This was excellent, as your videos always are...I am amazed at the lack of documentation and instructional there are for these types of reels. I usually use spinning gear to fish inshore and near shore along the Georgia coast, and a couple times a year in the Keys. I was given a Penn 50VSW rod and reel for Xmas and was trying to figure out how to set the drag and this cleared it up. Thanks again and keep them coming...
Took my brand new Battle II 5000 for a spin yesterday for the very first time and I hooked a 20lb yellowtail using a Ugly Stik X2 (medium hard) rod ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxM68VkfsQhHaabDce1IwOCXuvumcpbZ_k . This combo was recommended on some website and it did not disappoint me. The reel is smooth, the drag click is pretty cool cause i think it adds to the excitement of fighting the fish, personally the drag is my favorite part. I use braid and 300 yards will fill the entire spool. This combo is my main setup from now on although I have to disclose I am new to fishing.
I just currently bought an Avet SXJ what would you put on it as line cap? and what would you set the drag at? I mainly fish for spanish Mackeral and Kingfish
Hi, Thanks for the video! I am interested in using the same Profish scale that you mentioned in your video for also testing line and knot breaking strengths. Could you tell me if this scale would possibly be broken or will read inaccurately after monofilament line has been tested and repeatedly broken while attached to this style of scale? Thanks, Tony
Very good instruction as always, thanks! Quick question, does the max drag ever change? I'm assuming the max always stays the same when locked down? Just wanted to confirm it doesn't change with adjusting the strike.
+Jeff McDonald Drag levels will increase as the line is pulled off the spool, as the height of the line on the spool decreases. The max load will change as the preset is increased as well. Nothing linear about this, different reels, different manufacturers all have variance. So, testing is called for. It's very rare to need to advance the lever towards full - that's something I'd only do in a situation where I'm either going to turn the fish or loose it, or possibly at the end game when things go vertical. Otherwise it's best to allow the drag to do what it's supposed to do, tire the fish and as the lactic acid builds up in the fish and strength decreases, line is gained.
so the preset thing on the side only controls the strike setting it doesnt control the drag above strike? sorry im new to these reels and am going to buy a avet lx soon so I want to know how to use it properly
Do you set the drag on all the reels you spool? I recently bought a reel from Charkbait and got the free spooling and was just wondering if I should go out and buy a scale.
I my be missing something you put braid on first then mono.on my spinning reels I put a small amount of mono on then finish with braid an the use a fluorocarbon shock leader on.
Great video I just purchased my first avet 5.8 mx and was having problems with casting and getting backlashes. How do I set the reel so that when casting out far my spool doesn't spin so fast that my line back lashes into a bird nest. I do use my thumb for control but I still end up with bird nest regardless?
If you had purchased the MC version of the reel, most of your problems would have been cured to begin with. With a non MC Avet or other saltwater reel designed for casting you'll need to take the time to practice casting, These reels are made to spin! You could increase pressure on the preset knob, then make use of the first position on the lever to add a tad of resistance. By doing that (increasing your preset) you've now adjusted your drag so that it may not match up with your line test. Best is to accept the fact that with practice you'll have far less backlashes and longer casts. To a certain extent the rod can provide an influence, but your thumb will overcome over-runs - there's really no alternative than jumping on the learning curve.
Thanks for the detailed help I have used bait casters before and have always adjusted well with star drag casters, but since these are lever drag i'm a bit stumped but like you said eventually with practice I should be able to cast like a champ. I was thinking of the mc version but heard that there not that great for casting.
Well, it all depends upon the fish, and while I've taken plenty of 100# tuna on my own JX's, when you mention PLUS...well, there's a reason guys will fish 50 class reels, too. It all depends upon the fish...and keeping pressure on 'em and having enough low grinding pressure through a low gear to turn their head and keep it turned and coming your way.
What happens when 25-33% of the pound test line is more than the max drag at strike? I guess an example would be 50 pound braid (so about 12.5 pounds of drag at strike desired) on an Avet SX where max drag at strike is 9 pounds. You'd have to throw the 25-33% rule out the window scenario and set it below the max drag, wouldn't you?
