Help With Drag Setting (For Dummies!)

[X-JaVeN-X]

Hey, so still learning the basics and I just got a second spool for my reel (can't afford a second rod and reel now so I figured getting a second spool would be a good way to keep a second type of line at the ready if needed).

 

Anyway, I'd like to know the "proper" way to set proper drag on my reel (Mitchell 300pro spinning). My rod is a Fenwick HMG 6'6" fast action/medium power.  I've read that drag needs to be about 25% of your lines lb test.  Most people say to set this with a scale, but I don't have one.  So, what I did (and this is where I'd like to know if this is acceptable or if I'm missing something) was put some cans in a plastic grocery bag and weighed it on my kitchen scale to get 25% of my lines weight (the line I was using is 10lb yo-zuri hybrid so I was using 2.5lbs of weight).  I then just hooked the handles of the bag and began to lift them off the floor until the drag would slowly tick out with the bag slightly lifted off the floor. 

 

This felt like a lot of weight to me at the end of the rod.  I felt like the rod was definitely getting a work out to lift that 2.5 lbs of weight.  Should it feel like a lot of stress on the rod?  I also have  a spool of fireline braid with a test of 30 lbs (on my secondary spool).  25% of that would be 7.5 lbs. and I don't think this rod would be able to even begin to lift 7.5 lbs, but then again, what do I know?  So, what would I set the drag at for the braid or is this rod just too small for using this braid?  I've only heard the 25% rule for drag, but are there also rod size rules for drag/line test?

 

Sorry for the ignorance, but everybody that I fish with are "by feel" old timers...and I have no experience yet to do any of this by "feel"....plus I tend to be very scientific by nature and make simple things over technical....oh well...Any advice you guys could give would be appreciated!  Thanks!

[ec1]

You need to look at cover. Places where fish can get your hook stuck in weeds, set your drag tighter, open water - go lighter.

 

With 10# YZH, the breaking strength is higher than what it claims for, I usually set it at a rate where I can pull line out (using some force) from the reel without breaking the line. Not too tight and not too loose.

 

My own personal preference is to go a tad tighter on a baitcaster, and a little looser on a spinnning rod.

[OroBass]

When I'm fishing 40+ lb braid I tighten the drag down. I Yank the fish out of cover quickly.

[MikeinFresno]

_{good question. I know I lost a few when first starting out in this venture. Too light and the hook wont go thru the lips, too tight and sometimes break the line on a hook set. Smaller thin wire hook less drag than a thick wire. I err on tighter now and try to be aware of slack in the line when setting the hook so as to not snap the line which can cause it to break as well. BUT, what rule, I don't know.............}

[VegasFishing]

I like 25% of the line's breaking strength. If I don't have a scale, I'll set the drag tight then loosen it to the point that I can pull some line with my hand. I'll error on the side of too loose, though, because I can always increase drag with my thumb on the spool when playing a fish.

[roadwarrior]

Your weighing method is one I have recommended often. As you found, 2 1/2 lbs is A LOT!

I'm generally 2 1/2 - 3 lbs, but NEVER more than 4. After awhile you will be able to "feel" where

your setting should be by just pulling line off the reel, but I think it's fun to actually measure

the actual weight occasionally.

 

 

 

[Felix77]

I am one of those set the drag by feel kind of guys.  I tend to err on tighter with a baitcaster but I am also using heavier line and heavier wired hooks.  For spinning I love the 2.5 - 3lb drag suggestion.  I tend to go too light on spinning and it has cost me some fish in the past.  Going to try this out and see how I do on Saturday.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

1/3 of the line's (or weakest link in the setup's) breaking strength is a good rule of thumb. For braid set it at 1/3 the mono equivalent diameter. When testing though, set up the test or scale so the line is pulling straight off the reel not hanging off the rod tip. Locking down the drag is unnecessarily hard on the reel, rod and fish. Once you get the feel for it you can dispense with the scale test.

[geo g]

In South Florida with our shallow lakes and heavy, thick cover you need a tight drag to get there head up and out of harms way.  If you don't get there head up quickly,they will bury and tangle you in the gnarly mess.  Tight drag and beefy line is the way to go  down here.

