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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | I here some guys on tv wont say what show. " Lock the drag down don't give them a chance " I don't get it. they get boat side strikes fish jumping all over the place till they get it in the net. I have the drag set so I can pull line out by hand wjhen a fish hits use my thumb on the spool to set the hook . if the fish makes a run I let the drag to its job. so how do you use your drag ? |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | For casting I lock it up pretty tight for trolling I like some but not much give. A lot depends on the line and set up I'm using. I troll mostly 80 and 100 lb. Power Pro but I also use mono and wire and this year I'm going to play with leadcore. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | Locked down tight but the reels still give line on hooksets & unexpected runs, just can't pull it out by hand. Freespool next to the boat.
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Posts: 89
| Sidejack - 3/11/2014 5:45 PM
Locked down tight but the reels still give line on hooksets & unexpected runs, just can't pull it out by hand. Freespool next to the boat.
X2
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I run mine a lot looser than most seem to. On my big rubber rods I get it pretty tight but can still pull it out by hand. Rods that tend to be used for bucktails, cranks, or other easy hooking baits I set it firm but can pull it out by hand without trying too hard.
I put a lot of pressure on the fish if they are coming my way, but don't like it when they get the upper hand and start to pull away from me too hard. Seems most fish (especially bigger ones) I've lost were when they were powering away and I was wishing the drag would give or didn't, or that I could freespool but couldn't get the button pushed.
I think I instinctively put my thumb on the spool when I set the hook.
Tucker |
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Posts: 177
Location: ON | Casting rods tight I'd say 90% of what the reel can do. Trolling medium to light. Can be pulled by hand without too much effort. |
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Posts: 865
| Trolling so you can pull it out with a Hard pull, Casting just enough so you can't pull it out....seems to work for me |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | curleytail - 3/11/2014 6:57 PM
I run mine a lot looser than most seem to. On my big rubber rods I get it pretty tight but can still pull it out by hand. Rods that tend to be used for bucktails, cranks, or other easy hooking baits I set it firm but can pull it out by hand without trying too hard.
I put a lot of pressure on the fish if they are coming my way, but don't like it when they get the upper hand and start to pull away from me too hard. Seems most fish (especially bigger ones) I've lost were when they were powering away and I was wishing the drag would give or didn't, or that I could freespool but couldn't get the button pushed.
I think I instinctively put my thumb on the spool when I set the hook.
Tucker
Jest curious - So you used to lock your drag down and lost too many fish that went on unexpected runs so you switched to using your thumb on hooksets and feel it's just as strong? Also, would you say that you're thumb is quicker to the spool than your hookset reflex?
Thanks |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure. |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | Here is a open up #7 hook, this guy had the reel in free spool and had his thumb on the spool so it was locked. Yes he lost the fish a 50" Musky.
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Sidejack - 3/11/2014 7:24 PM
curleytail - 3/11/2014 6:57 PM
I run mine a lot looser than most seem to. On my big rubber rods I get it pretty tight but can still pull it out by hand. Rods that tend to be used for bucktails, cranks, or other easy hooking baits I set it firm but can pull it out by hand without trying too hard.
I put a lot of pressure on the fish if they are coming my way, but don't like it when they get the upper hand and start to pull away from me too hard. Seems most fish (especially bigger ones) I've lost were when they were powering away and I was wishing the drag would give or didn't, or that I could freespool but couldn't get the button pushed.
I think I instinctively put my thumb on the spool when I set the hook.
Tucker
Jest curious - So you used to lock your drag down and lost too many fish that went on unexpected runs so you switched to using your thumb on hooksets and feel it's just as strong? Also, would you say that you're thumb is quicker to the spool than your hookset reflex?
Thanks
Sidejack, I never really locked my drags down, but I started with a reel or two that had pretty sticky drags that didn't always give when I wanted them too. Really though, If a fish manages to turn away from me, I don't want it to be pulling much at all. Even though my drags aren't locked down, they are not extremely loose. I can crank hard on a fish without the drag/spool slipping. Even with drags set moderately, if a fish manages to get turned away from me I'm normally trying to hit free spool to control the spool with my thumb. I think you can stop any fish from running with your thumb clamped tight on the spool.
