Drag setting: shouldn't be locked down?

[Capriceragtop]

Sunday, I was tossing a Super Spook Jr. in a light drizzle. It got hammered by something sizeable.

 

I figured it must be large, because I could feel it fight, but I wasn't bringing line in while cranking on the baitcaster. It was probably my PB, but I won't know, unfortunately. My 8lb flouro leader snapped right in the middle.

 

I've always just cranked the drag all the way down. I take it that's the wrong idea? Is this the most likely reason why I lost the fish?

 

Oh, and if my fellow Memphians are out at Halle and see a monster with a Super Spook Jr. in Baby Bass color, tell him I want my lure back.

[soflabasser]

Locking down your drag is a excellent way for a fish to snap your line, especially if your drag is set higher than the line's rating. I see some ''big'' YouTubers do this mistake often, many learn this bad habit from watching their videos. Learn how to set your drag at an appropriate level, so you can fight the fish correctly. This will help you land more big fish, which is a good thing.

[MN Fisher]

Most reels drag will put a force on higher than 8#.

 

Don't lock it down - start at about 1/3 your line test...so for 8#, set the drag to release line at about 3# of pull.

 

Adjust the drag as needed during the fight - but NEVER lock it down.

 

Let the fish take line...it'll tire out soon enough.

[Basser2021]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

 

 

Adjust the drag as needed during the fight - but NEVER lock it down.

 

Let the fish take line...it'll tire out soon enough.

 

[Capriceragtop]

15 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Don't lock it down - start at about 1/3 your line test...

Ah. Now I know why some of my reels have what I thought was "puny" drag at 11lbs. Couldn't foresee how a drag like that would work with big largemouth, let alone bigger fish like pike.

 

Thanks!

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, Capriceragtop said:

let alone bigger fish like pike.

My PB Northern at 12# was taken on 8# test line, on a spinning reel, with the drag eventually set to around 5# - took about 15 minutes to get it in the net.

[WRB]

FC line with a top water lure.... the rod that cast a small top water is usually M mod, force over 4 lbs can break that rod. You paid for the drag learn to use it.

Tom

[Ppennin986]

I caught this 35# catfish on 10# mono gotta let those fish have line play em out

[Trox]

My would be PB was lost this way as well...8lb test, skipping senkos under the only marina on the lake... It was very early in my baitcasting carreer. I still swear today that it was a 10lber being conservative. haunts me. I would go on to lose other fish due to drag as well, but not because it was locked down. Took some play, man. Had to figure it all out and learn the feel. Plus, drag is very situational...

 

I don't know why but this question reminds me of this video...

 

[LrgmouthShad]

Your fishing game is gonna skyrocket using drag. Yeah, there’s a lotta misinformation out there and I had a period of time when I used 8lb Vanish fluorocarbon, thought that only an 8lb fish would break it, cranked my drag all the way down… Um… yeah. Take others’ recommendations and set to 1/3 or 1/2 line breaking strength, depending. You’ll get a feel for it over time. A while back I admitted to myself that line breakage is just about always angler failure and I am better off for it. 
 

Drag doesn’t just protect line. It introduces a little “give” when fighting a fish which can be valuable. It also helps protect against bending out hooks or breaking other pieces of equipment like your rod that are involved in this “system”.

[T-Billy]

Drag is only locked down on my flippin sticks with straight braid. Even then they'll give to a big flathead or musky and protect my rod and reel. Those KK vault reels with no drag are a bad idea in waters that hold big fish.

[Captain Phil]

If you fish with a locked down drag, you must be prepared to give line some other way.   Before reel drags, this was commonplace. You can use your thumb as a drag by putting the reel in free spool or back reel if you are using a spinning reel.  Fresh water fish normally don't make long runs, so this works if you are prepared for it.  I only remember one fish in my lifetime that made a fool out of me when I did this. I hooked a monster bedding bass with 8 pound mono and a spinning reel. It was out in the open and the fish ran so fast I couldn't catch the backward spinning reel handle because it was turning too fast.  Never saw that fish, but it must have been huge.  It still haunts my dreams....