I have a older tld 30 shinoma 2 speed lever drag reel .... are these reels supposed to be for droppin in the water or are you able to cast it out? my line always gets tangled up when i try to cast it thanks mark
Nice video im new to the lever drag system. ONE question....is 25-33 % drag setting for trolling and fishing as well ? I don't intend to troll with my reel i have a penn VSX30 with 60lb braid and about 100 yards of 50 lb mono i intend to use it to fish for Pacific yellow tail and maybe some tuna. I currently have the drag at strike 30lbs, thank you in advance.
Same for any reel, drag setting is based upon line test being used. To a certain extent the type of line can influence setting, some going softer like 25% if running straight braid - no stretch...
thank you for that piece of info..is it necessary to have the reel on strike when i hook a fish? can i have it on one of the lowest drag settings and then increase drag to strike using the lever if i feel the fish requires more drag pressure?
eli madr Yes, you fish the reel at the strike position typically. Some will fish 'em in freespool, then engage the lever (push up to strike) upon getting bit.
Thank You. I may feel more comfortable fishing at the lowest setting not free spool then increasing to full past strike if need be...will i break anything if i do it this way? thank you and sorry to sound so dumb. It's my first lever drag reel and I would hate to break it.thanks again.
Mark, does having a topshot influence how you set your drag? I have my SX with 30# line set at 8lbs of drag and my G2 MXL with 40# line set at 12lbs of drag. I am wondering if I put a mono topshot same poundage if I should increase the drag due to stretch. I know the SX is close to maxed out but the MXL has some space. Just a thought!
Set the drag for the lightest line that's on the reel, regardless of line type (mono, FL, braid...). Typical to set the drag at up to 30% of the line's test.
Thank you. By the way, and I’m sure you know this, but you’re market has reached me in Maryland. I’ve watched your videos for years, but yesterday at my local Bass Pro a guy was looking at an Avet reel but only to see the size because he was buying it from you all. We are about as far from San Diego as it gets it the US.
@@jeffsmith8958 This little mom & pop type enterprise (and me personally, of course) thank you kindly. It's been a pretty interesting run, a bit of an underdog sort of tale.
Hello there, I went fishing over the weekend i used an older penn international 50sw i ran into an issue where i set the drag to about 8 lbs and 5 minutes later some how the lever came down to almost free spool , i then raised the lever to about 15 lbs and about 5 minutes later the drag moved up by itself to about 25lbs i did mange to land the fish ,not sure if the drag moved up when the fish hit the feather. Any idea what i may be doing wrong?
hi there i was unaware that i had to troll with drag set at 25-30%of line test so a small fish wont set off the alarm...i ran a few experiments: i mounted the reel on a rod and set the drag to about 10lbs i had my wife hold the rod and i speed walked about 100 ft and the lever drag stayed at 10lbs i increased drag to about 15lbs did the same and drag remained at 15lbs i got a bucket and added 17bs of weight and pretended to reel in a fish as i lifted the rod the drag functioned smoothly and the lever drag did not move which was a good sign.i tried that about 15 times . i then increased the drag to 15 lbs bucket remained at 15lbs and as i lifted the rod/reel the bucket raised and the drag did not slip . Every thing seems fine internally the reel is very clean i cleaned it myself ht 100 washers are in great shape and conditioned with Cals drag grease lightly. My conclusion is that some rookie on the boat moved my lever as we were trolling ,i got on a boat with nothing but first timers and they probably got curious and moved the lever manually.....Thank you sooo much for your advice. Next time when i troll i will be on the back of the boat and not in the front.
Not many rods for under $200 I can honestly recommend for a serious application, heavy lines, high drag capable reel. It really would have to be a trolling type rod. Most doing what you are planning like a longer rod than your basic troller. This is one to talk about, better to call our shop than post and address question here. I don't usually catch posts on our channel, but do get back to folks via email.
Mark Smith thanks so much for the reply Mark, the sharks I'm targeting are 400lbs and under, mostly 200-300 tho. I'll give the shop a call when I get a chance to try to figure out what would be good to match with an avet 30w. thanks Mark, take care Randy
I ended up going with a shimano talus 40-60lb 8ft primarily h glass composite and I gave it a good test and it was able to handle around 20+lbs of drag which should be plenty considering I'll be filling my 30w with 80lb braid and 80lb topshot of mono.
