What are the differences between FRONT drag and REAR drag reels?

Question

I am looking to upgrade/change my current pair of reels. I have often pondered what the differences are between FRONT drag and REAR drag reels. I am open to all comments relevant to the topic.

Also some recommendations of make, models and prices would be appreciated too.

My fishing style if the target chub and barbel on small to medium sized flowing rivers, using legering as opposed to float work.

Many thanks for taking the time to answer this question.

Answer 1

Front drag reels generally have larger drag washers translating into more drag surface which in turn means better control when fighting and landing fish.
I tend to stick with Shimano Stradic MgFA reels which are very sturdy, well designed and highly recommended. Here is a review if you care to read about them:http://www.tackletour.com/reviewshimanostradic2500mgfa.html
available on sale for 157.88 USD (76.93 British Pound, 109.73 Euro)
here:
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageRLSSHIMANO-SSMGFA.html

Some anglers insist a rear drag reel allows ease of adjustment while playing a large fish and that a front drag is cumbersome. I never had any problem making adjustments with either type. It's more of a personal preference I would think.
Good luck m8 with the barbel and chub.

Answer 2

The biggest difference is where the drag adjustment is located, the actual washers are usually in the same place, at the front of the spool. The pressure that is applied to the drags comes from tightening a knob at either the front of the reel or from the rear.

The front drag system is by far the most reliable of the two. In a rear drag, the drag pressure comes through a shaft that runs the length of the reel, no matter where the drag washers are located. This shaft has a tendency to bend over time, then you lose ability to control your drag and since everything else in the reel slides on this shaft your reel can fail completely. A front drag is simple, the pressure is applied directly to the washers, and there is no strain placed on the main shaft.

There are very few rear drag reels available compared with a few years ago and if you check the quality of these you won't find any upper end reels. The one exception is as already stated, the Shimano Bait Runner. This reel is actually a hybrid, with the main drag control being a front drag and the bait runner setting, kind of like a override on the drag, is set from the rear. Excellent reel.

As far as brands my top two picks are Daiwa and Shimano. Both companies make a wide variety in all sizes and price ranges. I'm not up on current pricing as I don't sell reels anymore. Another brand that you might want to look at is Okuma. They have really improved the quality of their product from a few years ago when I would not consider even mentioning them.

Answer 3

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hey man. i can not tell you the set up or the components of but i can tell you that front spool drag is alot stronger. there are too many gear in the reel with a rear drag reel. with the front spool reel you have less gears between the knob and the spool. less is actually more in this situation. and even with the front drag it is easier to adjust your drag in the heat of the battle with a fish. trust me..stay away from the rear spools and don'go around the fix spools. you want and need the drag adjustments when battleing a big fish. fix drags will cause nothing but broken lines. hope that helps out alittle goodluck and good fishin

Answer 4

You're talking about spinning reels here, where the spool remains stationary (fixed) while the bail revolves around the spool to wind in the fishing line. As opposed to revolving spool reels such as a baitcasting reel, where the spool itself rotates to wind the line. Rear drag vs. front drag refers to the location of the drag control knob on a spinning reel. On a front drag reel, the knob is located up front, on top of the spool. In a rear drag design, the knob is located at the back of the reel body.

Answer 5

I have found that if you wish to adjust the drag while fighting a large fish that the rear drag is the easiest to adjust while a fish is on,(how often do you have a fish on and think whens the last time I adjusted the drag?) and the rear drag lever has a shorter throw rather than a front drag with a knob to adjust(you will get a finer adjustment with a front drag), but when I am fighting a fish I am not concerned about the fine adjustments.

try the shimano solstice fishing reel in the 4000 size, it has a rear drag adjustment and a reliable trigger system for bail operation runs about $49 US dollars,,try Cabala's

Answer 6

There isn't that great a difference.... the only one I've noticed is that with a front drag reel, you've got to be careful not to slacken off the nob too much, otherwise it ends up going for a swim (never to be seen again... can you tell I've had that happen before?).

As for makes to look at, I suggest either Shimano, Daiwa or Okuma (as they're generally the best).

Shakespeare are a pretty good alternative if you find the price of the Shimano & Daiwa reels is enough to make your underwear change colour with fright.
http://www.mullarkeys.co.uk/fishing/fishing-reels/carp-pike-freespool-and-baitrunner-fishing-reels/0/shakespeare/6030/

Answer 7

personally i prefer a rear drag for general course fishing, but front drag for carp. but brand names, theres only one to me that stands out, SHIMANO, recently brought 3 10000XTEAs, one of the smoothest reels ive ever owned.
although shimano are expensive, i would rathe pay £100 or so for a decent reel, rather than buy reels at £10-£20 a go that keep on breaking or are just plain useless, which in the long run will turn out more expensive.
but its up to you, choose a reel that you feel comfortable using, have a play about in the tackleshops and see what style drag you find easier to use ' what may apply to one thing, may not always to another'
Tight Lines
Crafty Carper

Answer 8

I tend to use baitrunners for this type of fishing,there are many on the market and really the question has got to be how much do you want to pay?I buy most of my tackle through the net suggest you look at lathams or harris tackle ,they offer a good selection of reels at competitive prices.

Answer 9

shimano bait runners are excellent reels and come in several sizes

Answer 10

has to be front drag as its easy to adjust whilst fishing and ensures the spool is tightened a fully as possible if you need it to as for makes go for shimano or abu
heres a rough idea on the fixed spools available
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jsp?id=cat20333&navAction=jump&navCount=1&cmCat=MainCatcat20166&parentType=category&parentId=cat20166