[J Francho]

1/3 of the weakest point in your system.  Usually that's either the max rating of the rod, or the breaking (not "test") strength of the line.  So a heavy jig and worm rod with a 12-25# line rating and 50# braid can be safely set to 7 or 8 lbs. of resistance.  A drop shot rod rated to 4-10# line and 6# fluoro can be safely set to around 2 lbs. of resistance.

[corn-on-the-rob]

I have always and will always keep locked drag to ensure the best hookset possible. With the proper set up you should not break anything with a hookset IF setting into a fish obviously rock or snag can easily do it (or nicked line). After i get the hook set I can loosen my drag on the fly, which I have never done with out success, if I feel it is a bigger fish.

 

This weekend I caught a 14lb and 35lb catfish while fishing for bass. Monster hooksets with tight drag on 8lb line medium power rod, boated them both ( the 35lb was 42'' and took 20+ minutes to get in). After the hook set I felt they were big and immediately adjusted drag to what was necessary and tightened and loosened multiple times during the long fight to adjust to the current conditions. At times I needed really loose drag so he wouldn't break off but at other times I needed to tighten up slightly in order to keep control.

 

Of course this is my opinion but a fish in the boat starts with a good hookset so a tight drag ensures that. With all that being said I would say that you might want to not have a tight drag if using too light of line on a higher power rod, or if you are down in the 6lb to 4lb class of line.

 

The biggest thing is if you are using a tightened drag you must be ready to loosen the drag once you feel it is necessary.

[Catch and Grease]

1/3 of the weakest point in your system. Usually that's either the max rating of the rod, or the breaking (not "test") strength of the line. So a heavy jig and worm rod with a 12-25# line rating and 50# braid can be safely set to 7 or 8 lbs. of resistance. A drop shot rod rated to 4-10# line and 6# fluoro can be safely set to around 2 lbs. of resistance.

I like this explanation, great way to set your drag

[WRB]

Your medium rod is about a 2 power,meaning 2 lbs of dead weight would be near it's limit.

1pint of water in a plastic bottle weighs 1 lb. the 1/3rd rule works very well, however your rod has a limit and 3 lbs is really pushing it.

Tom

[SirSnookalot]

I must be an old timer, I've been doing it by feel well over 60 years.  Using a scale when you first start out may not be a bad idea, it won't take long to get into your comfort level.  Setting your drag will become second nature without thinking about it.

The OP is using a spinning reel, IMO locking a drag is not the way to fish one.  At least the way I bass fish in heavy cover (my max line is 15# braid), I grab the spool and pull the fish out with the rod, in open water there is no need to do that. 

[smalljaw67]

I do it by feel then when I'm fighting a fish I'll adjust it up or down depending on what is happening. For those that don't have the experience to know how tight to set the drag by feel and that don't have a spring scale there is an easier way. I call it the gallon method as it is based on a gallon of water which is 128oz. a gallon of water weighs 8.33 poulds and the jug a gallon of water comes in weighs a little over an ounce but to make it easy I call it 2 ounces. Take an empty gallon jug and tie the line around the handle and then take a measuring cup and fill it with enough water, minus the 2 ounces you want to set you drag at using the starting point of what the gallon of water weighs which is 8.33 pounds. So, if you are using 10 pound line and you want to set the drag at 25% you have 2.5 lbs, so 1/2 gallon of water or 64 ounces weighs 4.17 lbs. , and 32ounces is half of that which is 2.08lbs and with the margin for error plus tare weigh of the jug, the drag set for 10lb line is 32 ounces of water in an empty gallon jug.  It sounds complicated but it isn't, and I actually broke it down for my grandson so he can set his drag by himself and I laid it out for him like this, for 6lb. line he ties to the empty gallon jug and fills it with 18 ounces of water, for 8lb line he fills the jug with 30 ounces, and for 10lb. line he fills it with 34 ounces of water, it is all rounded up but close enough and is actually a little less than 25% but that is because of margin for error but the point is that method will get you close to proper drag set without using a scale.

[WRB]

For those who never set their drags accurately and only guess by pulling with your hand, try dead weight drag setting to confirm your actual drag setting verses what you think it is.