Hey before watching this video I accendently adjusted my preset while it was in strike it only let me go a few clicks in each direction this is a brand new avet reel so I'm kinda scared do you think this caused any damage or is it alright thanks
Glad that the video helped prevent damage to the reel. As long as you didn't try to force things you should be fine. If the reel operates okay now, drag can be adjusted, freespool performance good, lever works properly, you are just fine and no damage has been done. But always remember to only adjust your present when the lever is in the freespool position.
When I set my reel so it stops turning when my 3 oz is dropped I cannot move my lever but a little bit to reel it in. I could not move it to strike zone or any where else
That's NOT the way the preset is used on saltwater leverdrag reels. The preset is NOT a cast control. You are using that feature incorrectly. These are not like small freshwater baitcasters with levelwinds. The preset knob is only used to set the drag for the line test being fished, not to add additional pressure for casting. Set the drag properly, as the vid demonstrates. Then advance the lever to slow the spool based upon the weight used - that's not what I or others would do (we'd use our thumb to control spool ).
Daniel Lane that’s why the narrow spools are favored for jigging, the line may pile up a little in retrieve but narrow spool will help in self-leveling.
An arc fine, a vertical load is not fine - it breaks rods, any rod. If testing on a rod, 2 guys one on the rod/reel the other w/spring scale and rod with a bend: I'd typically set my drag at 30% of the lightest test line on the reel. If the rod is pointed straight at me or I'm having another person simply hold the reel while I give the scale/line a strong pull: then I'd set my own drag closer to 25-28% given an increase of drag via the rod's bend fighting a fish.
Bucket of water, calibrated... That concept can save anglers a whopping 12-20 bucks! But, sadly I live in CA and the cost of water is more than the scale! Hmmm, water at 8 lbs per gallon, 30 lbs of drag equals a precise 3.75 gallons of water, take away 6 ounces for the bucket, drop the water to 3.69 gallons... Shucks might be great to take darn bucket along with me next time I go on a charter... Please let me know when you produce a water bucket drag setting video and I'll cross link back to it! Sorry for sarcasm, but give me just a bit of a break "an ad for selling a spring scale?" Yes, we do offer spring scales, but no I'm not putting my kids thru college by selling them. There are many sources for those products. I will add that the one we offer is easier to use for most folks since the math is done for the angler. In practice, I don't really give a rats-butt what a person uses to set their drag BUT I ENCOURAGE any angler (especially those using a lever drag) to set their drag accurately based upon the line test being fished in order to maximize the benefits of the reel's drag system. That's the whole point in the vid. There are a lot of anglers who have purchased leverdrags and really don't know how to set their drag properly. I get those calls every week. I make use of the vids to help folks and save time. Whether I sell a scale or not is very much secondary, our primary business is selling reels and we want folks to enjoy them. That's why I took the time to make a vid. .
@@CharkBaitUSA Good sarcasm is always appreciated! Unless you are fishing with some of that IFGA certified fishing line the math is unnecessary as line is always stronger than indicated on the label. The beauty of using a calibrated bucket is that results are repeatable and you can clip the bucket to your line end and set the drag with the entire rod/reel in a live situation. another plus is "real fishermen always bring a bucket"! A gallon jug works for the little gear. Cheers!
This was excellent, as your videos always are...I am amazed at the lack of documentation and instructional there are for these types of reels. I usually use spinning gear to fish inshore and near shore along the Georgia coast, and a couple times a year in the Keys. I was given a Penn 50VSW rod and reel for Xmas and was trying to figure out how to set the drag and this cleared it up. Thanks again and keep them coming...
Took my brand new Battle II 5000 for a spin yesterday for the very first time and I hooked a 20lb yellowtail using a Ugly Stik X2 (medium hard) rod ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxM68VkfsQhHaabDce1IwOCXuvumcpbZ_k . This combo was recommended on some website and it did not disappoint me. The reel is smooth, the drag click is pretty cool cause i think it adds to the excitement of fighting the fish, personally the drag is my favorite part. I use braid and 300 yards will fill the entire spool. This combo is my main setup from now on although I have to disclose I am new to fishing.
Understood. Thanks again for all of this information, it's very helpful!
Very informative! thanks for the video
Outstanding instructional video. Thanks.
Thank you for your response, really appreciate it !!
Great Video Thanks!
thank you for the info an enjoyed the videos
So what line test would you put on a daiwa lexa that has 22lbs max drag?
