need to know what drag really means so i will know when to use it.

You need to spend some time in "Fishing Articles" at the top of the page, especially the "Beginners" section. The BassResource.com library is extensive and the answers to many questions will be found there.

8-)

X2

In the mean time - drag is the amount of force required to pull line off your reel.  There are different theories on how tight or how loose this should be, but you definetly don't want to have it set so loose that you can't gain any ground on the fish by reeling in or so tight that you end up pulling the hook out of the fish's mouth.  This is adjusted by the "star" knob on the handle side of your reel (bait caster) or the drag knob on your spinning reel.