Let's Talk Drag

[XF15-Loader]

Ok, I've been reading a lot and see many anglers talk about setting your drag correctly.  How do you know your drag is set correctly?  

 

I usually keep my drag locked down for frog fishing so I was surprised to read that you shouldn't have it locked down.  

 

So, this fall I backed my drag down a little while jig fishing.  The first hit I got, I set the hook and d**n near unspooled my reel...lol.  How do you know how much to back it off?  Or, do you wait for the strike to make that decision.

 

Help a brutha out!

 

Thanks,

 

-J

[Airman4754]

Well someone orders, receives, inspects, breaks down, builds, accounts for, and delivers to you. Then you just throw it on a jammer and stick in onto a launcher and leave the trailer untied. That's what you do load toad.

 

On topic if it's a technique you have to cross their eyes with like a jig have your drag as tight as you can get and use your thumb bar and thumb to let out line. Anything else get it to where you think it should be and go three clicks tighter. 

 

It's a bass, it's not breaking anything.

[RoLo]

 

Locking-down the drag is extremist.

A powerful lunge from a big bass could cost you a Personal Best (in short, it defeats the purpose of the drag)

Adding thumb pressure as necessary accomplishes the same end, but with greater flexibility.

 

Roger

[XF15-Loader]

LMAO.  Whatever.  You must be a BB stacker, @Mosster47! I used to like you guys until I spun a 904 while doing my preload checks. Apparently it has to spin hundreds of times to arm but it still had a pucker factor...Lol.

 

At any rate, I'm good keeping  my drag locked down for frogging n jigging?  I guess I should just read less n fish more...Lol

 

-J

[hunterPRO1]

i always am able to pull line from my reel, no matter what, except 80lb braid, which i dont even have a spool of anymore.

 

 

[Airman4754]

9 minutes ago, XF15-Loader said:

LMAO.  Whatever.  You must be a BB stacker, @Mosster47! I used to like you guys until I spun a 904 while doing my preload checks. Apparently it has to spin hundreds of times to arm but it still had a pucker factor...Lol.

 

At any rate, I'm good keeping  my drag locked down for frogging n jigging?  I guess I should just read less n fish more...Lol

 

-J

 

We had an SP in Qatar sit on a 141 one evening and remove the clip and wire from a 94 and spun it for hours sitting there watching the fence. 

 

Luckily the Line-D guy caught the fuze was armed. The SP admitted to it and was sent home.

[XF15-Loader]

Lmao @Mosster47.  That's NUTS.  Then again, there's a reason they're SP's!

 

[WRB]

How much force can your rod take before breaking when bent at a 90 degree angle against that force? Not talking about high sticking at over 180 degrees, just normal lifting power.

There isn't any standards, but for this topic Medium heavy or 4 power 6'6" to 7'4" bass rods the maximum safe lifting force is 4 lbs., heavy or 5 power is 5 lbs. maximum drag setting shouldn't exceed safe lifting power. Set the drag using a digital fishing scale by running the line through all the guides and holding the rod at a 90 degree angle from the pulling force at 4 to 5 lbs for M and H bass rods. If you need to turn a bass for some reason clamp your thumb down on the reel spool momentarily.

Tom

[Team9nine]

 

[RoLo]

4 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

 

UH OH...Do I sense a back-reeler among us  

 

 

[TheRodFather]

I agree with WRB.  Just for giggles, take your reel and lock it down, run the line through the guides and tie a 5lb weight on the end of your rod.

 

Hold your rod parallel to the ground and lift up using only the handle. If the pucker factor doesn't make you stop first you may just need a new rod. 

 

Add that to the fact that unless your drag is ultra fine tuned, there is a measurable initial rise in force till the drag slips, so the 5lb you have set may initially breakaway at 6, or 7.

[Master Bait'r]

I like to use a half gallon of milk.  

 

That's a hair under 4lbs, and a reasonable thing most people have.  Just tie your line end to the jug handle and start to lift GENTLY.  I set it so I can't actually lift it but almost. Better safe than sorry!  

 

The only times I lock down my drag are with 40+ braid and 15+ cxx for cover/jigs.  (Or for finesse frogging) 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The rule of thumb is to set drag pressure at 2/3 of line test. With braid go by mono diameter equivalent. I don't advise locking it down for any application. Hitting the spool release with pressure on the line is abusing your reel and asking for trouble. Specifically pinion gears and spool drive pins.  