I just currently bought an Avet SXJ what would you put on it as line cap? and what would you set the drag at? I mainly fish for spanish Mackeral and Kingfish
If I put 200 pound mono and 200 pound jerry brown hollowcore on a avet 80w what would you set the strike drag to?
Hi, Thanks for the video! I am interested in using the same Profish scale that you mentioned in your video for also testing line and knot breaking strengths. Could you tell me if this scale would possibly be broken or will read inaccurately after monofilament line has been tested and repeatedly broken while attached to this style of scale? Thanks, Tony
What kind of line test and drag would be needed to be set if you would go after a thresher shark ?
Very good instruction as always, thanks! Quick question, does the max drag ever change? I'm assuming the max always stays the same when locked down? Just wanted to confirm it doesn't change with adjusting the strike.
+Jeff McDonald Drag levels will increase as the line is pulled off the spool, as the height of the line on the spool decreases. The max load will change as the preset is increased as well. Nothing linear about this, different reels, different manufacturers all have variance. So, testing is called for. It's very rare to need to advance the lever towards full - that's something I'd only do in a situation where I'm either going to turn the fish or loose it, or possibly at the end game when things go vertical. Otherwise it's best to allow the drag to do what it's supposed to do, tire the fish and as the lactic acid builds up in the fish and strength decreases, line is gained.
so the preset thing on the side only controls the strike setting it doesnt control the drag above strike? sorry im new to these reels and am going to buy a avet lx soon so I want to know how to use it properly
do you think 50 braid to 30mono on an mxl would be good with uni to uni knott?
Do you set the drag on all the reels you spool? I recently bought a reel from Charkbait and got the free spooling and was just wondering if I should go out and buy a scale.
Can you briefly explain how to work the bait mode and what is it for?
Thanks!
I thought the drag was a little high for a bait casting reel. So what species do you usually go for with the lexa?
Thankz fishing wizard!
I my be missing something you put braid on first then mono.on my spinning reels I put a small amount of mono on then finish with braid an the use a fluorocarbon shock leader on.
Any comments on using a FG knot instead of the Bimini for Braid to Mono TopShot?
+V Britt if you can tie a good FG it tests at 100%
Great video I just purchased my first avet 5.8 mx and was having problems with casting and getting backlashes. How do I set the reel so that when casting out far my spool doesn't spin so fast that my line back lashes into a bird nest. I do use my thumb for control but I still end up with bird nest regardless?
If you had purchased the MC version of the reel, most of your problems would have been cured to begin with. With a non MC Avet or other saltwater reel designed for casting you'll need to take the time to practice casting, These reels are made to spin! You could increase pressure on the preset knob, then make use of the first position on the lever to add a tad of resistance. By doing that (increasing your preset) you've now adjusted your drag so that it may not match up with your line test. Best is to accept the fact that with practice you'll have far less backlashes and longer casts. To a certain extent the rod can provide an influence, but your thumb will overcome over-runs - there's really no alternative than jumping on the learning curve.
Thanks for the detailed help I have used bait casters before and have always adjusted well with star drag casters, but since these are lever drag i'm a bit stumped but like you said eventually with practice I should be able to cast like a champ. I was thinking of the mc version but heard that there not that great for casting.
Do you think I will get spooled if I hook up with one of these 100 plus pounds bluefin on an avet lx or jx 2 speed? 65# braid and 65 mono... Thanks
Well, it all depends upon the fish, and while I've taken plenty of 100# tuna on my own JX's, when you mention PLUS...well, there's a reason guys will fish 50 class reels, too. It all depends upon the fish...and keeping pressure on 'em and having enough low grinding pressure through a low gear to turn their head and keep it turned and coming your way.
What happens when 25-33% of the pound test line is more than the max drag at strike? I guess an example would be 50 pound braid (so about 12.5 pounds of drag at strike desired) on an Avet SX where max drag at strike is 9 pounds. You'd have to throw the 25-33% rule out the window scenario and set it below the max drag, wouldn't you?
I have a older tld 30 shinoma 2 speed lever drag reel .... are these reels supposed to be for droppin in the water or are you able to cast it out? my line always gets tangled up when i try to cast it thanks mark
Not really a casting reel as you have found. About all you can do is practice and educate your thumb.
