kayaks and lever drags??
 

I've only ever used star drag reels for kayak fishing but am thinking of putting a lever drag in the arsenal. How many of you are using LDs, what are you using them for, and what reels are you using?

I'm thinking of using an LD mostly for slow trolling live baits and maybe for heavy bottom fishing.

Thanks, Mike

I have a lever drag for my surface iron stick and for my squid jig. I like them because they're easy, less maintenance and you always know whee your drag pressure is. But I like the star drags because you can really crank down on them.

I have a Daiwa salitsit ld30 2 speed On a Calstar grafighter 700m Used for YT, WSB, and a ray. Great reel
Lever drags are very consistence on the drag pressure and having the 2 speed is 1 less reel I carry. That being said a star drag does cast better though.

Avet Mxj for trolling live bait and an avet 2 speed hex on my jig stick. The two speed is awesome if you're gonna be cranking all day. I really don't like using stellar drags that much besides penn international for chasing butts.

Jx I meant

Yep, JX and MXJ great all purpose IMO

Have a Tyrnos 10, 2 speed. I love the lever drag for all around fishing and the 2 speed is worth the money in some situations. The 2 speed was indispensable on my last trip when I went squid fishing a high speed to pull the jig up from the bottom and a low speed to pull those squids in. In my opinion the best part about them is you can leave them in free spool or slight drag for trolling and when you put them to strike it gradually adds drag vs instantly when you put it in gear on a star drag. Just my 2 cents

I prefer a star drag, but I do have a Tyrnos 8 lever drag that I really like. I mostly use it for making bait, but sometimes I'll use a topshot and fish bait with it. I've fished it 2 years without a service, so it passes the test in my book.

I haven't had much luck with my Avets on the kayak. Good reels, but IMO they don't really stand up to the hard use we put them through on the yak.

I find that difficult to comprehend (could be different person to person) but I do know that the avets bearings don't like prolonged water exposure. My jx blew a bearing and for 35 bucks avet replaced and tuned it for me and its braved la jolla all year (knock on wood)

After every use I fill up a bucket with fresh water and give all my reels a good shake in it.


Whatever gets the fish to the boat :reel: :cheers1:

Its all about what your fishing for and how you like your reels. Lever drags are good because you can easily set them to your desired drag setting but you cant add more drag once your on a fish. Star drags are good because you can always add more drag during a fight but you cant set it to your desired drag as quick or as accurately. So it all comes down to what you like.

I like both, I've used Star drag reels more but I think it's more what you are comfortable with. I think the lever drags are easier to adjust while in action, but again I think that's more of what each person is comfortable with.

The lever drag reels are great for slow trolling mackeral. The clickers on most reels are not strong enough to hold a strong mackeral. With a lever drag you can troll with a light drag setting that is enough to keep the bait from taking line from the reel.

For bottom fishing both lever and star drags work fine. I have two Avet JXs and one is a two speed. I do not use the low gear very much but the 6:1 gear ratio on both is great in terms of alot less cranking of the handle to get gear back to the surface. My Avets have been very durable reels and have the best free spool I have ever seen. Bottom fishing with heavy sinkers took a toll on my Toriums antireverse bearing so I would recommend using a star drag reel that has a dog gear.

I do not like lever drag reels for jig casting but thats just me.

You nailed it
 

I was surprised it so long for someone to mention.

I used a TLD 15 for a long time for trolling macs. The drag is buttery smooth, and it was easy to set the drag just enough that the Mac didn't pull out line while paddling, but light enough not to hinder a fast strike.
Once I got my hobie, I found I prefer to hold the rod while trolling most of the time, so I sold it to try to limit my growing rod and reel collection. In hindsight I probably should have kept it. It was a great reel.

For the record this is not recommended reel maintenance. This will drive water (and salt) deeper into the reel. Better to mist and wipe, and occasionally open/lubricate.

I think that either CharkBait or Avet website actually says to do the above (bucket and shake) after saltwater use. In addition to that, they say to wipe with a water displacer and maintain once a year.

