Setting the Drag

[bennie]

Ok I was on alan tani zoom meetings tonight and 33% of line test or but 14lb drag 40lb braid is good,,,, and just tested my freshwater rods and I'm not even running 1lb of drag,,, I'm not pulling hooks or breaking knots,,,,,,saltwater different storie 35lb of drag can pull a chair up,,,,, and i have burned up a reel with over 50lbs of drag on a gothic grouper,,,,,, so what is you target fish,,,,,,,,,

[Snook_Slayr]

@S Hooksort of but I have ~400 when i target that kind of fish 

[SC]

13 hours ago, Camhabib said:

This raises a pretty interesting question: how many feet out of line do you test the drag setting with? My understanding is that the drag changes significantly with the amount of line out. I’d have to look into the math a bit more to get a better understanding, but perhaps someone who knows a bit more can chime in. 

Bingo

[FallenKell]

On 6/3/2023 at 9:25 AM, EBHarvey said:

 

 

You might want to take out a scale and actually measure that.  I would be absolutely shocked if you're really fishing anywhere near 20-30lbs of drag - that would be on the high end of what's used for large tuna, sharks, etc., and that's harnessed-in.  Heck, 25lbs will pull almost anyone right off their feet.

I'm 6'3" and weigh just under 300lbs (when dry), 20-30lbs pushing/pulling me wont even begin to start overcomming inertia.

[FallenKell]

On 6/3/2023 at 11:40 AM, S Hook said:

I just checked my reel, with a little experiment. I had it set so I could barely pull off line without cutting my hand on the 50 pound braid. Using a scale it was just under 5 pounds coming off the reel.  At this setting, it puts quite a bend, almost max,  I would say in my 11 foot heavy. 2-6 oz rod.

 

Then I bumped the drag up to 7 pounds and that’s really putting a heck of a lot of strain on my rod pulling in the upright position, more than I want, getting to the point where you think you’re rod might snap. I’d say 5 pounds is about right.  
My Penn Slammer is rated for a 40 pounds of drag? What the heck kind of rod would you have to have to even use half of that?  At least something equivalent to a pool cue. Lol.
 

 

 

I'm usually on a 13' Phenix Black Diamond Surf Spinning rod rated for 6-12oz and 40-90lb braid. To say the least, it has a very stiff backbone. Or I am using a 11' 3-10oz of the same line (30-80lb braid) usually with a VSX275. Unless I am fishing for fluke, where I go for a 8' Blackhole Suzuki Inshore Special Light rod paired with a VR75.

 

The 11' is surprising still rated as fast action, the the 13' moderate fast.

[S Hook]

8 mins ago, FallenKell said:

I'm usually on a 13' Phenix Black Diamond Surf Spinning rod rated for 6-12oz and 40-90lb braid. To say the least, it has a very stiff backbone. Or I am using a 11' 3-10oz of the same line (30-80lb braid) usually with a VSX275. Unless I am fishing for fluke, where I go for a 8' Blackhole Suzuki Inshore Special Light rod paired with a VR75.

 

The 11' is surprising still rated as fast action, the the 13' moderate fast.

Some heavy equipment.  Those fish are really pulling if they take drag off your setups!  Nice!

[bbfish]

I've always just set my drag by feel.  I often pull line and tweak the drag in between casts and will often tweak the drag mid fight.  

[mro]

1 hour ago, bbfish said:

I've always just set my drag by feel.  I often pull line and tweak the drag in between casts and will often tweak the drag mid fight.  

 

Even on my fly reels or 6/0 Penn that's what I do. Depends on the fish.

Once in awhile I'll troll for Salmon. I use an old 140 Pen Squidder (w/Newel kit) Use a sinker release and 2 or 3 pound sinkers and adjust the drag to just handle the sinker. 

