Baitcaster drag

[Zodiack]

Hey Guys, so I grew up fishing spinning gear exclusively because that was how we fished here. Naturally I ended up with my first baitcaster several years ago. Fairly straightforward (or dumb) question. Why do some anglers click the spool release/ clutch during a fight? What reason or advantage/purpose does that serve during the fight? I personally have never found a reason to do that. I’d appreciate any info or education on this. Thank you. 
Z from the dirty D

[WRB]

Bad things happen disengaging the spool while fighting a fish.

Don’t know anything about you casting rod, reel or line but set the drag at 1/3rd the weakest line strength or about 4 lbs I’d using 12# to 15# test mono/FC lines with MH bass rod. If you ever need more force put your thumb on the spool.

Tom

[Zodiack]

My everyday rod is a dobyns Kaden 713c

with a diawa tatula sv tw 7.something. I’ve got some high end 12lb flouro on it right now and love it. Thank you for the drag setting info, but I mainly was concerned about why some ppl ply with the clutch while in a fight because I watch some pros on tv and I could almost swear I hear that distinct clicking sound on occasion when the bass is around the boat…anyway thank you!

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

Bad things happen disengaging the spool while fighting a fish.

Don’t know anything about you casting rod, reel or line but set the drag at 1/3rd the weakest line strength or about 4 lbs I’d using 12# to 15# test mono/FC lines with MH bass rod. If you ever need more force put your thumb on the spool.

Tom

Woops this was for you WRB, ?‍♂️?

[Woody B]

I rarely watch any fishing videos, but the most of the ones I've seen have ridiculous sound effects.   If you need to give a fish some line it's easy to loosen the drag.   I've never scaled my drags but I keep them fairly loose.  I have a habit of thumbing the reel during a hookset.  I can also thumb the reel if I need to "hoss" a fish.   

 

It's been said many times here, and other places.  More big fish are lost due to drags too tights, than drags that are too loose.   

[thediscochef]

I would never disengage the drag/click the cast button while fighting a fish. One good jerk or a loss of contact with your thumb would end in a backlash and then likely a snap-off. Especially with a decent fish. Some people do this with success but every risky thing you do in bass fishing will eventually bite you, even if you're the best in the world at it

[GreenPig]

I see quite a few pros and Tubers doing it and I believe it's because they're running their drags locked down. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I run a very tight drag on bottom contact stuff and disengage and use thumb spool tension at various points when fish get close to the boat to facilitate an easier hand landing.   

 

Other baits like lipless I let my drag do the majority of the work, especially once I got new Zillions with clicker drags.   It's a beautiful sound when you set the hook on a lipless/blade bait fish and the drag sets the hook with the perfect tension.   

 

No wrong way, just figure out what works best for you.   

[Zodiack]

15 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

I see quite a few pros and Tubers doing it and I believe it's because they're running their drags locked down. 

Yep this is has to be the only reason for it. It just seems sketchy going from pretty locked down to using your thumb. But thank you guys. I appreciate it.

Thanks guys

[Team9nine]

2 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I run a very tight drag on bottom contact stuff and disengage and use thumb spool tension at various points when fish get close to the boat to facilitate an easier hand landing.   

 

Other baits like lipless I let my drag do the majority of the work, especially once I got new Zillions with clicker drags.   It's a beautiful sound when you set the hook on a lipless/blade bait fish and the drag sets the hook with the perfect tension.   

 

No wrong way, just figure out what works best for you.   

This ^^
 

It’s called “thumb-barring” and is kind of the equivalent of backreeling with a spinning reel. Not super popular, but those of us who run with heavier than recommended drag settings use the technique. Wheeler is one of the pros that you’ll “hear” using the technique regularly. Not right or wrong, just personal style.

[Zodiack]

?

[islandbass]

Every time my reel is in free spool with a fish on is because unintentionally pressed the thumb bar. It doesn’t happen often but it can happen.  Fortunately, my thumb is always ready every time I make that rookie mistake and it serves as my drag until I find the opportunity to get out of free spool mode. 
 

@Zodiack Can you describe what that clicking sound is? I have never heard that sound but my reels are old so maybe that’s why. I am having trouble visualizing this. Thanks. 

[WRB]

Anyone doing this ( releasing the spool into free spool) are lucky the fish is a Black bass that doesn’t make hard fast runs.

Consider releasing the conventional/bait casting reel into free spool with hooked fish that can run 100’s of yards at 30-40 mph and your thumb is wedged under the reel frame cross bar and spool. Your thumb pad is the only drag control when the reel is in free spool. To engaged the drag your thumb needs to stop the spool before re engaging that spool. You only have 2 hands, one holding the rod the the other operating the reel.