The 1 pint plastic water bottle is a very common item and weighs close enough to 1 pound for this purpose. Use a plastic grocery bag to place the number of 1 lb water  bottles attached to your line with the reel mounted onto the rod you use. Good to know how the rod bends under dead weight load and how then drag functions under load.

You will be surprised how your medium heavy bass outfit looks and feels like with 3 to 4 lbs of dead weight!

Tom

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

An experiment like this^^ might give you second thoughts about swinging fish into the boat too. 

[J Francho]

Was gonna say the same thing, lol.

[John G]

I just measured my drag for the very first time. My results were IMHO, very surprising. Usually I set it by feel. I pull on the line and set it to where I think it's tight enough.

The rod was a Loomis MBR782, the reel a Conquest 50 and the line was 10# Sniper FC.

For the weight, I grabbed three 16oz cans of diced tomatoes out of the pantry and I weighed them on a scale. Total weight for the three cans was around 3# 3oz.

I put the cans in a plastic bag and I attached the hook to the plastic bag and I began to lift.

I found out that I needed to crank the drag all the way down to the point that it is locked down in order to lift the bag off the ground.

My 2 power Loomis was bent over in a way that I was uncomfortable with.

I then repeated the process with 2 cans and then 1 can.

The results were extremely surprising. I don't even come close to setting my drag that tight when I fish. I probably have it set at around 1#. Even with just 1 can of tomatoes elevated off the ground, the line still kept creeping out until I tightened the drag until it stopped creeping. When I pulled on the line at that drag setting, it was harder to pull out than it is when I am fishing.

These results make me wonder why in the heck people place such a big emphasis on a strong drag for a reel that is used for bass fishing.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If you took the reel off the rod and lifted the weight straight up I think the results would have been different. Either way, it is eye opening, is it not? 5-7# of drag and 5-6 well placed quality bearings is all a bass reel need to perform very well and last a long time.

[John G]

If you took the reel off the rod and lifted the weight straight up I think the results would have been different. 

I did this and I got the same results. With 3 cans in the bag, I mean I literally have to tighten the drag to the point that it won't tighten anymore. When I send in another reel, you should try this and then do a Carbontex upgrade and see if it makes a difference. But still, a Conquest 50 isn't known for having a strong drag and at the 3# setting, it is much tighter than I fish with.

[J Francho]

 

I did this and I got the same results.

 

You should, physics is physics, and the resistance doesn't change, floppy/stiff rod, stretchy line/braid - makes no difference.  That said, the IMPRESSION you get in hand is different.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

My thought was that if the drag was jerky at all, the damping of the rods action may affect the point at which the drag would initially break free by cushioning. Start up pressure and sustained pressure aren't always equal. I think that's one of the improvements you see with Carbontex. Over all strength seems to be improved somewhat as well. I agree John G that some real stats would be good to see. I'm doing something similar with rod blanks using the CCS system. 

[J Francho]

Well, there may be a "delay" in break free, but that's the rod loading, not the drag slipping any smoother or not.  4 lbs. of resistance is 4 lbs. of resistance - sideways, upways, on a whippy rod, on a broomstick, or from a straight pull.  I won't get into the rest of the physics that have to do with heat dissipation, except to say a dry Carbontex setup dissipates better, so it maintains that max resistance measurement better.  That isn't really a concern for bass fishing, though.  Just know that as the temperature of the washers increases, the maximum resistance gets lower, until a washer fails from too much heat.

[WRB]

There is a breakaway pressure to get some drag washers or drag designs to start slipping. Spinning reels are notorious for higher forces to get started, then lower forces as the drag slips. Drags that have been set and left set for weeks will take a set and require higher forces to break free and start slipping. Drags should be backed off after every fishing trip!

The 2 power rod should bottom out with more than 2 lbs of dead weight.

Fresh water bass reels with drags that exceed 10 lbs is mostly marketing, few bass rods can withstand 8 lbs of dead weight, including flipping rods!

Anglers should know how the equipment works and drags are perform, we pay lots of $$$ for state of the art drags, set them properly and rely on them and back the force off when storing the reels.

Tom