 

 

[T-Billy]

I think the term "locked down drag" gets misunderstood alot. The drag will still slip, but it's maxed out.

[Catt]

Line, rod, drag, & angler working in unison.

 

[Capriceragtop]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

FC line with a top water lure.... the rod that cast a small top water is usually M mod, force over 4 lbs can break that rod. You paid for the drag learn to use it.

Tom

Tom, are you saying with the drag maxed out, I run the risk of breaking the rod with a large fish?

 

This was a MH St. Croix Premiere, but I'm sure your advice still holds. I always thought you had to be doing something extreme to break a rod: smacking it against something, snagged on a tree, etc.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, Capriceragtop said:

Tom, are you saying with the drag maxed out, I run the risk of breaking the rod with a large fish?

 

This was a MH St. Croix Premiere, but I'm sure your advice still holds. I always thought you had to be doing something extreme to break a rod: smacking it against something, snagged on a tree, etc.

Nope - doesn't take doing something stupid. Too much bending force on a rod will break it...which is why I cringe every time I see someone flip a big fish into their boat. While a rod might be rated to 50# test line - that's for linear (in line) force along the length of the rod. If you tried to dead-lift even 10# with the rod like it was a crane... SNAP.

[JS8588]

Brian Latimer just did a video on 3 baits you should never fish with (straight) braid. As far as the crankbaits section, he was right. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, though...you can absolutely fish straight braid, just don't lock down your drag.

 

I had a good fish on 2 weeks ago. Pulled the hook. I was using 4lb mono. My drag wasn't "locked down", but it should have been set looser. Watch some ultralight anglers like I_Fish & TroutMagnetMan. They land some truly impressive fish on what most bass anglers would basically consider sewing thread. They know how to set their drag.

[Capriceragtop]

4 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

If you tried to dead-lift even 10# with the rod like it was a crane... SNAP.

... looks like I'm off to buy a net.

 

Maybe this is why I've been catching mostly dinks in the 2lb range: God's up there saying, "you need some additional tools, ya dingus."

[NHBull]

The only time mine is close to lockers is when I am making long cast with jigs that have a heavy wire hook. After it is set, I quickly back it off.

[dodgeguy]

Why would anybody use 8lb test flouro on top water ? That's senseless to start. 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, dodgeguy said:

Why would anybody use 8lb test flouro on top water ? That's senseless to start. 

Depends on the topwater - that's what I throw Zara Puppies on....

[Capriceragtop]

8 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

Why would anybody use 8lb test flouro on top water ? That's senseless to start. 

What would you suggest? Not being combative; genuinely curious.

 

Part of it is I couldn't find my spool of 10lb, and the other part is I don't have a dedicated topwater setup, unless you count a frog rod. I use this setup as a general one: weighted TRig, jerks, weightless big plastics, wakebaits, etc.

[dodgeguy]

On most topwaters which are probably thrown over weeds 14 lb. Mono minimum or 50 lb braid . Flouro sinks so it works against your topwaters.And yes my 20 lb drags are set around 14 lbs. I want that fish out of the cover asap.you don't need a dedicated setup. Any good mh fast rod should work. If using a a Dobyns then heavy would work.

 

[Capriceragtop]

5 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

On most topwaters which are probably thrown over weeds 14 lb. Mono minimum or 50 lb braid .

Ah. I should've clarified: this setup is braid with flouro leader. Leader is maybe 5' long. And where I'm presently fishing, it's all clear water with no top slop. There's vegetation under water, so I've got to clean my chatterbaits frequently.

[gim]

Ironically enough, I have lost fish because I have had my drag set too tight too.  I can specifically remember the first season I really started using a ned rig years ago.  I was using braided line with fluoro leader and those original zman mushroom head jigs.  A couple times I set the hook and it bent because they are light-duty wire hooks (junk IMO).  I didn't know any better because it was the first time fishing this specific technique.  I definitely lost a couple of sizable fish because of this.

 

Shortly thereafter I started using heavier gauge jigs (nedlockz) and backed off my drag too.  Didn't lose any fish after those changes.