Nice video im new to the lever drag system. ONE question....is 25-33 % drag setting for trolling and fishing as well ? I don't intend to troll with my reel i have a penn VSX30 with 60lb braid and about 100 yards of 50 lb mono i intend to use it to fish for Pacific yellow tail and maybe some tuna. I currently have the drag at strike 30lbs, thank you in advance.
Same for any reel, drag setting is based upon line test being used. To a certain extent the type of line can influence setting, some going softer like 25% if running straight braid - no stretch...
thank you for that piece of info..is it necessary to have the reel on strike when i hook a fish? can i have it on one of the lowest drag settings and then increase drag to strike using the lever if i feel the fish requires more drag pressure?
eli madr Yes, you fish the reel at the strike position typically. Some will fish 'em in freespool, then engage the lever (push up to strike) upon getting bit.
Thank You. I may feel more comfortable fishing at the lowest setting not free spool then increasing to full past strike if need be...will i break anything if i do it this way? thank you and sorry to sound so dumb. It's my first lever drag reel and I would hate to break it.thanks again.
Mark, does having a topshot influence how you set your drag? I have my SX with 30# line set at 8lbs of drag and my G2 MXL with 40# line set at 12lbs of drag. I am wondering if I put a mono topshot same poundage if I should increase the drag due to stretch. I know the SX is close to maxed out but the MXL has some space. Just a thought!
Set the drag for the lightest line that's on the reel, regardless of line type (mono, FL, braid...). Typical to set the drag at up to 30% of the line's test.
Thank you. By the way, and I’m sure you know this, but you’re market has reached me in Maryland. I’ve watched your videos for years, but yesterday at my local Bass Pro a guy was looking at an Avet reel but only to see the size because he was buying it from you all. We are about as far from San Diego as it gets it the US.
@@jeffsmith8958 This little mom & pop type enterprise (and me personally, of course) thank you kindly. It's been a pretty interesting run, a bit of an underdog sort of tale.
Hello there, I went fishing over the weekend i used an older penn international 50sw i ran into an issue where i set the drag to about 8 lbs and 5 minutes later some how the lever came down to almost free spool , i then raised the lever to about 15 lbs and about 5 minutes later the drag moved up by itself to about 25lbs i did mange to land the fish ,not sure if the drag moved up when the fish hit the feather. Any idea what i may be doing wrong?
eli madr Set the drag at 25-30% of the line test. Why would the drag change? Can't tell from here, shouldn't change by itself...dirty internals?
hi there i was unaware that i had to troll with drag set at 25-30%of line test so a small fish wont set off the alarm...i ran a few experiments: i mounted the reel on a rod and set the drag to about 10lbs i had my wife hold the rod and i speed walked about 100 ft and the lever drag stayed at 10lbs i increased drag to about 15lbs did the same and drag remained at 15lbs i got a bucket and added 17bs of weight and pretended to reel in a fish as i lifted the rod the drag functioned smoothly and the lever drag did not move which was a good sign.i tried that about 15 times . i then increased the drag to 15 lbs bucket remained at 15lbs and as i lifted the rod/reel the bucket raised and the drag did not slip . Every thing seems fine internally the reel is very clean i cleaned it myself ht 100 washers are in great shape and conditioned with Cals drag grease lightly. My conclusion is that some rookie on the boat moved my lever as we were trolling ,i got on a boat with nothing but first timers and they probably got curious and moved the lever manually.....Thank you sooo much for your advice. Next time when i troll i will be on the back of the boat and not in the front.
I was just wondering what rod for land based shark fishing (kayaking baits) would work well with an avet 30w for under 200 on the rod? thanks so much
Not many rods for under $200 I can honestly recommend for a serious application, heavy lines, high drag capable reel. It really would have to be a trolling type rod. Most doing what you are planning like a longer rod than your basic troller. This is one to talk about, better to call our shop than post and address question here. I don't usually catch posts on our channel, but do get back to folks via email.
Mark Smith thanks so much for the reply Mark, the sharks I'm targeting are 400lbs and under, mostly 200-300 tho. I'll give the shop a call when I get a chance to try to figure out what would be good to match with an avet 30w. thanks Mark, take care
Randy
I ended up going with a shimano talus 40-60lb 8ft primarily h glass composite and I gave it a good test and it was able to handle around 20+lbs of drag which should be plenty considering I'll be filling my 30w with 80lb braid and 80lb topshot of mono.
would these be the same steps for the penn squall 40ldlh?