True story. I was Marlin fishing casting a live mackerel to a fast feeding bill fish and over ran the reel (backslash) casting into the wind as the boat approached the fish. My reel was in free spool to make the cast and as I was pulling out the loose line the Marlin ate the bait and took off on a fast long run pulling my thumb under the reel frame cross bar. Couldn’t move the lever drag to increase drag until the fish changed directions reducing pulling force. My thumb has never fully recovered from having the pad burned off from the line, it’s  scared. 

Bad things happen very fast!

Tom

 

[Team9nine]

20 minutes ago, islandbass said:

 Can you describe what that clicking sound is? I have never heard that sound but my reels are old so maybe that’s why. I am having trouble visualizing this

Listen closely, and you’ll hear Wheeler click his reel in and out of gear 4 or 5 times while fighting this 10 pound bass:

 

 

 

[galyonj]

7 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

I see quite a few pros and Tubers doing it and I believe it's because they're running their drags locked down. 

 

Misusing the equipment begets making stupid decisions with the equipment, and vice versa, and so forth. 

[Zodiack]

1 hour ago, islandbass said:

Every time my reel is in free spool with a fish on is because unintentionally pressed the thumb bar. It doesn’t happen often but it can happen.  Fortunately, my thumb is always ready every time I make that rookie mistake and it serves as my drag until I find the opportunity to get out of free spool mode. 
 

@Zodiack Can you describe what that clicking sound is? I have never heard that sound but my reels are old so maybe that’s why. I am having trouble visualizing this. Thanks. 

Lol ya anything is possible when fighting that fish. But there’s been a lot of great comments on here. Sounds like the clutch/ clicker is being used during fights to give the angler a thumb manual drag 

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Anyone doing this ( releasing the spool into free spool) are lucky the fish is a Black bass that doesn’t make hard fast runs.

Consider releasing the conventional/bait casting reel into free spool with hooked fish that can run 100’s of yards at 30-40 mph and your thumb is wedged under the reel frame cross bar and spool. Your thumb pad is the only drag control when the reel is in free spool. To engaged the drag your thumb needs to stop the spool before re engaging that spool. You only have 2 hands, one holding the rod the the other operating the reel.

True story. I was Marlin fishing casting a live mackerel to a fast feeding bill fish and over ran the reel (backslash) casting into the wind as the boat approached the fish. My reel was in free spool to make the cast and as I was pulling out the loose line the Marlin ate the bait and took off on a fast long run pulling my thumb under the reel frame cross bar. Couldn’t move the lever drag to increase drag until the fish changed directions reducing pulling force. My thumb has never fully recovered from having the pad burned off from the line, it’s  scared. 

Bad things happen very fast!

Tom

 

Wow! That is wild!! I’m glad you still have your thumb Tom! Did you catch the fish? ? 

[GRiver]

I set mine drag loose like @Woody B and use the thumb assist method, I feel I have better control.

[Zcoker]

Kinda like using a clutch pedal on a car, having complete control over the mechanical side of things. All done subconsciously once learned. The difference between a manual and an automatic. Personal preference. Yet still driving the same thing. Thumbing the bar takes practice and has just as much merit once learned. 

[papajoe222]

I do just the opposite of most.  I set my drag on the loose side and use my thumb to add more drag. It’s second nature to drop my thumb on the spool when setting the hook and if the fish makes a run for cover, I add enough pressure to turn it. The only time I lock down my drag is when I’m actually flipping and my hand isn’t on the reel. 

[roadwarrior]

Set it and forget it.  I NEVER make adjustments when fighting a bass.

 

                                     

[Kirtley Howe]

Ok Mr. Popeil. (for those of you who are old enough to remember that TV ad)

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I strongly discourage this technique due to the unnecessary stress it puts on critical parts. 

[Alex from GA]

When a bass gets into a brush pile and you can't get it out I disengage the reel and wait for it to get itself out.  Sometimes it works.

[JediAmoeba]

I have all my drags pretty loose. If need be I can tighten it but I use my thumb as the drag. I usually run as light of line as possible so I don't want break offs. 

[Big Hands]

14 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

When a bass gets into a brush pile and you can't get it out I disengage the reel and wait for it to get itself out.  Sometimes it works.

 

That's the only time I disengage with a fish on and they will sometimes swim out, but I will lean on em for a while before I put it into freespool as a last resort to get them to swim out of whatever they're tangled in. 

[Zodiack]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:22 PM, Big Hands said:

 

That's the only time I disengage with a fish on and they will sometimes swim out, but I will lean on em for a while before I put it into freespool as a last resort to get them to swim out of whatever they're tangled in. 

Interesting ?, like that idea