What I'm getting at, is when you hook a fish, start get it heading your way, and then it turns AWAY from you, that is an unfavorable line angle. I picture it as an unhooking motion. I do everything I can to prevent them from doing that, but if they do, I want to give them some line so that can't pull with all they have heading in the wrong direction. I had one fish do that that haunts me a little. Powered away, hook popped out before drag slipped, and too much tension to free spool.
My thumb tends to ride just over the spool when I'm fishing, and I think it clamps down on the spool, partly just from my hand tightening up during the hookset. I never make a concious effort to clamp with my thumb, but I think I do it. Drag never slips on a hookset anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I set my drag pretty firm, but I'm not locking them down with a vice grips. Certainly am allowing for some give if a powerful fish calls for it before I'm able to free spool. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | Almost all reels have a drag max of under 29 pounds. I don't lock mine down all the way but darn close. Pulling madussas and pounders require a nearly tight drag to even jerk the bait much less a fish. Lost one last year due to a bit of slippage when I set the hook in open water. Solid 4 footer. Still makes me sick thinking about it. |
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Posts: 625
Location: S.W. WI | I don't think there is a set in stone right way for all.
I use quality reels with drag set pretty dang tight, almost locked down. Missed/lost way too many (big) fish not getting hooks in them at the strike with drag slipping. I always back off drag (or thumb freespool) after fish is solidly on. (It works for me) Figure 8's can be an issue both ways, drag light (or in freespool) or tight drag- each have downfalls at boatside.
-Jon |
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| imho the lock drag down theory is just bs.same thing for free spool,at the price we pay our reels i hope we can trust and use the #*^@ drag!maybe that technique was the way to go 50 years ago when the drag was poor?
why hookset is almost at 100% when we troll?maybe it's just because the drag is not locked. |
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| PIKEMASTER - 3/11/2014 9:41 PM
With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure.
now we need a carbontex drag to have the pleasure to enjoy the reel drag? 1 thing is sure a lot of guys still think musky are hard fighter |
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Posts: 625
Location: S.W. WI | jano - 3/12/2014 6:15 AM
why hookset is almost at 100% when we troll?maybe it's just because the drag is not locked.
Or maybe it's because your dragging a fish with zero slack/constant pressure 20-30-40 feet or more before grabbing the rod. |
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Posts: 785
| PIKEMASTER - 3/11/2014 8:41 PM
With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure.
Ouch. I've always pulled back on the spool when I push the release button to relieve pressure... does this work to take the pressure off and prevent damage in your opinion? It feels like it helps but I could be mistaken.
So far I like my drag tightened down to were I can barely pull line. When a fish hits big plastic or hardbaits on the end of the cast I want zero line slip on the hookset. I've lost too many fish with the drag backed off. After the hookup a person could back off the drag but I've had bad experiences with this boatside. I let the 8.5-9' rod absorb smaller runs the headshakes, free spool on hard runs. Boat side I do the same but watch the fishes body language to free spool before the harder runs begin. I'm sure newer reels respond better then the reels 10 years ago but I struggle to trust any drag more then my thumb when a big fish wants to bolt with 8' of line out. |
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Posts: 1248
Location: Walker, MN | Someone needs to invent a reel that somehow would be lock-down drag at the end of the cast and lightens up as the lure approaches the boat  |
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| jano - 3/12/2014 6:22 AM
PIKEMASTER - 3/11/2014 9:41 PM
With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure.
now we need a carbontex drag to have the pleasure to enjoy the reel drag? 1 thing is sure a lot of guys still think musky are hard fighter
You don't need them, I have some reels with and some without and you can tell the difference for certain, but both work. I am slowly having them all switched out as I send them in for service. BR |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | I like to keep them LOCKED down as tight as I can get them. If I need to let a fish run a few feet, I roll the spool back with my thumb and hit free spool and apply drag pressure with my thumb. This is done subconsciously and sometimes done 3-6 times per fight depending on the fish and power of the fish. All the reels in my boat are completely locked down. |
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Posts: 209
| I thought 75% was good your all tighter than I am used to will have to tighten mine up ??