+91TwinTurboZX Yes, all leverdrags operate the same way.
Hey before watching this video I accendently adjusted my preset while it was in strike it only let me go a few clicks in each direction this is a brand new avet reel so I'm kinda scared do you think this caused any damage or is it alright thanks
Glad that the video helped prevent damage to the reel. As long as you didn't try to force things you should be fine. If the reel operates okay now, drag can be adjusted, freespool performance good, lever works properly, you are just fine and no damage has been done. But always remember to only adjust your present when the lever is in the freespool position.
When I set my reel so it stops turning when my 3 oz is dropped I cannot move my lever but a little bit to reel it in. I could not move it to strike zone or any where else
That's NOT the way the preset is used on saltwater leverdrag reels. The preset is NOT a cast control. You are using that feature incorrectly. These are not like small freshwater baitcasters with levelwinds. The preset knob is only used to set the drag for the line test being fished, not to add additional pressure for casting. Set the drag properly, as the vid demonstrates. Then advance the lever to slow the spool based upon the weight used - that's not what I or others would do (we'd use our thumb to control spool ).
How does the line guide onto a reel like that? Do you have to keep moving it over with your thumb as you reel in your catch?
+Daniel Lane Yep, exactly.
***** Thanks bud! I got the SX 5.3 MC Cast this weekend and it works great! caught some nice Atlantic Sharpnose with it.
Daniel Lane that’s why the narrow spools are favored for jigging, the line may pile up a little in retrieve but narrow spool will help in self-leveling.
Not setting drag on reel woth rod bent?
An arc fine, a vertical load is not fine - it breaks rods, any rod. If testing on a rod, 2 guys one on the rod/reel the other w/spring scale and rod with a bend: I'd typically set my drag at 30% of the lightest test line on the reel. If the rod is pointed straight at me or I'm having another person simply hold the reel while I give the scale/line a strong pull: then I'd set my own drag closer to 25-28% given an increase of drag via the rod's bend fighting a fish.
how to buy the scale ?
VISIT CharkBait.com, our website. From the main page to the Essential's section, and then click the link to Scales.
Just an ad for selling a spring scale. Set your drag with the reel on a rod, line in the guides and attach to a calibrated bucket of water..
Bucket of water, calibrated... That concept can save anglers a whopping 12-20 bucks! But, sadly I live in CA and the cost of water is more than the scale! Hmmm, water at 8 lbs per gallon, 30 lbs of drag equals a precise 3.75 gallons of water, take away 6 ounces for the bucket, drop the water to 3.69 gallons... Shucks might be great to take darn bucket along with me next time I go on a charter... Please let me know when you produce a water bucket drag setting video and I'll cross link back to it!
Sorry for sarcasm, but give me just a bit of a break "an ad for selling a spring scale?" Yes, we do offer spring scales, but no I'm not putting my kids thru college by selling them. There are many sources for those products. I will add that the one we offer is easier to use for most folks since the math is done for the angler. In practice, I don't really give a rats-butt what a person uses to set their drag BUT I ENCOURAGE any angler (especially those using a lever drag) to set their drag accurately based upon the line test being fished in order to maximize the benefits of the reel's drag system. That's the whole point in the vid. There are a lot of anglers who have purchased leverdrags and really don't know how to set their drag properly. I get those calls every week. I make use of the vids to help folks and save time. Whether I sell a scale or not is very much secondary, our primary business is selling reels and we want folks to enjoy them. That's why I took the time to make a vid. .
@@CharkBaitUSA Good sarcasm is always appreciated! Unless you are fishing with some of that IFGA certified fishing line the math is unnecessary as line is always stronger than indicated on the label. The beauty of using a calibrated bucket is that results are repeatable and you can clip the bucket to your line end and set the drag with the entire rod/reel in a live situation. another plus is "real fishermen always bring a bucket"! A gallon jug works for the little gear. Cheers!
im not sure how fast to pull and how to get it right.
Joe Not slow nor jerky. Make it a straight pull with speed as you would expect from a fish.
what would the best avet reel be for pier fishing for bull reds?
That's a function of the line test you want to fish.