When a reel gives a line capacity ie 14lb 250yrds. Is that based on the fact that the reel is only capable of physically handling the 14lb load or that only 250yd of 14lb mono will fit?
What I'm wondering is as braid is a lot thinner, can I put on 250yds of 30lb braid or is 14lb all it can handle?
Yes you can load a reel with 30lb braid and you will get a lot more line on the spool compared to 14lb mono, its the drag and what it can handle,with mono being thicker thats the amount of line capacity that the spool will fit,these days they normaly give you mono and braid capacity on spools or the box it comes in.
So does that mean a reel rated for say 14lb max will have 14 lbs drag?
Post removed. Duplicated below.
Hi guys...the above comments are all true and correct. You can fit a lot more braid on a given spool, thereby increasing the type of fishing can be undertaken with that reel. I regularly use 2500/3000-sized reels for snapper fishing in PPB, with 3 or 4kg braid. Back in the dark ages before braid, I'd run 4500/6000-sized reels to ensure a good capacity with 12 or 15lb mono.
However, as one who services reels for a living, I'd advise against doing what the yanks do, and use braid of equivalent diameter to their old mono. Often, they'll upgrade to a 50 or 60lb braid, in place of their old 20lb mono, and fish it hard!
I've seen this done, and far harder drag settings fished than the reels were designed for, thus bending spool shafts, cutting out bearings way too quickly, and even snapping reel stems!
If a reel is fished way beyond its design parameters, there's a good chance it will fail, and considering that most braids break well above their rated strength, you'll still be fishing with stronger line than the mono equivalent anyway. I see 4500/6000 baitrunners fished down here for snapper, spooled with 50lb braid, and the owners wonder why their reels are wearing out so quickly!
As an example, I've recently spooled a Shimano Aero 4000, with 250m of 10kg braid, (0.18mm), and still had to use around 30m of 20lb mono backing. The line is very fine diameter, so distance casting is a breeze, and I've got heaps of leeway should I tangle with something bigger than expected.
As far as rated drag goes, the manufacturers suggestion of 14lb, is for line B/S to maximize line load, not max drag. It's a guideline, rather than a rule, and many fishos would fish the same spool with anywhere between 3 and 10kg line - using 50 or 60lb braid would be just silly.
As Robfish said, Maintain the breaking strain the reel is designed for. Work out what size line you want to use and select a reel that will handle that size line.
Jack.
Most manufacturers will state the drag capacity of each reel. Don't expect most reels to last long if you are working at close to 100% for extended periods of time
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Horse I agree 100%Originally Posted by Horse
I think quality of the reel plays a big part also. A good mate of mine bought a Salina 3 before we went to 1770 last year. I tried talking him into buying a Saragosa but he thought he would save a couple bucks. The first decent fish he hooked had that Reel spinning backwards.
A mate of mine even tried to convince me to buy that same reel, even after the same thing happened. I think he wanted me to waste my money so that he didnt feel as bad.
I wouldn't be surprised if he was trying to sell you his dodgy reel 2nd hand.
Feels like i am talking to myself here.
I know what you mean!! you seem like a good style of a bloke.
while everything stated is correct, the true answer to the original question is not really the reels drag capabilities, but how much of a certain line will fit on the spool, lots of reels state certain capacities for various size lines, the proper way to determine a reels capacity is line diameter, some 20lb line is way thicker than others, so the amount that can be fitted on the spool is different, this is not to say the line size quoted is not some indication of the reels intended use.
So does anyone want to buy a slightly used Salina 3 by any chance
A Proud Member of
"The Rebel Alliance"
speaking of saragosas. my dad just went chasin black bass in png. brand new 5000 saragosa. Hooked 12 fish. landed 6. reel is fried haha.
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