Loosening drag after fishing

[Jcj90]

Is this really necessary to do after a days worth of fishing with better reel technology? I fish 3-4 days a week and sometimes forget to set the drag and poof there goes a missed fish.

 

@Delaware Valley Tackle

[dodgeguy]

I don't think so.

[paleus]

I literally have never loosened the drag on my reels. The drags on all my reels work fine. 

[Mike L]

Personally, new or old technology doesn’t matter. 
I always loosen after each outing. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[li_bass_hunter]

Don’t think it matters. I only back mine off at the end of the season when I’m done fishing

[Jcj90]

9 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

I don't think so.

You don’t loosen them?

[MN Fisher]

When I had oil-felt drags, ya, I loosened them at the end of the day. Since I upgraded to Carbontex on all my reels, I just leave them set...not that any are tight - 1/3 the line-test or rod max-rating (which ever is less).

[Mobasser]

I got in the habit of doing it years ago, and still think it's a good idea

[Hammer 4]

5 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I got in the habit of doing it years ago, and still think it's a good idea

 

Same for me. 

[Log Catcher]

I loosen my drags after fishing. Have been doing it that way for many years. loosen the drags on baitcasters and spinning reels too.

[dodgeguy]

52 minutes ago, Jcj90 said:

You don’t loosen them?

Only over the winter.

[Catt]

Nope! ?

 

I set it & never change it until I break the reel down to clean which is about every couple months.

[ATA]

I always doing that from the first with no reason, It just felt right to do it. My only reason I can find for myself is the way I am keeping my reel bag, If I loose the drag, I can adjust the handle in position to put more reels in one reel bag

[WRB]

Yep, always back off. The drag when putting them away. Loosen the drag and. Pull off a yard of line to check smoothness. Make a slip knot to slide over the reel and snug it up. 

Next trip when tie on whatever I adjust the drag pull test it and ready to fish.

Been doing this with all my reels salt and fresh water forever, never had a drag issue.

Tom

[BassSteve]

I heard that you should loosen the drag after you are done fishing some years back, and it has just stuck with me ever since. Now I tell any friends that fish to remember and loosen their drag also! lol

[Catt]

Apparently it doesn't hurt Shimano Calcutta's drag, 35+ years with zero drag issues.

 

Two Lew's Tournament MB/MP, 3 LFS, & 1 Crush, various ages up to 3 yrs old, zero issues.

 

[papajoe222]

I loosen the drag AND spool tension knob when I'm done fishing for the day. I believe it's only beneficial when the reel sits for an extended period as it could bind on initial start up, but I do it anyway. I also re-set both the drag and spool tension when first tying on a lure for the day. 

[CrankFate]

People say loosen the drag when you rinse your reels, so water doesn’t get trapped in the drag and cause salt or mineral build up. I tried it, but do not recommend it, because backing the drag completely off causes the drag stack to get unseated. It happened to me. So I don’t do it anymore. Instead, I just grease everything with Cals grease. And leave it as is. I have never seen any buildup inside of any reel that has Cals in it, which is all of them, now. Even after heavy saltwater use. If you’re using spinners or lever drags, that’s another story, because there’s no drag stack or gear shaft to get dislodged.

[bulldog1935]

On Shimano spinning reels, spool shim washers compress in creep under constant drag load.  

When I re-line them, I re-shim them.  

Another reason I like Tica - their overqualified spool shim washers don't seem to be affected by long-term drag set.  

If you look at a baitcaster drag stack, there's nothing in there that's going to change shape over time.  

 

[GreenPig]

Yes I back off the drag after every trip. Just SOP for me. I service all my on reels and have never noticed where it hurt to do so. 

[Jig Man]

I used to but it only takes a brain fart to pull it out don’t reset make a cast, have a good fish hit a spinner bait, set the hook and have no control while she jumps and spits.

 

So now I don’t and have no plans to.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If you’re one that locks a drag down (which I advise against) not a bad idea to back it off when not in use and definitely over the off-season. At normal recommended settings it should be fine. 

[garroyo130]

13 hours ago, CrankFate said:

People say loosen the drag when you rinse your reels, so water doesn’t get trapped in the drag and cause salt or mineral build up

 

I've always heard you should tighten the drag down before rinsing

[PhishLI]

I put a hash mark with a sharpie on the spool tension knobs of all of my reels at the desired in-use setting. I back it off a skosh at the end of a session, except for reels that are always set loose like Daiwas.

 

Centrifugally braked reels with tapered friction surfaces are set to neutral zero side-to-side pIay. There's zero upside to spool play, or slight side-to-side clicking, with these types, and it's actually a negative, IMO. I like to return to this condition easily without going through a ritual, and the hash mark allows for that.  I also back off my drags. Blew a few hook sets over time because I forgot to reset. Oh well. Psychic pain is a good teacher. I rarely forget anymore.

[CrankFate]

1 hour ago, garroyo130 said:

 

I've always heard you should tighten the drag down before rinsing

I never heard that, but it makes a lot more sense to me.