Saltist 50, Avet LX, and 600h Drag Tests

[Pucky]

I picked up a Mustad scale for weighing fish today... perfect for testing out the drag on my reels. I, like most people, usually test the drag by pulling on the line or by holding the spool and turning the crank (i prefer the 2nd method).

i decided to test the Saltist first because I'm more experienced in setting that drag by "feel".

I set the Saltist's drag to what I normally would for grouper and hooked it up to the scale. Proper drag is measured with the rod bent under full load. I pulled back on the rod until the line fed smoothly off the reel. The scale read 19#. I turned the star one more click and did it again... 23#. Damn the Saltist is only rated for 22#! I think i'll buy the carbontex drags and run them greased. ive read of the saltiga hitting 38# with these drags. the saltist should hit 30# no prob and that means less stress on the crappy brass threads in the star.

well... no drag scale is perfectly accurate. There's a few factors you have to figure in. When you're pulling back on the rod you have the tendency to fluctuate back and forth a tiny bit. The scale only measures the heaviest pull. Also, different rods can change the drag of the same reel. Plus, my reels are all topshotted with mono, everyone knows when you're rocked how your line bites into itself... that keeps the line from feeding off smoothly.

next up... Avet LX. i've toyed with the settings on this reel for awhile now and I finally got it to where it "feels" right. The scale would show the truth.

first pull... 18# at strike and 23# at max. wtf!?! this reel is rated for 20+ at max. (ive read reports up to 28#... just depends how you tune it) i turned the drag knob 2 more clicks and pulled again. 22# at strike! i didnt even need to test the max drag in fear of possibly breaking a bearing.

There was the tiniest bit of resistance in turning the handle. Pulling the drag knob back 1 click would probably relieve this and maintain almost the same amount of drag. Only drawback is that the lever is a little harder to push up. Solution... dont push the lever up to strike. Avets drag curves ramp up so fast anyway. The avet is now a saltist with a lever.

next reel... the Daiwa Sealine 600h. i set this real a little more conservative than the Avet and Saltist because its got 50# Ande's Backcountry line and its for sharking.

First pull, 18#. much too high for 50#. I should be under 15#s to be safe. Well... thats it. Just wanted to see what it was at.


so... i spent $12 and calibrated all my reels. too bad i loosen all the star drags when i'm not using them anyway. at least i know when im setting the drag by feel that im not far off from where it needs to be.

in my opinion 18# is enough to fish with.

[hbn1234]

oooooo...need to bring my avet over and play with the scale Want to see if it can really do 47#s haha

[Pucky]

hahah it only goes up to 25#!

[Lthomas]

Pucky.. I dub thee "Master of the reel"