Front or Rear drag

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I'll be looking to buy a new reel sometiem this year and the choice will be between Shimano or Diawa around the £100 mark

I've gone for Shimano Stadic in the past but the last model did not ahve as good spools as my previous one

Also I've had rear drag in the past - what if any is the reason to go for front drag - as these cost more

 

[barbelboi]

I believe front drag is better for the simple reason that the washers are larger in diameter, which allows the drag run smoother. However I'm happy with both front and rear drag Shimanos.
Jerry

 

[terry m]

Front drag is generally accepted as being smoother and therefore more superior because it is more directly connected to the spool itself. Rear drag is connected by a through rod inside the reel body.

However, drags these days, if set correctly, are pretty damned reliable. The Stradics have good drags IMO. For a small/medium reel I would look closely at a Shimano with a rear drag and a fighting drag as described in the Gimmick thread.

 

[beerweasel]

Front drag reels are lighter. :w

 

[sam vimes]

Front drag is generally better (smoother, more consistent release) than rear but you lose the ease of adjustability during the playing of a fish. If you are one of those that does everything by backwinding, it matters little which you choose.

 

[little oik]

I have a front and a rear drag Stradic and to be quite Honest I do not think there is much to choose from them .Apart from balance with the FD and ease of use with the RD and the fighting drag

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Thanks

will probably go for the rear drag and save me some cash

looked at the spec last night on Climax and the 2500 hold more line than the 4000 - anyone got any preference between the two

 

[anglerpaulm]

Shimano Fightin' Drag..

But generally front drag. The reels themselves tend to be hardier.

 

[barbelboi]

Thanks

will probably go for the rear drag and save me some cash

looked at the spec last night on Climax and the 2500 hold more line than the 4000 - anyone got any preference between the two

Why not buy the Stradic 3000 , the 3000 is the same size as the 2500 but holds more line. as far as I know that's is the only difference.
Jerry
PS I think you'll find that the 4000 holds considerably more line than both the others.

 

[dezza]

The top rear drag reels from Shimano are truly excellent and you will not notice much of a difference between them and front drag reels.

Personally I get on with both. For very light lines I backwind, for lines above 4lbs bs it's the use of the drag every time for me.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I've looked at Diawa but the RD ones I've looked at that have the button on/off for easy spool change are too expensive

 

[sam vimes]

Thanks

will probably go for the rear drag and save me some cash

looked at the spec last night on Climax and the 2500 hold more line than the 4000 - anyone got any preference between the two

Many of the 3\4000 sized reels in the Shimano match ranges are deemed to have match spools and do have less capacity than the 2500s in the same range. (Look out for S in the model designation in the current ranges. Years ago the used M for match). For precisely that reason I never use a reel smaller than 3000 sized. The bodies are usually exactly the same anyway so any weight saving is down to the smaller sized spool and rotor. Add to that the fact that the smaller diameter spools mean tighter curling of line coming off the spool and it gives greater reason for avoiding 2500, or smaller, Shimano reels. I really can't see any use for them at all. 3000 is quite small enough.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

thansk

Shimano Stradic GTM RC Reel

here are the spec for the reels it looks like the 4000 and 3000 hold less line than the 2500 but if the spool is larger thus reducing line curling then given most waters I fish are small a 4000 would be a better option

 

[sam vimes]

thansk

Shimano Stradic GTM RC Reel

here are the spec for the reels it looks like the 4000 and 3000 hold less line than the 2500 but if the spool is larger thus reducing line curling then given most waters I fish are small a 4000 would be a better option

Look at the model codes and, as I suggested, there's that S in the model codes indicating a shallow spool. I generally go for a 3000 size for float fishing and a 4000 size for legering. If I'm float fishing for barbel then I'll usually go for the 4000. Realistically, there's often not much in it. Perhaps being aware of the gear ratio might be worth looking at. It often changes between 3000 and 4000 sized reels in the same ranges. It can also be worth putting both sizes on the rod you intend to use them on to see if one size balances better than the other.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Thanks Sam

 

[broomy]

I have Shimanos with front and rear drags and prefer the rear drag, especially the fighting drag set up. In fact my favourite reel is a 4000 size with a fighting drag that I use for all my low water barble fishing, The new small baitrunner with the front drag is a nice reel but changing spools on the bankside is fiddly and you have to reset the drag each time. Also I am personaly finding the line clip on my new Shimanos very difficult to actually get the line engaged. Even though I only use the clip for storage when taking the reel off.

