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Thoughts about setting drag

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inthered

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I began thinking about the comments in smile.gifGot spooled this morning about the pounds of drag as a known value. I know how I would determine this but I have never and, I don't see myself ever doing this. I know that pounds of drag are sometimes indicated as a reel specification and why this is meaningful, but I hadn't, until now, heard it discussed in terms of various specific settings in fishing. I just know when it feels right to me--like whether pants feel like they fit, regardless of what it says on the tag in the waist band.

 

I believe that I am following knowledgeable advice for setting the drag on a reel with braid. I test this by pulling line from the reel by hand, to assure that it is not set too tightly in order to compensate for a couple of characteristics of braided line. However, I use mono with all my rods but one. For these I fix the end of the line to something and set the drag against the power of the rod (cognizant of line strength). I find my desired drag after a number of pulls against the drag such that the friction in this process causes the surface area of one drag washer to the burnish the surface of the next and warms the drag system. This is really helpful in cold weather.

At my age, just about everything pisses me off!

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Or hand, if you must, When you pull drag off the reel with 20# braid it should hurt. I'm pretty sure 30# or above should draw blood.

 

Peace

Frank II --- If anyone needs me, I'll be in my MAN CAVE, rotating the laundry. - C.C.A. - American Littoral Society Tagger w/ 61 returns - Vietnam Veteran U. S. Army,  Grand Pa of 6

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I've always tested my drag by pulling it out. Never had an issue. Plus, if the fish is taking more line than you want simply tighten the drag. No reason for a fish to spool you before you figure that one out.

ASMFC - Destroying public resources and fisheries one stock at a time since 1942.

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View PostI've always tested my drag by pulling it out. Never had an issue. Plus, if the fish is taking more line than you want simply tighten the drag. No reason for a fish to spool you before you figure that one out.

 

When you have a fish on is NOT the time to be messing with the drag. And there is that physics, lever arm thing where the drag is getting tighter as line goes out without you doing anything.

 

Peace

Frank II --- If anyone needs me, I'll be in my MAN CAVE, rotating the laundry. - C.C.A. - American Littoral Society Tagger w/ 61 returns - Vietnam Veteran U. S. Army,  Grand Pa of 6

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View PostIf you can pull line off your spool with your hand then its below 10lbs.

 

when fishing for stripers theres very few times you would need more then that.

I DONT KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS BUT AFTER ALL THIS TIME ................. IM STILL KIND OF A BIG DEAL.
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View Postwhen fishing for stripers theres very few times you would need more then that.

 

Absolutely, But I use more when fishing the sides of bridges when turning big fish in current is required. Most other scenarios I would say I use between 6-10lbs. I fish on the tighter drag side of the spectrum for surfcasters, if you can pull braid by hand off your spool without feeling your gonna cut of your hand off your most likely at roughly 5-6lbs of drag.

LIBBA 1246
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I like to set my drag tight enough to get a solid hookset(which is plenty of drag to land a bass), unless I'm fishing around some structure I need to keep the fish from getting into. When the fish runs I thumb the spool. I see no reason to set it any tighter, you shouldn't be cranking when the fish is taking drag anyway.

LIBBA #1534
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View PostWhen you have a fish on is NOT the time to be messing with the drag. And there is that physics, lever arm thing where the drag is getting tighter as line goes out without you doing anything.

 

 

Peace

 

Really... There's absolutely nothing wrong with adjusting a drag while fishing. Fish is taking line too fast, tighten it, not taking enough then loosen it. It is really pretty simple.

ASMFC - Destroying public resources and fisheries one stock at a time since 1942.

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I fish with minimal drag. I always test it by either turning the spool or pulling line. 95% of the time I'm swimming and don't have to worry about a fish wrapping me around something and can palm the spool if absolutely necessary.

U.S. Marines: No better friend, no worse enemy.
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Just use your head.....

 

You want enough to set the hook and keep tension, and at the same time enough for her to pull line when she makes a run. One hand pull of the line should give line with moderate strength applied. sure its subjective, but think in terms of what a fish is going to pull.

 

 

and messing with drag while your fishing isn't that much of a big deal, its called multi-tasking.

Here fishy fishy fishy!
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I think I got it, and thanks to all-not for anything explicitly said but, nevertheless, enabling me to understand that my post that started this thread, about knowing the pounds of force of your drag, is a matter of perspective. We are all pretty much of the same mind on this, but I had to see this in the perspective from a place I've never been, so consequently never considered.

 

Check me on this: I'm thinking that drag setting can't exceed the strength of the line, and that these two things best not exceed the power of the rod if you intend to max. these out, and that these considerations are necessary, if not critical, to success offshore; and, that I had been thinking surf fishing, as I suspect you were, where such attention to detail-as in pounds of drag-hardly seems warranted.

At my age, just about everything pisses me off!

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^^^ yeah i mean some people will be like "uhm derr proper lbs of force shall be no greater than 15lb and always above 9.3lbs for i've lost a fish on 9.2lbs blah blah blah"

 

I've never had a problem and needed to measure my drag resistance threshold, and my opinion is our ancestors didn't have these measures and they caught fish...we should all be able to use our brains and the most primitive tools available to the sport (reels, rods and tackle) not exact scientific measurement and all that jargon....thats all theoretical anyway!biggrin.gif

Here fishy fishy fishy!
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It's not good idea to set drag with hand pulling from the reel .It's better if you pull line with braid completly pass through the guide (rings) of the rod.Friction in rods guide dramatically increase da drag...confused.gif


You‘re at the mercy of whatever talent you have

 

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its more of a factor of the amount of pulling force the rod absorbs/translates then that of friction....but i know what you meanbiggrin.gif

 

and yeah its all apart of the equation, one must definitely factor in.... i hate pulling form the rod tip because its always so tall, and the reel is nice and accessabletongue.gif

Here fishy fishy fishy!
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