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| when fishing for musky should you keep the drag tightened all the way and just follow the fish, after hooking up losen drag a little bit, or just relesase the thumb bar when the fish run? i am having trouble with this please help. |
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI |
Here's some good reading on the topic...
http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=74...
Edited by Cowboyhannah 1/30/2013 9:23 PM
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Posts: 2024
| And more.
http://www.fishinfo.com/fishing-articles/article_572.shtml
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | Yup, lock it down. Then you can decide your personal preferences on thumbing the spool or loosening the drag. I tend to do both. |
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Posts: 8781
| Locked down tight works great until a big fish eats right at your feet, and heads under the boat while you are trying to push the thumb bar, and then fumbling to loosen the drag because you can't push the thumb bar. Locked down drags have cost me a few really nice fish. Never again. |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | I guess it's personal preference then |
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Posts: 122
| I have experimented with my drag tension over the last 4 years and have landed a higher percentage of strikes with my drag locked down. This has allowed me to get better hooksets and after setting the hook I back the drag off a bit. Remembering to adjust the drag can be tough at first, but over time it has become second nature. As mentioned before, things can get a little hairy with boat side fish but overall I have had better luck with my drag locked down until I hook the fish. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | A lot of the more expensive reels are that way because of the better drag systems. If you are paying for a good smooth drag system why not use it. for trolling you want the drag tight enough to set hooks yet still give line to a good fish. For casting I am comfortable setting the drag so it will give line and locking the spool for a hookset with my thumb. This I would think be easier on the anti reverse than total lock down. Most say to loosen drags on their reels when not in use but if your not going to use it why bother . Never yet seen a salmon or saltwater fisherman that didn't use a good working drag.
Edited by horsehunter 1/31/2013 6:49 AM
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | Most reels under load are not made to be open up with the thumb bar, doing so can and will bend and break parts in your reel. Use your drag and thumb the spool with your thumb for more drag or to lock down your drag. Today with XXH rods and 100lb no stretch braid when you lock down drags something has to give, or rip or bend or break.
Edited by PIKEMASTER 1/31/2013 7:46 AM
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | You'll find as you read the threads it's personal preference and split about 50/50. I don't lock my drags down. I might tighten them down a little more on a rod dedicated to big rubber baits so I get a solid hookset for sure, but even then I want them to be able to slip a bit if needed. It seems like a number of fish that I've lost have been from them taking a power run and me not being able to push the thumb bar, and them not being able to take line. They head away from you and just pull the hook out.
So, I set mine firm but with the ability to slip some if needed. I feel like I land a pretty high percentage of fish that hit so this works for me. Others styles vary and what works for me may not work for them.
Tucker |
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| it's kinda silly to buy a $400 reel and not use the drag the way it was intended...do deep sea fishermen lock their drags?
kinda like buying a 4wd truck but never putting it in 4wd when it snows... 
imo more fish are lost from a locked drag than a drag that will slip. |
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| I agree. I think most fish are lost from a locked drag than a drag with a bit of give. A locked drag and then backing off the drag cost my boat partner a fish that may have won us a tournament once. I am finding fewer and fewer people I fish with lock the drags anymore. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | Look what happens when a MUSKY fisherman locks down the drag deep sea fishing LOL LOL
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| I will give an example that shows my opinion. One of my largest fish was hooked by a thread of skin, in the corner of the mouth, on a Kickin-Minnow. If I had not of had the drag set so line could be taken, I honestly think I would not have put it in the bag. |
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Posts: 574
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL & Phillips, WI | I was waiting for Pikemaster to do that!! Ha ha! |
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Posts: 8781
| KenK - 1/31/2013 12:36 PM
I was waiting for Pikemaster to do that!! Ha ha!
I've been waiting for a reason to post that picture! PM beat me to it! |
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Posts: 147
Location: Northern New Jersey | lol i saw that on yahoo before. funny, but scary! i have lost fish due to drag to loose, and i have also lost fish due to it being to tight. its one of those deals where you gotta play with it and find what works best with your gear/technique youre using
Edited by bmxrider11976 1/31/2013 2:28 PM
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| You have to take into account what you are tossing. I recommend a locked down drag anytime you are throwing big rubber. It can be hard enough to move the rubber and give 'em the hooks, I don't need my drag slipping.
On another note, I try to horse fish into the net as soon as possible. I've lost too many fish and watched many others lose fish when they are trying to play them out some. The less opportunity for a fish to throw hooks the better IMO.
Keep it tight and take control of that fish! |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | Definitley alot of opinions and which one works best could be the situation you may be in, how big is the fish, how is it hooked and with what and where did it eat. I like to keep the drag tight but not locked down. I fish erratic baits most of the time so I typically dont fight fish that are hooked really good. Horsing them has cost me fish so has playing them but I feel those fish would probably have come undone regarless. I nevrr horse a sucker fish and thumb the spool when fighting them. If I see the fish is not hooked well I freespool. I put pressure when I need to get a fish out of cover or away from something. |
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| I keep the drag completely locked down. If it's good enough for Joe Bucher it's good enough for me. I don't want the bail to slip when I set the hook. If one shows up at the boat I'll set the hook and then release the drag and thumb the spool. Last year when I did my figure 8's I release the bail and thumbed the spool in case a big one showed up.
I think a good hookset is very important and there is no way I'm going to have the spool slip when I lay the lumber into a big musky. |
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| I agree, my nephew broke of a monster cause he had his drag locked down and i didnt know he did..
Still bugs me to this day!!!
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| Guest - 1/30/2013 8:58 PM
when fishing for musky should you keep the drag tightened all the way and just follow the fish, after hooking up losen drag a little bit, or just relesase the thumb bar when the fish run? i am having trouble with this please help.
I really don't see a reason why you wouldn't set the drag. What I usually do is tie my line to a fence post and set the drag while backing up until the rod has a good flex in it. I know there are more precise ways of doing it but this seems to work for me. The way I set my drag a 40 inch fish probably won't pull out any line, but it declines the chance of snapping a rod from a huge fish boat side. |
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Posts: 29
| With the smooth drags on reels today and no stretch lines I just don't understand the need to lock a drag down unless you just want to replace broken parts in a reel. As Pikemaster said something has to give. |
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Posts: 287
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | I keep my drag very tight and back it off after th hookset if necessary. |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | I have expirienced the bad with each way. I have lost several good ones by my drag slipping at the hook set (when it was set moderatly tight) and watched as the fish just opened up and let the lure go. These are usually big fish and they haunt me still,.... BADLY.
I also have had some tear off from having my drag cranked down.(usually on fig 8 fish) Still, I have decided to max my drag down most of the time and take my chances on the boatside hits. I have tried the freespool/thumb method on fig 8's but have had bad luck with that method. I usually loosen my drag after I hook-up on fish, but sometimes it's impossible at boatside to do that or to freespool, but cranking the drag down has worked out better for me. I think todays longer rods do help somewhat in keeping fish on when drags are locked down.
It seems like a "catch 22" in my opinion.
-Jon |
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| I have caught over a dozen 50" fish. Not alot to some lucky enough to be in great fishing waters, but enough to have an opinion. Tight drag for me. If they are big enough they will still pull out drag. |
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Posts: 252
| I think it depends on the fish. On some fish it pays to have the drag locked down and then there are certain fish that you will have to use the drag in order to get them into the net.
Now, all you have to do is figure out which method will work best for each fish and with each individual set of circumstances... |
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