 

[Surf bomber]

Setting the drag. Hmmm it would be rather difficult to set the drag and account for the line dragging thru the water at a perpendicular angle to the rod tip …. You can use a scale to set the drag but at what percentage of line rating … 25%? 50?…. Would a 20lb line be set at 5lbs or 10lbs? I never had a problem with the grip and pull method but was wondering if there’s a better , improved method … 

[Ebbtide231]

Johnny K @ Johnny’s B&T in MTK:

”Nowadays these guys wanna reel the fish up thru the guides!”

 

I set it tight enough to be uncomfortable to pull line off the spool. 
It’s easier, when fighting a fish,to cup or thumb the spool than it is to accurately loosen the drag. 
YMMV 

[Fish_Magic123]

On 6/5/2023 at 1:23 PM, Surf bomber said:

Setting the drag. Hmmm it would be rather difficult to set the drag and account for the line dragging thru the water at a perpendicular angle to the rod tip …. You can use a scale to set the drag but at what percentage of line rating … 25%? 50?…. Would a 20lb line be set at 5lbs or 10lbs? I never had a problem with the grip and pull method but was wondering if there’s a better , improved method … 

20lb braid, I’m thinking between 6-7lbs of drag should be good. Keep in mind too that braid usually breaks above its stated strength. I use 30lb J-Braid Grand and that breaks north of 40 I believe. I’d much prefer a smooth drag than a high max drag, I.e. wave spring is better in this regard than a coil spring drag. 

[Killian]

Like Hank Parker and Bill Dance say. Set for what you are fishing for. If you can pull it, they can to. Fresh to Salt. Depending on the test line you are running and the reel you are using. 

[S Hook]

Leave it on the light side to start, you can always tighten it up a notch.  

[Bushleague]

11 hours ago, Ebbtide231 said:

Johnny K @ Johnny’s B&T in MTK:

”Nowadays these guys wanna reel the fish up thru the guides!”

 

I set it tight enough to be uncomfortable to pull line off the spool. 
It’s easier, when fighting a fish,to cup or thumb the spool than it is to accurately loosen the drag. 
YMMV 

 

 This is a great point. Another major variable is that a fair bit of drag is produced as a fish pulls your line through the rod guides with your rod bent over. Rod length and the number of guides will affect this amount quite a bit. Rod power/ action can also be a factor, and the varying friction of different lines on the guides...

 

 Which brings up one of the reasons I still like using mono, with the stretch of the line and the lower friction in the guides, I can get away with setting the reel's drag more aggressively without pulling hooks. So when I'm bringing in a fish on braid, I'm running a looser drag to account for the increased friction in the guides... AND fighting that extra friction while cranking the fish in, a combination that means I'm getting noticeably (to me) less cranking torque out of the reel. 

 

 I know this wont be a popular opinion, but many of the folks who would heartily disagree can not very well remember the last fish they caught on mono. I regularly fish both, and if its at all practical, I'd rather fight fish on mono any day.

Edited June 11 by Bushleague

[S Hook]

7 hours ago, Bushleague said:

 

 This is a great point. Another major variable is that a fair bit of drag is produced as a fish pulls your line through the rod guides with your rod bent over. Rod length and the number of guides will affect this amount quite a bit. Rod power/ action can also be a factor, and the varying friction of different lines on the guides...

 

 Which brings up one of the reasons I still like using mono, with the stretch of the line and the lower friction in the guides, I can get away with setting the reel's drag more aggressively without pulling hooks. So when I'm bringing in a fish on braid, I'm running a looser drag to account for the increased friction in the guides... AND fighting that extra friction while cranking the fish in, a combination that means I'm getting noticeably (to me) less cranking torque out of the reel. 

 

 I know this wont be a popular opinion, but many of the folks who would heartily disagree can not very well remember the last fish they caught on mono. I regularly fish both, and if its at all practical, I'd rather fight fish on mono any day.

Fish on braid is definitely a more jerky violent type of fight.  Mono is smooth as silk.