Minimum acceptable drag pressure

[CrashVector]

Just curious what everyone thinks an acceptable minimum drag pressure is.  I have a reel with just 8.8lbs of drag, and frankly, it's way too light.  Great reel otherwise though.

 

I usually prefer 15lbs.  Just curious what everyone else's preferences are.

[MN Fisher]

Considering I've got most of my reels set in the 3#-5# range for drag to start the day - 8.8# max seems like enough to me...I don't think I've ever cranked them down to more than that.

 

That does exclude my pitch/punch rig...but the reel on that maxes out at 11#

 

A couple of the reels I use (spinners) max out at 9# anyway.

[CrashVector]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Considering I've got most of my reels set in the 3#-5# range for drag to start the day - 8.8# max seems like enough to me...I don't think I've ever cranked them down to more than that.

 

That does exclude my pitch/punch rig...but the reel on that maxes out at 11#

 

A couple of the reels I use (spinners) max out at 9# anyway.

 

 

It's a JDM Abu Garcia Zenon MG7

[MN Fisher]

Not familiar with the model...is it a small or BFS reel?

[CrashVector]

12 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Not familiar with the model...is it a small or BFS reel?

 

No...the JDM Zenon ltx is the BFS model.

 

The MG7 is a lightweight regular bass reel.  It's 4.7oz.  it's the same size as my US market Revo MGX...which is a tad smaller than the Revo S/SX, etc. I pulled drag trying to pull a huge mass of hydrilla in today with it lol...which prompted this post.

 

The MGX or any other Revo I use would've reeled it in no problem.

 

[Jig Man]

I have all of my drags set light.  I want them to slip a little on the hook set so I don’t break any line or rip a fish’s mouth.  I use light line most of the time.

[bulldog1935]

If you set drag with a spring balance, 7-lbs is enough for offshore, though this lever-drag is 35-lb capable.  The reason you want big drag numbers is so the drag set won't fade on long backing runs. 

 

For 10-lb test, 2.5 lbs is the correct drag set.  The only reel I had that wouldn't reach that was an inexpensive Tica worm-drive model I bought to tinker, and solved that with a drag washer replacement to carbontex. (the reel drag was rated 1 kg = 2.2 lbs)

 

My Ambassadeur 1500C wouldn't reach 1.5 lbs drag for 6-lb test, with the carbontex that Don Iovino installed.  Solved that with Haneda Craft fiber washers, which are just slightly thicker than carbontex. 

Note that carbontex isn't always the best choice.  On my surf Ambassadeurs,Valleyhill B Trap outperforms carbontex. Shimano fiber washers on their small-frame spinning reels are excellent. 

 

You'll find the 3-lb drag set you want on most of your baitcasters is a Lot more drag than you'd expect. 

[MickD]

I have never used a scale to set my drags; I just do it by using my judgment about conditions and techniques.  I tend to be, I expect, on the light side because many of my reels don't even go into the range that some report using.  Since I use braid on all spin I want some forgiveness in the system to accomodate sudden rushes by the fish, to handle the shock.

 

It's definitely too light when you find yourself reeling and the spool is turning.  

 

I was bonefishing with a guy once who was new to it, and he had set his reel using a scale and was certain that he knew what he was doing.  Tippet strength was about 12 pound test.  A guide pulled on his line and told him the drag was too tight, and the guy lectured the guide about his scientific way of setting the drag.  He lost the first few fish he had on, and then let the guide determine the drag setting.  Experience is a good scale.

[Tennessee Boy]

7 hours ago, CrashVector said:

Just curious what everyone thinks an acceptable minimum drag pressure is.  I have a reel with just 8.8lbs of drag, and frankly, it's way too light. 

Are you bass fishing?   8.8 lbs is close to what a gallon of water weighs.  That’s a lot of weight.  Tie your line to a gallon of water and VERY CAREFULLY try to lift it with your rod and reel.  I don’t own a rod that I would feel comfortable lifting that much weight with.

[bulldog1935]

bad idea. 

Proper drag set is one-fourth of your weakest link, line test, leader test, or Rod Max Line Rating.  The reason is that shock loading stress has a 4 x multiplier (impact can be as high as 10x)

If you don't use a scale, you're tightening drag, not setting it. 