Matt is right:luxhello:

How do I care for my Avet reel?
Your Avet Reel is a precision machined instrument. For maximum durability, reasonable care must be given for ultimate performance of the reel. Please view these images of a reel that was NOT cared for properly, to get a better idea of why we recommend the following basic care instructions for an Avet Reel: Salty Reel Image

After each fishing trip the reel should be cleaned. Rinse the reel in fresh water to remove accumulated salt deposits. The best way to rinse an Avet reel is to submerge the reel in cool fresh water, shake it under the water for 5-6 seconds, remove and shake out the excess water. Do not let the reel soak under water, or use warm or soapy water, as you don't want to start removing lubricants. You simply want to flash rinse the saltwater from inside before it evaporates and leaves salt behind. Just rinsing the outside of the reel does nothing for the INSIDE which is the most important, where salt does the most damage. Understandably, it can be a hassle removing the reels from your rods, especially if you use them daily like the hundreds of guides and charter captains do. Many of our captains and pro staff use a simple and effective method that works very well. Taking an inexpensive tall plastic kitchen sized trash can filled with water, they dunk the butt end of each rod with the reel attached, shake it up and down for 5-6 seconds, and done! This is actually faster, and uses less water than haphazardly spraying the gear down with a hose, and it takes care of any salt inside the reel as well as outside.

Dry excess moisture from the reel and sparingly lube exposed mechanisms using your included Avet Lube, or any high quality lube designed for saltwater applications. You should use a high quality spray lubricant sprayed onto a rag to wipe down the outer surfaces of the reel to protect it and displace any moisture, and to help protect it the next time it’s used. Do not spray lubricant directly on the reel. Spray lube acts as a penetrating solvent and will dissolve and flush away the grease and lubricant vital to the working mechanisms. Also, the drag surfaces are just inside of the gap between the spool and frame on the drive side of the reel. Spraying lubricant/protectant in this area will foul the drag surfaces and will make the drag jerky. Your Avet Reel should be stored in a cool dry place. Do not store in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container, as the reel may develop condensation. Always be sure to store your reel with the lever drag in the free position to release pressure from various components of the reel. This will also allow the drag surfaces and internal parts to dry if they are wet. Periodically examine your reel for loose screws or fittings and take action if necessary. Your Avet Reel should have a full tear down clean and lube service at least once every season, more with heavy use. Click HERE for information about our Flat Rate Premium factory Maintenance.

I use them for dropper loop, halibut fishing and flyline. The advantage is that you can set up the reel so with the clicker on and a just a touch of drag the line holds on the drift but just a little more pressure like the slightest bite causes line to pull off, but at the same time at strike you have the exact drag setting you want for setting the hook.

A typical scenario. I'm drifting fishing Iron with one rod and dropper loop fishing a squid or mack with eight ounces on the other. The dropper loop rod is bouncing along the bottom with a light drag occasionally clicking a few inches off the reel as it bounces. Suddenly I get a little zip on that rod.
I throw that rod in freespool stick my Iron rod in my other holder, pick up the dropper rod, push the drag to strike reel down to the fish set the hook and I'm on.

You can do the same thing with a star drag but in order to get the right setting for the drift you have to turn the drag down light. That means in the same scenario when you tighten the drag up to set the hook you have to guess where your strike setting is. I've probably caught more fish using star drags but I have also lost fish where coming out of freespool I'd either turned the drag too high, or it was still too loose to set the hook.

Lever drags take all the guess work out. I like to preset my drag settings with lever drags using the rod and freeweights before I ever go out the door. That way I know exactly what the drag will be at strike, and how much the gear can take if push past strike to put more pressure on the fish after I've hooked them.

Thanks for the responses. Grey zone hit on one of the things I was looking for; fishing big macks and having to listen to the clickers buzzing and chirping is annoying. Avets a re good reals but I have heard mixed reviews of them for kayak fishing. I was leaning toward the TLD 15, one of the new Penn squall LDs, or an okuma solterra. Mike

I can understand the mixed reviews about Avets for kayak fishing which is very hard on equipment. My Avets are about 4yrs old and get used almost every week but I use them on my boat. I just sent them in for there 1st service about 2 months ago. That amount of time without service and still working well was impressive.

After a day of fishing I always lightly rinse my reels to get the salt off but after they had dried for a week everything would be slightly sticky. At first this really bothered me but I noticed once they came in contact with moisture everything was fine. The post about submerging the reels in fresh water to dissolve salt sounds like a good idea and Im going to try that method. I had a feeling that salt crystals were causing the problem once they had dried.

I would not hesitate to use another reel brand by any of the well known makers like Shimano, Diawa or Okuma and if you see one you like Im sure someone on this board would give you a review.