What A Drag

[boostr]

Doing a little fishing right now, but taking a food break. Started using my Manns -1 had a good hook up started reeling and reeling my drag starts slipping I see the fish at least an 3 pounder, and I lose it. Realized my drag was way loose so the hooks obviously didn't dig in. To make it worse the same fish jumps out of the water in front of me, and shoot me the bird. Anybody make a stupid mistake like that.

[boostr]

I actually loosen the drag all the way back when I'm done fishing, just forgot to set it back when I started fishing.

[tbone1993]

I've never done that but I have forget to reset my drag after catching a 5lb smallie a few months ago. She fought like a tank and I was gentle because she seemed like she was heading up to spawn. After I let her go we moved down the bank and I flipped under a dock a hooked into a 2lb smallie and I almost fell out of the boat because my rod kept traveling upward. My friend had a good laugh and I looked like a goof doing a double hookset but it was funny at the time.

[Catch and Grease]

One day I cast a soft plastic lure out and forgot to engage the spool and before I switched hands I gave it a few pops and something grabbed it, I switched hands and tried setting the hook and created the mother of all birds nest...

[papajoe222]

I always back off the. Drags on my reels at the end of the day. Do I always remember to reset them prior to heading out again? I remember to put the plug back in the boat most of the time too.

[mayer74]

I was talking on the phone to an old friend who had randomly called me after three years. I changed out my rig to throw a live worm so I could toss it out and let it sit while I talked. During the hour phone call I noticed several folks down the shore a bit kept making catches while my line didn't so much as barely twitch. After I hung up I put my phone down on the little table beside my chair and....there was my live worm squirming around. I had thrown out an empty bait hook.

[Tim Kelly]

One day I cast a soft plastic lure out and forgot to engage the spool and before I switched hands I gave it a few pops and something grabbed it, I switched hands and tried setting the hook and created the mother of all birds nest...

 

LOL. Yet another good reason to use left hand wind baitcasters right there!

[Driftb]

I had a number of a cheap Gander mountain reels some  years back.  They were actually pretty decent reels, except after a few seasons the drags would start to back off during the course of a days fishing.  Those reels have been out of my lineup for years, but my buddy Ed is still cursed with them.  I get a laugh every time I fish with him.  He'll hook a fish, then his drag starts spinning.  He thinks he has a big fish on, then I remind him to tighten down the drag. Maybe he'll learn someday.

 

I used to back off the drags in the day when drags had felt, cork and leather washers. I'd rather know that each rod is ready to go, and when I pick one up to cast, I'll pull out a few inches of line to make sure the drag is set right. Today with stainless steel and teflon drag washers I don't think it's that important. Matter of fact, I can't think of a drag failure in years, other than those Gander Mountain reels, but that was a design flaw, not drag wear. Usually the drags way outlast the gearing and bail mechanisms. On casting reels, it's usually the spool release mechanism that goes first.  At least that's been my experience. 

[jhoffman]

I never back my drags off, never, not even end of season. I do however tear them down completely every winter, clean and put new lube through the entire reel including bearings.