Front & Rear drag advice onb spinning reels

[skins4]

Hi, Can anyone tell me what the idea is behind spinning reals with both front and rear drag? I presumed it was the one system but applied from either position. But apparently the lever at the back of the reel has something to do with the activation of the drag and you are able to set both drags to different settings.

Anyone with any knowledge about these systems at all?? Please help. :-? :-? :-? :-? :-?


Cheers steve0

[szopen]

I have seen spinnig reels with either of the drag systems.

The back drag system in my opinion is muc inferior to the front drag one.

This is unless you are talking about the baitrunner drag systems where th back side drag is independend from the front side and controls only the very light settings.

[Huggy_B]

I believe you are talking about a bait-runner.

[skins4]

Yes, I do think it was referred to as a baitrunner.


steve0

[blaze]

the idea behind the bait runner is the reel is set in free spool with the lever at the back, the pressure for the free spool is set by the rear drag and on a turn of the handle the reel is engaged and the front drag takes over like a normal reel.
cheers
blaze

[Tony_N]

If its a baitrunner you are talking about, I'm sure there are lots of different ways people use them - but the following is how I use my Shimano 6500 baitrunner

A lot of people including myself use them for floatlining - putting a floating bait (either a livie or dead whole) with no or very little weight out the back of the boat in a burley trail.

If fishing for snapper I set the back drag at zero. I've even seen an article where the guy had his rod in rod holders at the horizontal to minimise the resistance for catching big snapper. ie the line then slips through the guides with minimum resistance. When the bait is well-taken the reel handle is turned and the front drag (set at one third of the breaking strain of the line) takes over to fight the fish.

A word of warning - do not hook a spanish mackerel using the zero setting on the rear drag. I did this once and got my first birdsnest ever in a spinning reel. It was just one ugly thump and whack - broken off with a serious tangle to deal with.

cheers

Tony