The most common issue when the drag on your fishing reel doesn't work, whether it's a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel, is that you've forgotten or missed priming the spool with nylon or electrical tape when using braided line as the main line. The problem that arises when you don't prime the reel with something like nylon is that the entire line pack spins on the spool. This is because today's braided lines are so smooth that they don't grip the spool. So, if you know you haven't primed your reel with something that grips the spool and you're wondering why the drag on your new reel isn't working, this is most likely the answer. If you don't want to bother with spooling your line and just want everything to work, we offer to spool your reel as an option when you buy a new reel and a new line.