Okay, I’ll admit, I probably should not have to ask this question but I will anyway. How do you “experts” set the drag on your reels (spinning)? I really had not thought a lot about this until a couple of weeks ago when I hooked up with the one fish I caught all day. The drag was way too loose (or so it seemed) as the fish took off running. I wanted to slow his departure but did not want to crank down too hard and made a slight adjustment. Is there a “procedure” or some specific way you guys set the drag on your reels?
Thanks
not really, it’s a guesstimate (for me at least) but it is better to err on the loose side… it’s lot easier to tighten up the drag if a fish is running too freely than it is to loosen it up if it’s too tight, cause the line will have already popped.
maybe someone has a more scientific way though.
I set my drag by feel depending on line rating, where I am fishing, and what for. A good starting point is 1/4 to 1/3 the breaking strenght of the line, but for today’s superlines you may have to limit drag depending on the rod you are using. For trout I use a lighter drag so as not to tear the hook from their soft mouths. If fishing structure for reds I crank the drag down, but not overly tight.
I try not to tighten the drag during a fight. If needed I use my hand on the spool (spinning reel) to apply more pressure to the point where I completely stop the spool if it is obvious that a fish will pulled enough drag to wrap me up in structure.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160
Native Manta Ray 14
I set by feel when I’m fishing for fun. When I’m serious I use a spring scale. Early spring when the wate ris still cool and I’m not worried about getting wrapped in structure I’ll go 1/4 breaking strength of the weak link. When it’s hot and I want to boat fish in a hurry I go 1/2 to 3/4 but never exceed the rod rating.
The weak link in my setup is the leader knots; either braid to leader or hook to leader. All knots reduce the breaking strength of the line, how much depends on the knot and how well you tie it. 10 lb leader with a good knot is good for about 8 lbs breaking strength, so drag would never go above 6 lbs on the spring scale.
A healthy over slot red will spool a small spinning reel at 6 lbs drag, so unclip the yak from the anchor and go for the sleigh ride.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