 

adding a ps here - don't set your drag past the rod tip; instead, set it at the guide closest to the reel. 

[Deleted account]

7 hours ago, CrashVector said:

Just curious what everyone else's preferences are.

For bass fishing? N/A.

[Cbump]

My OG Fuegos are about 6lbs max, most of my tats are about 11 max. My Lews hyper mag and Abu Revo are 20. 

[CrashVector]

36 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

For bass fishing? N/A.

Yes...bass fishing.

[redmeansdistortion]

I'm usually running somewhere between 1lb and 4lb of drag, depending on line of course.  Most of you would find 2lb is quite a bit if you got out a spring scale and actually measured.  Improperly set/locked down drag is a bad habit that haunts bass fishermen the world over and carries over to other species unfortunately.  Every so often, I'll take a newbie salmon fishing that has never chased those kinds of fish.  Most of them have extensive bass fishing backgrounds.  The first thing they do is immediately lock down the drag, then wonder why they keep breaking off.  A raging 20lb+ king fresh off the lake will make you appreciate a nice and smooth drag.  

[roadwarrior]

2 lbs for spinning tackle, 3 lbs on baitcasters

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I have all of my drags set light.  I want them to slip a little on the hook set so I don’t break any line or rip a fish’s mouth.  I use light line most of the time.

I see this or something similar a lot. If you are concerned with breaking off on a hookset, either set less, or use bigger tackle. If the drag is slipping, it is reducing the force applied at the hookset, and defeating the purpose of that giant swing. Knowing how hard to set a hook is part of knowing how to fish.

[redmeansdistortion]

7 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

I see this or something similar a lot. If you are concerned with breaking off on a hookset, either set less, or use bigger tackle. If the drag is slipping, it is reducing the force applied at the hookset, and defeating the purpose of that giant swing. Knowing how hard to set a hook is part of knowing how to fish.

Plus the all important aspect, using sharp hooks.  If your hooks can't pass the fingernail test, they should either be sharpened or replaced.

[FishTank]

I set it based on the line I use. I will pull some line out by hand and go by feel. I have been doing it that way for so long, it's just second nature.  I would say I am using maybe 3lbs on spinning gear and 6-8lbs on casting.  I try to use as little drag as possible,  keep the fish pinned and let the drag do its job. I will tighten the drag up some on a flipping and pitching set up just to get that quick hook set but I usually and instinctively still use my thumb. 

[Deleted account]

52 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Plus the all important aspect, using sharp hooks.  If your hooks can't pass the fingernail test, they should either be sharpened or replaced.

Sharp is good.

[GReb]

I’ve never looked at drag when buying a bait caster because frankly I’ve never had a situation where I didn’t have plenty. 
 

These Doyo reels marketing 20 LBs of drag is silly and just what it is….marketing.  

[casts_by_fly]

26 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Sharp is good.

 

really freaking sharp is better. 

 

[dodgeguy]

4 minutes ago, GReb said:

I’ve never looked at drag when buying a bait caster because frankly I’ve never had a situation where I didn’t have plenty. 
 

These Doyo reels marketing 20 LBs of drag is silly and just what it is….marketing.  

Not really. Nobody says you have to set it that high. The 20 pound carbon drags perform better all through the lightest to heaviest settings. I've had 50 lb braid on a 7-6 bass pro Johnny Morris flipping stick and have had fish pull drag at 15 lbs setting. When I'm flipping trees I lock it down so I have my best chance of getting them out.

[Tatulatard]

No bass is pulling 10lbs of drag.  Those green fish don't run.  8lbs of drag is more than enough.  If your drag is slipping on a hookset with 8lbs of drag then good.  You're going to break something doing that.  The rod, the reel, the fish or yourself.  

[Deleted account]

54 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

I've had 50 lb braid on a 7-6 bass pro Johnny Morris flipping stick and have had fish pull drag at 15 lbs setting. 

Nope. Even in the salt where fish actually yank back, with properly set 15 lbs of drag, it would take at least a 20-30 lb fish (depending on the species) to pull out more than a couple of feet of line.

[dodgeguy]

9 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Nope. Even in the salt where fish actually yank back, with properly set 15 lbs of drag, it would take at least a 20-30 lb fish (depending on the species) to pull out more than a couple of feet of line.

I guess my scales wrong or my reels suck.