jaid
02-05-2003, 01:05 PM
After realizing that drags are rated at a specific capacity, and seeing the numbers for a few reels, I started to wonder. When I start to wonder, often times things end up being taken apart, and never finding their way back together, but that hasnt happened just yet in this case...:D
With all of my baitcasters I run a mono backing of 50 yards or so(depending on how much line the spool holds, bigger spool gets more mono), and then powerpro on top of that connected via a uni-uni. I recently unspooled my C4, and throughout last season I had often wondered what would have happened if a fish ever ran all my powerpro off the spool and made it to my uni-uni, if it would hold with the drag cinched down real good or not. So, being curious as I am, as I was unspooling, I got to within a yard or so of the knot, cranked the drag down, wrapped the powerpro on a dowel, and started pulling out the line. Got to the knot, kept pulling. That 14lb test stretched like crazy, but even erratic jerks wouldnt break it nor the uni-uni knot. It either absorbed the shock with stretch, or the drag let out a little line. So I guess my question is, what would be the need for mono rated much higher than the maximum drag capacity on any given reel? Other than matching line diameter with a braid, or trying to fill a spool faster, I cant see the point in backing with real heavy mono. If the maximum drag capacity is 10lbs, wouldnt a 14lb mono be playing it safe, and anything over that be absolute overkill? Am I correct in assuming that going with a mono backing that is rated just above maximum drag capacity, and then matching a braid to that diameter would be effective if a fisher ever tried to empty your entire spool?
Anyone care to put me in the know on drag capacities? Anyone know of a good resource to obtain drag capacities for specific reels(other than tying off to a scale and pulling line out ;) )?
With all of my baitcasters I run a mono backing of 50 yards or so(depending on how much line the spool holds, bigger spool gets more mono), and then powerpro on top of that connected via a uni-uni. I recently unspooled my C4, and throughout last season I had often wondered what would have happened if a fish ever ran all my powerpro off the spool and made it to my uni-uni, if it would hold with the drag cinched down real good or not. So, being curious as I am, as I was unspooling, I got to within a yard or so of the knot, cranked the drag down, wrapped the powerpro on a dowel, and started pulling out the line. Got to the knot, kept pulling. That 14lb test stretched like crazy, but even erratic jerks wouldnt break it nor the uni-uni knot. It either absorbed the shock with stretch, or the drag let out a little line. So I guess my question is, what would be the need for mono rated much higher than the maximum drag capacity on any given reel? Other than matching line diameter with a braid, or trying to fill a spool faster, I cant see the point in backing with real heavy mono. If the maximum drag capacity is 10lbs, wouldnt a 14lb mono be playing it safe, and anything over that be absolute overkill? Am I correct in assuming that going with a mono backing that is rated just above maximum drag capacity, and then matching a braid to that diameter would be effective if a fisher ever tried to empty your entire spool?
Anyone care to put me in the know on drag capacities? Anyone know of a good resource to obtain drag capacities for specific reels(other than tying off to a scale and pulling line out ;) )?