exclusively though so the no stretch aspect of the line needs to be made up for by using a faster action rod tip, backreeling, and reaching when needed.

Also, when backreeling a big fish and doin the netting myself, I always leave a little extra line out from the sinker and then just use my thumb on my reeling hand to switch the reel back to anti reverse. I don't trust myself to hold that spool with my other fingers as I reach with the net.

ccarlson