Punching/Flipping/Frogging

[LrgmouthShad]

Hey ya’ll,

 

For these techniques where many desire tighter drag, do you lock it all the way down or leave some room? If I lock all the way down to 20lbs, am I risking damage to my rod (Lew’s 7’3”Heavy Carbon Fire)

[MN Fisher]

I never lock my drag down - even when pitching.

 

Long as you don't 'high stick', you should be alright.

[casts_by_fly]

On my Amistad, I lock it down pretty tight.  I'm using 50 lb braid and heavy hooks, either heavy flipping hooks or heavy frog hooks.  I'm not worried about a fish big enough to over stress the setup, and if I hook a fish in the pads especially I want it coming to me with no slippage.

 

I also pitch jigs with my Head turner/pitching stick which is a full power lighter.  I'm using 17 lb mono on that one and fishing lighter cover.  I also use that rod for swim jigs, chatters, spinnerbaits, etc.  There is a very real chance of an incidental musky or northern on that rod and I do not lock down the drag.

[T-Billy]

I lock mine down when fishing heavy cover. Lew's Super Duty with 40# braid. Never broken a rod or reel from it, and I've had big flatheads crush my bait and run back into wood piles with it. I've made some scary sounds come out of my flippin stick when I clamped my thumb down on the spool trying to stop them though.

[Mike L]

I lock it down but not forcibly, if that makes sense. 
 For all those presentations and more my thumb is always on reel from the time it hits the water anyway.
I’m always ready from hook set to retrieval while at the same time ready to adjust drag while still using my thumb if needed. 
 

 

 

Mike

 

[FishTank]

Never lock the drag all the way down.  If you feel you have too, use your tumb instead. 

 

I hear it every year from a couple of people I work on their reels for.... "My reel is making noise and doesn't act like it use to. I didn't do anything.  It just started acting up."... It usually ends up being the same thing. Fishing heavy cover, with braid and the drag locked down. 

 

I have seen spools bent and frames with micro cracks.  So, yes locking the drag down can potentially harm your gear.

[Catt]

Never lock em down, once adjusted I never change it until I break em down to clean em.

 

My previous flipping-n-pitching-frogging reel was a Calcutta 100A which only has 9.5 lbs of drag, it was set at 6 lbs. My current reel is a Lew's Tournament MP with 20 lbs of drag & it set at 12 lbs.

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

My previous flipping-n-pitching-frogging reel was a Calcutta 100A which only has 9.5 lbs of drag, it was set at 6 lbs. My current reel is a Lew's Tournament MP with 20 lbs of drag & it set at 12 lbs.

Sound like me - my flipping reel  is a Daiwa CA-80. 11# max, I've got it set around 8#.

[Deleted account]

Anything single hook with 40 braid or 20 mono plus gets locked down.

[PhishLI]

Tight, but with a smidge of slip with straight braid. Keep your thumb on the spool and use it to lock it down to set. If you keep missing on that setting anyway, lock it down. That rod is very hard to break. I've tried, and so has my brother with his. Tons of hero hooksets on Owner Beast hooks, and dragging good fish in with 5 pounds of weeds covering them. Not awesome for your pinion and main gear, but they're only 30 bux to replace if they get geary.

[LrgmouthShad]

1 minute ago, PhishLI said:

That rod is very hard to break. I've tried, and so has my brother with his.

I lucked into it. Think it is an okay rod for the price. Works as good as I need it to. I was at Oneida Lake at the time and quickly realized I needed a Heavy rod + braid to get some of the fish in the eelgrass mats. Walked into DSG and went right up to the guy and said “I want a heavy rod”. He said “Uhhh okay did you have a brand in mind?” I thought for a second and said Lew’s. He walked me over to the Lew’s rods and I found it before he did. Bought it on the spot and then went back and started fishing mats ?

[PhishLI]

Just now, LrgmouthShad said:

I lucked into it.

Me too. My brother did the same thing you did, in a pinch, and found he really liked it for frogs. He pestered me to try it for awhile for the same thing and I ended up loving it after he lent me his. Works great for me and doubles for throwing Miyagis and Magdraft Freestyles rigged on Beast hooks. Don't let the price bother you. It's a good stick.

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Me too. My brother did the same thing you did, in a pinch, and found he really liked it for frogs. He pestered me to try it for awhile for the same thing and I ended up loving it after he lent me his. Works great for me and doubles for throwing Miyagis and Magdraft Freestyles rigged on Beast hooks. Don't let the price bother you. It's a good stick.

Well yeah! Because for $60, what did I have to lose? I actually wanted one cheaper in case I break it. I agree that it’s worked great for frogs in particular. I get em really good frogging.