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| Just wondered if most people freespool or thumb the spool when fighting a fish, and why? Isn't it hard on the reel to take it in and out of gear with pressure on it?
your thoughts?
Dave |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I free spool the reel when fighting a fish, always have. The tension on the spool isn't much when I press the button or re-engage, I'm actually using the rod and anticipating the fish's next move. I don't think there's any undue pressure on the reel, and I feel I have really great control of the fish(most of the time). |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | I am scared to death to let the fish do it's headshake dance against the drag. I have actually had fish headshake in a vertical state for up to 30 seconds. The other thing is boatside strikes and the boatside dive. Not against the drag for me. I give them line, these are the times they seem to pull the hooks out. I baby them in freespool when they make these moves. |
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| whit 80 to 100 lbs braid do what you want,you will never lost a fish,and any decent reel have good drag,we are in the years 2000 |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | Lock down drags is OLD SCHOOL, back 10-20 yrs ago when a drag on a reel was junk, you had to lock down your drag. Today you can install a set of CARBONTEX DRAGS from SMOOTH DRAGS and a set of S.STEEL washers in any reel today, and grease them with CAL'S DRAG grease and U will have a drag that is so so so smooth and more powerful then any stock drag system. I don't know why anyone would lock down a drag today. Most good muskie fisherman were taught by there dad's to lock down a drag and it is very hard for them to change there OLD SCHOOL WAYS. All my reels from my CONQUEST'S to my TRINIDAD'S have CARBONTEX DRAGS, and CAL'S grease in them. I set my drags at 60%-70% down and if I need more drag fighting a fish I will use my thumb for more drag power. On a F-8 at the boat a 30lb plus hits and with no give, you will rip that bait out of her mouth or pull the hooks flat !! Something has to give, with everyone using 80lb - 100lb braid line, maybe your rod, or your line digs so deep into your reel's spool it will not come out, now you have a mess on your hands. Plus most reels today will not go into free spool with presure from your fish , so you have to give that fish some play to get your reel into freespool, and that fish is gone. One slip by U with a lock down drag and free spooling a big fish, you will have a missed fish. To each there own on how U want to fight a muskie.
Edited by PIKEMASTER 7/22/2008 6:46 AM
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | While some are preaching that freespooling is "old school" I preach that switching hands is "old school". I never have understood why anglers do this. I know its the way they were taught (way back when) and I would imagine that freespooling a reel is the same way. Freespooling is not hard on the reel, because you have your thumb on the spool and can move the spool back to relieve spool pressure. Many reels will not allow you to freespool if too much pressure is on the spool, as it will not disengage. |
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Posts: 331
Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin | I lost a few big fish boat side by allowing the drag to take the wrath of a power run. This is true especially on poorly hooked fish in say the snout or just barely hooked. No doubt in my mind that I have netted more marginally hooked fish by free spooling verses letting the drag dictate how much and when to relieve tension during a fight. But in the end there is no right way/ wrong way/ old school or new school way of musky fishing. Do what is most comfortable for you. I would recommend practicing free spooling on smaller fish to see if it’s something you like or not. IMO free spooling allows me to sense a power run coming and prepare for it and ease the fish into its power run. The initial shock of a power run to the drag system has a bit of hesitation and that is just enough of a hesitation is some cases to pull the hooks out of a marginally hooked fish. IMO
Ed
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Posts: 159
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I agree with ToddM. Baby them. I see how important it is all the time when taking out first timers who lose a few fish before finally landing one. My drags are set light, but there is nothing like a good free spool for huge headshakes and power dives- even with a drag set at 70% they get enough resistance on a stiff rod with 100lb line to pry a hook lose- sometimes it doesn't take much. Once that fish is within 20 feet of the boat it's freespool for me. Sometimes old school ways are best! |
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Posts: 2893
Location: Yahara River Chain | 12gauge brings up a good point. The major reason us "old timers" freespool is that we grew up with pool cue rods with no give and therefore we learned to freespool to keep the fish on and the hooks from being ripped out. We had to have the drag locked down to get a hookset with mono and dacron line with lots of stretch. |
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Posts: 238
| I do both,freespool and drag it all depends on the situation at hand.
Edited by kawartha kid 7/22/2008 11:05 AM
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | alot of times I will loosen the drag alot so its like freespool and then tighten it when I want to start reeling again,I`ve also freespooled some nice fish.All depends on what you like to do,it`s you fighting the fish not us,tips do help though. |
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| On a lightly hooked fish, there is no better way... |
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| I crank the drag and freespool every cast coming into the 8, I feel like I have had more success landing barely hooked fish and like the control I have if a fish eats the 8, especially if it is unseen right before it comes up and eats. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Check this out. I realized when watching the video I was freespooling quite a bit while battling the fish, I don't even think about it at all...automatic!
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=1079
By the way, I don't 'lock down' the drag, either. It's set properly in case one gets away from me or I decide to use it to quickly whip a fish I am sure is well hooked.
The fish hit right as darkness took over, it's a good thing the POV1 does a nice job in low light. |
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Posts: 2024
| I treat every fish as if it's barely hooked, therefore I free spool. Once I see how well a fish is hooked, I may rely a bit more on my drag, but commonly continue to free spool until the fish is in the net.
As others have said, do what is comfortable. I have friends that swear by their drags, and they catch a lot of fish. I've got friends (including myself) that put up similar numbers and free spool. Kind of a toss up, just boils down to what feels comfortable and what you trust more (your thumb or machinery). |
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Posts: 457
| Another thought, as well, is that you tend to horse a fish less, and they move a lot easier when free-spooled versus locked down. In my head, logic says less chance of lactic-acid in warmer waters.
That said, I will free-spool a good fish, but a three footer, there's no reason to. |
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Posts: 2024
| Whoolligan - 8/6/2008 3:55 AM
Another thought, as well, is that you tend to horse a fish less, and they move a lot easier when free-spooled versus locked down. In my head, logic says less chance of lactic-acid in warmer waters.
Lactic acid is going to build up during an angling event, no matter what. Burst swimming/exercise in general = lactic acid build up. If you free spool CORRECTLY, there should be no difference in the duration of the angling event when compared to someone using their drag. I can still horse a fish in just as much as the guy using his fancy carbontex drag system. |
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Posts: 457
| I guess that's true, but also when a fish is freespooled, it seems as though they have the ability to make that run in a manner that isn't with the same amount of force output. Less force, freer movement, less build-up.
THe other thing that I debate, is that if your free-spool correctly, you tend to land fish faster. Look at guys that have been at it for years, Let's use Sworral's video(s) for a point of reference. There's one where he popped a high forties fish, and it was fought landed and in the net in a matter of 30 seconds. (I can't remember the EXACT video or where it is now, bear with me.) Initial run, he turned the fish, and stopped it from making a long run, that you couldn't have done just "dragging" the fish.
I"m not trying to be argumentative, I'm trying to illiterate that experience has proven to me that you can often make it less exhausting for the fish in some (not all) situations. |
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Posts: 2024
| If exhaustive exercise is the issue at hand, then it is absolutely necessary to have a recuperation period just after the fight when the hooks have been removed. I leave the fish for a minute or two as the bump board is set-up, high fives are had, and the camera prepped. This should be done anyway, but I see your point about more movement equating to more lactate build-up. Not sure if it would be a significant amount though. |
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freespooling reel