I recently got a shimano baitrunner 6000D and I’m putting it on an 8’ shimano teramar. The reel has 20 #s of drag. Is it overkill to put on anything over 20# braid? I haven’t considered this in other rigs I have.
I imagine I’ll probably put 30# but want some other opinions on this.
I read something a while back. That your drag should be set at about 25% of what the line actually is.& The percentage goes up as the line weight goes up.
The drag rule for a fish running hard is 1/3 the line breaking strength and for every third of a spool on a conventional reel the drag goes up by a third. Also most knots aren’t 100% breaking strength.
Line choice depends how you want to fish it. If you want to have longer cast, more line and catch smaller fish or light tackle big fish go light line. If it’s gonna be for big fish, bottom fishing/ bait fishing or you want to use all of your drag without worrying about putting to much drag go heavier. Power pro max quatro and diawa j braid are thinner and stronger then normal braids. I’m not sure how big that reel is because of shimano’s funky sizing but I think there 6000 is like a 3000 so 20# is pretty heavy line for that size reel. Don’t get to caught up on heavy drag. Most scenarios you really don’t need to max out drag.
I’m getting a 6ooo spheros here in the next few weeks. I was thinking I was going to put 20 lb braid on it and they are close in size to the bait runner you got. The 8000 size in the bait runner is the same reel as the 6000 size one you bought with a deeper spool that holds more line. It costs 5-10 bucks more with additional capacity, so it’s well worth it for future purchase or exchange if still possible. Same size and same weight for a couple bucks more. With a 20 pound max drag on that reel you can certainly put heavier 30 lb line on it, but the drag is rated for 20, so it’s unlikely you will get to tap into that benefit of the heavier line. The 20 pound will give you added capacity so yo will be able to use that if it comes down to it, so for me it makes more sense to use 20lb, you can use it. One thing you might want to look into is carbon fiber drag replacement. I know that Steve the reel guy at haddrels keeps them in the shop and they run 10 bucks and he told me they are a good inexpensive upgrade on the shimano reels. He told me they are smoother, allot more durable, and add a little more overall power to the stock drag washers and he will replace them very quickly for no charge. It takes him 60 seconds so for 10 bucks it’s quick easy and an improvement in several areas on shimano reels that don’t already come with them. If you give him a call he can let you know if the swap is possible in the bait runners. They are great reels out of the box, it’s just something you can do if you want.
This is really not an answer - more like a learning exercise: If you have a balanced outfit loaded with 20 # line, tie the line to something solid (like your car or a tree) and TRY to break the line with a bent rod. That’s a bent rod. Not pulling straight back on a straight rod. Be careful not to break the rod.
The point is, it is almost impossible for most of us to break 20 # line this way. So, if this is true, then what’s the point in going above 20 # line? Well, if you put 20 on a rod rated for 100, then you would stand a much better chance of breaking the line (duh? - remember, I did say a balanced outfit!), but also we often are using heavier line for abrasion resistance.
Just something to think about.
Probably another NOT answer but…20# Braid…2# Braid, Mono, Flouro. Drag weight really don’t mean much…most the time. More importantly, what is the target? Small fish? Bigger fish? Average fish with a good chance of big fish? What baits? small jigs? Plugs? Spinners? Soaking bait?
So with a 6000D on a 8’ M/MH, don’t think you’ll be throwing many 1/8oz Trout baits. To me sounds like a good bait soaking rig. If that’s the case, i wouldn’t put much more 20# line on, unless you want to loose it all.
My main reels are Boca 50’s rated at 35# drag, I run 15lb mono. I have a couple of Cabo 40’s (30# drag) on 7’6 med Rods for casting jigs and lures, one has 8# mono, one 10#.
I would say 20# braid would be fine, just don’t cut a finger off casting!
Don’t get carried away with drag poundage, as it’s the quality of the reel, drag system in the reel that’s important.
So you have that big red pulling away and making your drag sing, then a turn toward you, slack line and sudden burst the other way and pop. That’s often caused by a cheap drag system that is sticky.
If you have a spinning reel, you can always palm it to assist or burn your thumb on a conventional…Just sayin.
RBR mentioned some upgrades you can do to drag systems. Great advice!
Whatever you decide, or what you currently own, ALWAYS back the drag off after rinsing down and putting up. Whether for the night or not.
Hope helps!
NN