[KDW96]

13 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

Locking-down the drag is extremist.

A powerful lunge from a big bass could cost you a Personal Best (in short, it defeats the purpose of the drag)

Adding thumb pressure as necessary accomplishes the same end, but with greater flexibility.

 

Roger

 

12 hours ago, WRB said:

How much force can your rod take before breaking when bent at a 90 degree angle against that force? Not talking about high sticking at over 180 degrees, just normal lifting power.

There isn't any standards, but for this topic Medium heavy or 4 power 6'6" to 7'4" bass rods the maximum safe lifting force is 4 lbs., heavy or 5 power is 5 lbs. maximum drag setting shouldn't exceed safe lifting power. Set the drag using a digital fishing scale by running the line through all the guides and holding the rod at a 90 degree angle from the pulling force at 4 to 5 lbs for M and H bass rods. If you need to turn a bass for some reason clamp your thumb down on the reel spool momentarily.

Tom

 

3 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

The rule of thumb is to set drag pressure at 2/3 of line test. With braid go by mono diameter equivalent. I don't advise locking it down for any application. Hitting the spool release with pressure on the line is abusing your reel and asking for trouble. Specifically pinion gears and spool drive pins.  

 

Read an reread these posts. And take special note of the last 1or2 sentences in each post! I was taught this many years ago. The drag is not meant to be locked down 100% of the time. Ive seen many,lose good fish,break rods,snap line etc because they keep it lock down. The use of your thumb pressure along with a properly set drag, is just as important as a well educated thumb controlling the spool during the cast.

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by KDW96
spelling

[geo g]

In florida we have so much thick grass and pads, I lock my drag down.  You have to get their head up quick or you will not get them out of the grass.  No time to play with a hooked bass.  The next one nay be the fish of a life time.  

[WIGuide]

I don't have mine locked down for anything. If you almost spooled your reel on a hookset, obviously it's too loose so tighten it up some. I keep mine tight enough that my drag doesn't slip on the hookset for any of my single hook techniques. For treble hooked baits, I'll leave it loose enough it slips just a little on the hookset. 

[WRB]

I believe the rule of thumb for drag setting is 1/3rd the mono/FC line strength and not to exceed the rods lifting power. Another factor not discussed is backing your drag off after fishing so a the drag components don't take a set failing to operate smoothly.

We are talking about fresh water largemouth bass, not a stronge hard running fish compared to their salt water cousins. The 1/3rd drag setting works for me for giant LMB over 15lbs and off shore salt water fish that weigh more than I do! 

If you want to put big bass in the boat learn how to control them.

Tom

[MickD]

How much force is a "locked down" drag able to generate if its capacity is about 15 pounds?

[WRB]

26 minutes ago, MickD said:

How much force is a "locked down" drag able to generate if its capacity is about 15 pounds?

15 lbs!

[Brett's_daddy]

Okay, so maybe this only applies to spinning reels and not baitcasters but the way I set my drag was to hold my rod in one hand and pull the line out with the other adjusting the drag until I could still pull the line out but it had good resistance...probably not the best way but hypothetically would it work for a casting reel too?

[fissure_man]

1 hour ago, MickD said:

How much force is a "locked down" drag able to generate if its capacity is about 15 pounds?

 

You should be able to push it above the nominal max by using a higher-viscosity drag grease like JB Weld.

 

No need for any fancy CF washers with this method.

 

[Bucky205]

Somewhere where the breaking strength of the line will not be exceeded.

[UPSmallie]

I usually just make sure I can barely pull line off with hands.  You don't want it to not give any line, or give too much, but just enough that if you're pulling hard enough some line will come off.  Trial and error helps too.

[Catt]

All of mine are set at 6 lbs!

 

Nobody fishes any vegetation or brush any denser than we have down here!

 

I have absolutely no problems pulling fish out

[RoLo]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

I believe the rule of thumb for drag setting is 1/3rd the mono/FC line strength 

and not to exceed the rods lifting power.

 

I'll drink to that Tom.

When I used to preset my drag tension for saltwater fishing,

I always set the reel drag between 25 and 30% of the line's breaking strength (be it bluefish or bluefin)

 

If that seems 'light' to you, lock down your reel drag then tie an end-loop in your fishing line.

Now have your partner hook the end-loop to your fish scale.

Keep applying pressure to your rod until your partner tells you that the scale reads "5" pounds.

You might be amazed how much pressure that is.

 

Roger