 

[OliverJameson]

I'll be looking to buy a new reel sometiem this year and the choice will be between Shimano or Diawa around the £100 mark

I've gone for Shimano Stadic in the past but the last model did not ahve as good spools as my previous one

Also I've had rear drag in the past - what if any is the reason to go for front drag - as these cost more

Hello everyone, the topic is very interesting. I have been choosing a rod for fishing for a long time. And I chose the coil in the same way. I saw a review of a Shimano reel on YouTube, and then read this article about reels https://theoutdoorsman.org/best-shimano-spinning-reels/. Do any of you use Shimano reels? And is it worth buying it at all, I will be glad for your help.
Olver.

 

[Keith M]

Hello everyone, the topic is very interesting. I have been choosing a rod for fishing for a long time. And I chose the coil in the same way. I saw a review of a Shimano reel on YouTube, and then read this article about reels https://theoutdoorsman.org/best-shimano-spinning-reels/. Do any of you use Shimano reels? And is it worth buying it at all, I will be glad for your help.
Olver.

Hi Oliver,
Most of my reels (but not all) are made by Shimano and they’ve all been excellent reels.

I also have a few Diawa, Drennan and Abu reels but out of all of them my Shimanos get used the most. Diawa also have a large following although I myself prefer my Shimano reels.

Sam has already mentioned all you really need to know about which size and models to use in different situations (float,leger and/or lure fishing etc.)

Examples of which ones that I generally use:
I usually use my Shimano-Aero-4000FA front drag reel when I’m fishing a float or feeder for smaller species. The front drag allows me to set the drag a little more precisely when using fine lines.
I usually use my Shimano Stradic GTM-RC 4000 rear drag reel for leger/feeder fishing for mid sized fish like Chub or Tench and occasionally for Barbel and small Carp etc.
I usually use my various rear drag Shimanos (5000 and 6000 series reels) with baitrunner functions for my heavier work (Barbel, Carp, Pike etc.)

Front or rear drag?
Front drags are generally more sensitive because of the slightly larger drag washers you often get with them; however some of the cheaper models can have far less range of adjustment and the front knob can unscrew and even fall off if you loosen it too much; however the more expensive front drag models have a much larger range of adjustment and don’t seem to suffer from the knob falling off when you’ve loosened the drag right off.
The more sensitive adjustments that a front drag reel gives you can make it a lot better when finer lines are being used.

Rear drags are a lot easier to adjust while you are playing a big fish; not least because you are not trying to adjust a drag on the front of a moving spool (that could be spinning); which is a very useful thing when your playing a much larger fish. I often adjust my drag several times when I’m fighting a large fish. Plus there isn’t a drag knob to fall off if you loosen the drag too much either.
Because rear drag reels are not generally used for light float work; and are mainly used with slightly heavier lines; the ultra sensitive adjustments that you get with the front drag reels is not really needed; although they are still sensitive enough for most other fishing situations.

I stress that this is just my opinion and others on here may think differently.

Keith

 

[fishface1]

Keith - spot on.

Front drag for finesse.

Rear drag for when it doesn’t really matter.

Or even better, your mk1 thumb and a centrepin.....

 

[waldi]

I used rear drags untill I dropped a shimano super GT in the water while on holiday.

While wet the drag was useless. Took days to dry out and was never smooth again.

Where I am a service from shimano or Daiwa takes about six weeks, so only front drags for me from now on.

Concerning rear drags being easier to adjust while playing a fish:

Don,t see it myself.