Accurate Boss Drag

[Makaira]

Hi guys,

Someone pointed out to me a discussion on the captioned that was going on in another forum. I see that our esteemed Dafrogman has also participated in that discussion

With regard to the opinion that the Boss has to be "mod" or many people have to "mod" their reels to give it more drag, I think that is a misconception of sorts. I would also call it an option rather than a modification; and it should be noted that this option does not necessarily give the reel more max drag, but rather it gives the reel a more aggressive drag curve. This more aggressive drag curve in turn may give users the impression that there is more max drag.

The problem AO face is that not everyone wants or needs an aggressive drag curve. Before the jigging craze started, the major complaint from users was that "How come I turn the preset knob only a little bit & the drag become so tight?" As the Accurate evolved to the full throw version, the drag curve became less aggressive giving the (mis)perception that it now had less "max drag". Now, with jigging being all the rage, anglers who fish with very high drag may find that the reel does not put out enough drag for their jigging needs. As one of the forummers described, the more users turn the preset to get more drag, things start to happen & that can result in reel failure. The "mod" that was described therefore lessens the likelihood of users with a heavy hand to "overscrew" the preset knob resulting in problems.

For all intents & purposes, imho, I believe the drag for the out-of-the-box reels are sufficient for most applications, including jigging. However, should users find that they really need a more aggressive drag curve, I am sure the boys at AO will accomodate their request by providing them with what they need. Whether they can do it F.O.C. or not, I am in no position to speak on their behalf. Give them a call.

What I have written is my understanding based on discussions I had with the boys at AO a while back. If I have misinterpreted what they have told me, I stand corrected.

Best regards,
Makaira

[DaFrogman]

Someone pointed out to me a discussion on the captioned that was going on in another forum. I see that our esteemed Dafrogman has also participated in that discussion

Yeeessssss my master,

I felt compelled to say a few words to sort out some of the confusion that seemed to have arisen regarding the modifications on the boss and the Kingfisher DVD...

There was one account that expressed the belief that the AG mod removed a drag plate....

Anyway, I understand the dilemma that AO face with demands/requests for more drag. The mod on the belvilles on the left side of the spool do work, allowing you to reduce the preset adjustment needed to achieve a higher drag. But over zealous anglers running this mod must understand that adjusting the preset to past the design specs will result in damage to the reel, best case is a popped end shaft e-clip, worse case would be a damaged cam or bent spool shaft (from too much drag).

So there ye are dude.... I am 100% with you on the need to use commonsense and the fact that max drag is not the answer to improving technique.

Saimee

[Makaira]

There was one account that expressed the belief that the AG mod removed a drag plate....

Hahahahahahaha!!!!! I know which one you are referring to. My take on that particular post is that it is tinged with a healthy dose of sarcasm, taking the mickey out of people who have a penchant for modifing their reels. I might be wrong though

[MarkR]

Hello masters,

The thought of being able to meet up with some nihon-jin fishing celebrities and the "Whos's Who" of the jigging & popping world in the coming days/hours is keeping me wide awake

I'm quite surprised that folks are still interested in the AG mods for Boss reels. Anyway, I used to own an AG modified 665. The reel was used twice, once in Perth and once in Bali. Thereafter I sold it to sleepyrgr (Edmund) who has apparently used it successfully for a Samson bashing trip (full report available on another popular sg fishing site).

DFM is correct about the drag lever "drop-back" and the removal of the one-way bearings in the AG modified Boss reels. I am no engineer but it does puzzle me why perfectly good AR bearings have to be removed. I also note that the Oceanus 30 does not come installed with AR bearings. Wouldn't an AR system comprising 2 dogs and an AR bearing like that of the Jigger 4000/5000 be more roubust? I suspect the difficulty lies in an engineering problem ie. matching, for lack of a better word, the "pitch" of the bearing and dog.

On the issue of twin drags becoming single disc dags, I understand that twin drag function is compromised somewhat after the modfication. The AR gear is installed directly on the right drag plate, while I do not know the full details I gather that this does affect the original (pre-mod) equal distribution of drag pressure on both sides of the spool.

I didn't like my modified Boss because the AR failed during my Samson trip- they tell me that the failure was due to an installation problem. My personal take on this matter is that the twin AR bearings in Boss magnums are rock solid. No need to massacre a perfectly good reel just to install an aftremarket AR dog system. Do note that the AG mod installation entails removal of a large of portion of the black water guards as well.

However, I must say that I like the after market AG handles and handle shafts for the Boss reels very much, no problems with these whatsoever.

Cheers

[DaFrogman]

DFM is correct about the drag lever "drop-back" and the removal of the one-way bearings in the AG modified Boss reels. I am no engineer but it does puzzle me why perfectly good AR bearings have to be removed. I also note that the Oceanus 30 does not come installed with AR bearings. Wouldn't an AR system comprising 2 dogs and an AR bearing like that of the Jigger 4000/5000 be more roubust? I suspect the difficulty lies in an engineering problem ie. matching, for lack of a better word, the "pitch" of the bearing and dog.

On the issue of twin drags becoming single disc dags, I understand that twin drag function is compromised somewhat after the modfication. The AR gear is installed directly on the right drag plate, while I do not know the full details I gather that this does affect the original (pre-mod) equal distribution of drag pressure on both sides of the spool.

I didn't like my modified Boss because the AR failed during my Samson trip- they tell me that the failure was due to an installation problem. My personal take on this matter is that the twin AR bearings in Boss magnums are rock solid. No need to massacre a perfectly good reel just to install an aftremarket AR dog system. Do note that the AG mod installation entails removal of a large of portion of the black water guards as well.

However, I must say that I like the after market AG handles and handle shafts for the Boss reels very much, no problems with these whatsoever.

Mark R dude,

I fully agree with your sentiments on the lack of AR bearing on the Oceanus and I share your thoughts on the removal of the AR bearings in the AG mods on the 665.....

Would you be comfortable if I posted extracts of your views on the "other" forum, given that they are based on an actual user input?.

Mak,

I wonder if the view regarding the conversion making the Boss a single drag was due to confusion over the supposedly to be different setups of the US and Asian spec Oceanus?.

Saimee

[MarkR]

Hi DFM,

Currently in Japan so apologies for the slow reply. Sure thing man, please extract anything you wish for the "other" forum

Have visited 4 tackle shops so far. Sansui, Joshuya & Tackleberry in Shibuya and Ichiban in Osaka where I bumped into AO's Alvin this afternoon The shops here stock a wide range of gear but most of the shops have limited selections of heavyy jig/pop stuff (I have been having trouble finding jigs over 350g). Even the highly acclaimed Sansui at Shibuya that is possibly Tokyo's best stocked tackle shop was somewhat of a let down- most major manufacturers were represented but range wasnt there

Have bought only 10 jigs and 2 T-shirts from Ichiban. Will head to the Osaka tackle show tomorrow and hopefully the Sevenseas shop. I'm crossing my fingers that Proshop Mogi in Yokohama will have a more comprehensive range of heavy gear but will be back to Shibuya Sansui to pick up some stuff before I head home....and maybe a new stella 2007 from the show!!!!

Cheers,

Mark

[DaFrogman]

MarkR dude,

Muchos gracias for the green light on using your post.

The world is indeed tiny if you can run into Alvin in Tokyo.... either that or great minds think alike...

Have fun dude.

Saimee