just guessing here but it may be fancy way of "thumbing" the drag, without a thumb of course.

 I think it's a Casting assist deal.

 

You can use your index finger to hook the line while at the same time pulling that lever toward the rod which will flip open the bail.

 

Allows the user to cast with one motion.  In other words, one does not need to use the other hand to flip open the bail.  

 

I had a low end Shimano several years ago that had it - the lever worked OK but the rest of the reel wanged . . . .

 

A-Jay

I once had a reel with a similar lever. It is a solution to a problem that does not exist.

I saw a cheap bass pro reel like that once. I don't know, I think finculture is right about it having to do with the drag. What little I could make out in the item descriptions about them seem to say something like that, but there's just so much lost in translation with those that I have no idea. Some make it sound like it's a two speed reel, too, but like I said who knows

I once had a reel with a similar lever. It is a solution to a problem that does not exist.

 

that's why I think it serves some other purpose, because these are fairly high end jdm reels

that's why I think it serves some other purpose, because these are fairly high end jdm reels

You could be right that it does not simply release the bail like the ones A-Jay and I had. Now you have me curious.

its a Daiwa Plaiso. They have a couple of models like that.

Daiwa 13 plaiso 2500h-LDB ldb=lever drag button?

The lever opens the bail.

Daiwa 13 plaiso 2500h-LDB ldb=lever drag button?

 

never mind. It's LBD...

Poisonokie after closely looking at a few pictures, it appears the lever just opens the bail. An expensive solution to a nonexistent problem.

Hmmm... Maybe it would help that guy who wants to flip and pitch with a spinning reel.

Found this on the internet.

they are designed for japanese ISO fishing. ISO fishing is primarily a style of rock fishing utilising long soft rods (mine is 5.3metres - full graphite only weights 275gms), bobby floats and very light line (4-10 lbs main depending on your rod). The purpose of the lever drag is that it kind of replaces the reverse switch on most threadlines. Y u may ask.

Two main reasons, the first being that this form of fishing relies of tiring the fish out through the long soft rod. However because of the high risk of line breakage whilst on the rocks ISO fishing need a system of a controlled 'free spool' if the fish decides to swim away from the edge e.g. Drummer fishing being a classic example. This allows the angler to play the fish with greater confidence.

Second reason is that the lever allows the angler to release line without having to open the bail arm. Luderick fisherman would recognise this as a great feature especially as it allows you to control the drift of the float more effectively - almost like using a centrepin reel.

Wow, thanks a lot, man! Learn something new every day.

That sounds like it could be a cool feature to play with.

In the early to mid 90s, Quantum made a reel called the "Hypercast" , it was a spinning reel with the same lever and it allowed you to cast a spinning reel without opening the bail and holding the line, sort of a spinning reel that casted like a spin cast reel. Look up the Hypercast, this is old technology that wasn't very good.

I just yard-sold one of those Hypercast reels for $2 and the buyer got screwed. I always hated that reel, always twisting the line. It was advertised as a long casting reel. The rotor was way out of balance and eventually, the screw that held on the bail-flipping mechanism came out. I removed the bail flip assembly and the reel worked better but the balance was awful. I eventually put it on a long crappie rod to just hold line.