Let's Talk Drag

[WRB]

41 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

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

 

Roger, I back off my star drag on every fresh water reel I own and set them before each trip, after doing this for decades the 4lb to 5lb force is easy to estimate and it's far more than most anglers would guess, still check sometimes with a scale. I set my Int't 30 lb tuna reels at 6lb strick and 10lbs Max, Int'l 50 Marlin reels at 8 lbs strick and 12 lbs max, tuna up to 200lbs, Marlin up to 750 lbs. 4 lbs with 12 lb line for LMB is more than enough force to control any bass.

Tom

[gim]

I had my drag set a little too tight last fall and when I set the hook on a large fish, the hook straightened out.  I was using 30 pound braid on a medium heavy bait casting rod.  Turns out the fish was actually not a bass, but a muskie and I am convinced I would have caught that fish had my drag not been so tight.

[RoLo]

50 minutes ago, WRB said:

Roger, I back off my star drag on every fresh water reel I own and set them before each trip, after doing this for decades the 4lb to 5lb force is easy to estimate and it's far more than most anglers would guess

 

Exactly.

Setting the drag tension by feel gives the angler the freedom to back-off on the drag in the field,

then reset the drag tension by feel. I rarely touch my drag tension in the field,

but when you're fighting a lightly-hooked hog, backing off on the drag can perform miracles

 

Roger

[EvanT123]

Just a question if you lock Down your drag or clamp your thumb on the spool. Aren't you than using your rod to move the fish?

 

i normally use the drag to let the fish move and the rod to move it. 

[RoLo]

 

37 minutes ago, EvanT123 said:

Just a question if you lock Down your drag or clamp your thumb on the spool. Aren't you than using your rod to move the fish?

 

i normally use the drag to let the fish move and the rod to move it. 

 

Yes, you pump the fish to the boat with every up-stroke of your rod,

and take up slack line with every down-stroke of the rod.

 

The drag is just a shock absorber to protect the rod, line and hook from excessive shock.

You can increase the drag at any time by adding thumb pressure,

but I wouldn't recommend locking down your drag. Some reels have a max drag of 20 pounds,

where locking down your drag would offer no cushion at all.

 

Roger

 

[Catt]

23 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. 

 

Maximum drag for a Shimano Calcutta 100A is 9.5 lbs, my drag is set at 6 lbs.

 

My Texas Rig & my Jig-n-Craw reels are spooled with 15# Berkley Big Game.

 

Pretty much 2/3!

 

I've never had a drag slip on hook set, even on 10 lb plus bass. Any drag slippage after hook set, usually only 3-4 turns of the spool, at the first turn I'll release rod pressure slightly & reapply; this stops the run & turns her head.

[Team9nine]

 

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

Maximum drag for a Shimano Calcutta 100A is 9.5 lbs, my drag is set at 6 lbs.

 

My Texas Rig & my Jig-n-Craw reels are spooled with 15# Berkley Big Game.

 

Pretty much 2/3!

 

I've never had a drag slip on hook set, even on 10 lb plus bass. Any drag slippage after hook set, usually only 3-4 turns of the spool, at the first turn I'll release rod pressure slightly & reapply; this stops the run & turns her head.

 

 wuss

 

 

T9 (jk; couldn't let that one pass)   

 

[MickD]

My point was intended to promote thought into the "definition" of "locked down," and how much force is generated by "locked down."  It seems to me if the drag capacity is 15 pounds, that's about all it can generate when "locked down."  So if this is true, with 30 pound test line, there is no truly "locked down" drag.  Most, if not all, freshwater reels, spin or cast, don't have drag capacities any where near 30 pounds, which is about the minimum braid pound test that baitcasters use.  Maybe most are considering "locked down" to be "maxed out," but with line with higher pound test than the drag capacity, line can be taken off against the drag and rods can be broken if not handled correctly.