the drag adjustment on my spinning reel is acting up. when tightening , the clicks are normal. once it gets to a certain point , if i loosen or tighten it what should be one click, it will go skip over like 10 before catching (i hope that makes sense). it does not slip and the reel functions fine. its just fine tuning the drag can be a task.

could this be the drag knob?

What make and model reel are we talking about? The clicker is just a noise maker and doesn't typically affect adjustability.

the reel is an Abu cardinal 602alb.

The drag knob could just be dirty. If the knob tightens and loosens smoothly adjustment should not be affected. If there are tight or loose spots in the adjustment the knob or shaft threads may be damaged.