A question for Alan Tani regarding reel storage....

Dear Alan,

Is it true that you don't have to back off the drags of the reel when you have it stored for some time (or when not in use)?

I remember reading a fishing tip article about making sure you loosen your drag if you plan on storing your reel or when not in use. To preserve the drag system - I assume?????

dazed and confused  
Fishing fool  

A related question ... what about when on the water and in transit with lots of water splashing over the rail?  I've heard you button the drags down then to keep water from seeping into them.  I also button them down when rinsing them off after a day of fishing, then back them off for storage.

-Allen

At the last reel repair seminar I attended, I asked the same question.  If I remember correctly, Alan told me that with our the new carbon fiber drag washers and teflon grease combination, there's no need to back-off the drag for storage or button them down keep water out.  Those old methods were used with metal drags that ran the risk of deforming or rusting.

I know reels with a drag spring (looks like a bent washer in the drag) should be stored loosened because otherwise you'll flatten the spring and go from 0 drag to 100% drag in a quarter turn of your dragwheel.  When you replace the spring with another set of drag washers, I guess there's no spring to deform, but you may still crush the drag washers a bit.  

In the end maybe you don't have to with all reels, but it's probably a good habit to get into because it certainly can't hurt and it'll make sure you check the drag every time you start fishing.

actually, i just posted an answer to this question on an east coast board this morning.  it's surprising.  no one on the east coast does custom drag work.  the question was about the 9 series internationals....

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"Posted 1/26/2005 11:44 AM (#492613 - in reply to #490410)
Subject: star drag maintenance      
 
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Registered:
2005-01-09

 wayne, my view is skewed because i only see the failures. i've gotten pretty good at fixing the 9 series internationals. please note that this is not necessarily a good thing. my recommendation for star drag reel maintenance is as follows....

after every fishing trip, strip off all the line and throw it away. now use the thumb screws on the right side plate and separate the frame, the spool and the right side plate. spray thoroughly with a water hose. use compressed air to blow out all the excess moisture. use reel x to lube the left side plate bearing, the levelwind assembly, the right side plate bearing and the handle. reassemble the reel and respool with fresh mono.

prior to this all of this, you should remove the drag washers, apply a liberal amount of shimano drag grease to the penn drag washer and reassemble the reel. set the drags to 25-33% of line strength and leave the drag clamped down forever and ever and ever. this will prevent water intrusion and drag failure forever.

the above recommendations apply to star drag reels, not lever drag. for the lever drag 9 series international, any amount of water intrusion will make the dry penn drag washer stick and cause the cheap bearings to seize. the design is so incredibly poor that it borders on criminal. the only way to prevent a total meltdown of the penn international 975 lever drag is to NEVER GET IT WET. i'm sorry. i know lots of guys fish with this reel and have success with it. i've also had many guys come to me saying they used it once before it seized up. i have a strict zero tolerance policy towards this type of failure.

curious to know what the reel repair guy fishes with? the progear classic series 500 and 550, straight out of the box, no modifications. check it out. alan"  

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now, a couple of side bar comments.  the original drag washers from 80 years ago were leather.  those had to be backed off because the leather would compress.  carbon fiber does not.  that's the reason for this old recommendation.  it no longer applies.  as for the springs, i've seen full clips of .45 acp ammo that have been sitting around for 30 years.  no problem with the springs and they fired off just fine.  the point is that simple compression (maintaining pressure on a spring) will not alter it's specs unless it is also heated.  repeated compression and subsequent metal fatigue might.  prometh, those wave washers are useless anyway and they flatten after the first turn.  they are used only as spacers when backing the drag waaaayyyy off.  and because they are cheap chromed brass against a stainless steel metal drag washer, they tend to corrode the fastest.  i typically throw them away.

All hail the reel god!!!

         

To think I bent those spacers at one point hoping for more dynamic range out of the star-drag.  I guess I went looking for function where not much existed.