Avet Lever Drag Adjustment

[Gerry Zagorski]

As with all lever drag reels there are trade offs... The disk drags are silky smooth but I do a lot of dead sticking, drifting and live lining. Without a line out tension nob like you have on most conventional reels, you are forced to try and adjust the lever drag to control line out tension. The problem is there seems to be no adjustment between the bait and strike settings. In the bait setting it's too loose and once you move the lever drag even slightly past the bait setting, you go right into the stike drag setting.

Looks like Avet has some special cams for this purpose. I just ordered one and will let you know how I make out. If any of you have used these let me know what you experience is.

From the Avet website.

The South Florida and Kodiak cam is a replacement drag adjustment cam with a less aggressive ramp profile to allow a finer lever adjustment range for extremely light drag settings. Very popular for light line sailfish and tournament kingfish with LX and JX models, and salmon and other light line species for the SX - MX models. Choose the cam insert for a permanent retrofit to your reel, or choose the arm with the cam already installed for quick "no tools" changeability back to the original aggressive cam when needed. Specify color when ordering the arm. We suggest ordering a different color arm to easily distinguish from the original arm with the standard cam. These cams do not have the "Bait Setting" detent, for ultra fine lever adjustment immediately from the free-spool position forward.

[MVP]

Gerry

Here is a tip i learned years ago when Capt Fred (Andreas Toy) trailered his boat to the keys to do some fishing out of Islamorada. We can right a book on that experience as it was quite the road trip.

Our first day out we got schooled as our northeast techniques and rigging methods did not work so well on the sailfish. Had my friend Capt Bobby Maino who is a long time resident hook us up with Capt Curt the next day to run our boat and show us how it is done down there. As for drag adjustment one of the tips we learned was to use a small piece of rubber coated telephone wire that we would wrapp around foregrip of rod and then attatch to the line while keeping reel in free spool. This kept the line from running of the reel and allowed fish to pick up the bait without feeling the resistence of the drag. Works beeter on spiining gear put can be adapted to level drag reels as i tried it out when i got back to jersey.

Caught alot fish after listening to the locals as well as other things. There were no digitals cameras back then as all my pictures are in an album. Will need to get digatal copies one day and postl

[Gerry Zagorski]

Interesting solution Alex... That sounds like on hell of a road trip!!

Update - Me and Bill installed the lever drag cam and it looks like it's going to do the trick. A fairly simple install. Remove the drag adustmet cap and spring and the level handle comes off the reel.... Turn the handle over to the back side, take old cam out and install new one.

There is no longer a bait setting with this cam, the lever travels from free spool to strike with no stops in between and there seems to be a lot more line adjustment in it. Field testing this week.

BTW - Factory told me these cams will only work with Righty reels so once again you South Paws are screwed

[Sharkyispy]

Gerry, thanks for sharing, added an MX to the arsenal this winter and will be looking at swapping this out as well. Interested in hearing your feedback on it's performance out there......

[MrAC1980]

Great post Gerry, may def have to consider this upgrade to one of my Avets! Any local sponsor have these in stock so we can don't have to pay for the shipping from Avet?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by MrAC1980

Great post Gerry, may def have to consider this upgrade to one of my Avets! Any local sponsor have these in stock so we can don't have to pay for the shipping from Avet?

Not sure Ant... I got mine from the factory.

[tropics]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Interesting solution Alex... That sounds like on hell of a road trip!!

Update - Me and Bill installed the lever drag cam and it looks like it's going to do the trick. A fairly simple install. Remove the drag adustmet cap and spring and the level handle comes off the reel.... Turn the handle over to the back side, take old cam out and install new one.

There is no longer a bait setting with this cam, the lever travels from free spool to strike with no stops in between and there seems to be a lot more line adjustment in it. Field testing this week.

BTW - Factory told me these cams will only work with Righty reels so once again you South Paws are screwed

I will never buy another Avet just for that Lefties Rull
Hope it works out as planned Gerry

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by tropics

I will never buy another Avet just for that Lefties Rull
Hope it works out as planned Gerry

You Lefties are special Rich

Update - It seems like there is some adjustment between Free and Strike now but not as much as I would prefer. Still loads up too quickly when you move the lever up from Free and wants to go right into the strike drag setting. Only fished it once and didn't catch squat so the jury is still out.... The true test will be drifting for Fluke.

[Gerry Zagorski]

OK now I am on a mission here Called the Avet factory and spoke to their tech suppport.... The cam will give you some adustment but removing the Pusher Bushing (pn 6) and adding a few additional sets of Belville Washers (pn 5) to make up that space gives you more adjustment....

These washers get compressed and decompressed based on the position of the lever drag lever and cam. When you remove the pusher bearing which is a fixed part and has no flex, and add the washers which are concave and have flex, this gives more flex/movement which in cooperation with the spring and cam allows more adjustment.

See my 1st grade drawing below:

A few notes

- You are going to remove the Pusher Bushing and start by adding 2 additional set of Belville Washers....(you might need 3 additional sets but start with 2)

- Washers are to be installed like this ()()()() to allow for max compression

- Very important that the last washer on the end that meets up with the bearing is installed like this ) rather than this (... If installed like this ( it will rub up against the bearing and could ruin it.

More to follow I'm sure

[Sharkyispy]

In Curly language......Ohhh, A science project ehhhhhhh.....