Cal - 3/11/2014 7:09 PM
Casting rods tight I'd say 90% of what the reel can do. Trolling medium to light. Can be pulled by hand without too much effort. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | imo you'll end up losing more fish w a drag that doesn't give an inch than a drag that on a power run will give... $500 reels and we don't use the drag? silly talk. |
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Posts: 38
| I set my drag so that it starts to give line when the rod is fully loaded and won't flex any further. Thumb the spool for a good hookset, fight em with the rod and when they've bent it until it wont bend any more they pull some drag. I used to crank it right down but lost a big fish that hit boatside when the reel locked up and I could not get the thumb bar down or roll the spool back and the hooks tore out. If I get smoother at fighting them maybe I can lock it down, but for now I rely on my drag. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
I keep my drag set so I can pull line out on it by hand on my own without a fish, easy enough to pull hard, but not to the point the line could rip into my hand. It is strong enough on the bait I am using to not pull out on a hook set though.
When a fish is really going wild, I back the drag off, which many times is the first thing I will do anyway after a hook set. I would much rather let the fish make a run or two than try to keep it where it is at and have that dreaded 7/0 hook potentially straighten....
Steve
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | What a drag man.. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | I'm gonna go with the guy who put three of the biggest fish ever in photos this year. Thanks for the input mike! |
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Posts: 1504
Location: Oregon | I set my drag tight enough to let me set the hook without slip but loose enough to where they can take line without something breaking or the fish pulling loose. A rod that bends and a drag that gives provides us with a huge advantage. There are two times when fish typically get loose, on the first couple of power runs after the hookup, and then boat side when they start to roll and spin. A drag on the first couple runs increases our chance of landing the fish. After they begin to wear out, then put more pressure on them and get them to the net as quickly as possible.
RM |
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Posts: 228
| I think the drag on a reel is there for a purpose! I use it! |
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| BenR - 3/12/2014 10:23 AM
jano - 3/12/2014 6:22 AM
PIKEMASTER - 3/11/2014 9:41 PM
With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure.
now we need a carbontex drag to have the pleasure to enjoy the reel drag? 1 thing is sure a lot of guys still think musky are hard fighter
You don't need them, I have some reels with and some without and you can tell the difference for certain, but both work. I am slowly having them all switched out as I send them in for service. BR
benr i know it was sarcastic,i have never use that i have never feel the need to use them too.all my calcutta drag are fine like this |
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| BNelson - 3/12/2014 12:04 PM
imo you'll end up losing more fish w a drag that doesn't give an inch than a drag that on a power run will give... $500 reels and we don't use the drag? silly talk.
its the life,some guys just feel more secure when they wear a belt and some suspenders at the same time  |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | jano - 3/13/2014 1:27 PM
BenR - 3/12/2014 10:23 AM
jano - 3/12/2014 6:22 AM
PIKEMASTER - 3/11/2014 9:41 PM
With Carbontex drags let the reel do it for U. Why is Musky fishing the ONLY fish you don't use a reel drag ????????????
With XXH 9'6" rods and 100braid you need a drag !!!!!!
You will tear up a reel opening / pushing down the cast control button under presure.
now we need a carbontex drag to have the pleasure to enjoy the reel drag? 1 thing is sure a lot of guys still think musky are hard fighter
You don't need them, I have some reels with and some without and you can tell the difference for certain, but both work. I am slowly having them all switched out as I send them in for service. BR
benr i know it was sarcastic,i have never use that i have never feel the need to use them too.all my calcutta drag are fine like this
As Ben stated above U don't need Carbontex but when a reel needs servicing he switches them over. Just like auto engine oils, the factory fills your engine with Reg Oil and most will change it out for Synthetic Oil.
Funny guys make comments and have never used a product.
Most reels today come with Carbontex Drag systems, Shimano still uses a cheap fiber or hard plastic washer that are not very smooth and sticks. |
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Posts: 1274
Location: E. Tenn | If you don't want to use a drag...
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | miket55 - 3/13/2014 8:42 PM
If you don't want to use a drag...
The Direct Dive reel aka The Knuckle Buster. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | Love me some vintage gear man. |
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Posts: 151
Location: Chippewa Falls, WI | I'm not an expert by any stretch but I would consider a few guys on here to be one. I do what Mike does...LOCKED down! I don't want any drag slip when I'm setting the hooks under any circumstances. I have never had a problem getting to free spool but if I did, I would simply loosen the drag during the fight. I watched my brother lose a 4'er when he set the hooks, the rod loaded and then went straight as the drag slipped. He fishes with his locked down now too. We've caught enough fish boatside with the drag locked down by either free spooling or just letting the long rod be the drag...
just my .02 |
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Posts: 1274
Location: E. Tenn | adubs - 3/14/2014 1:38 PM
I do what Mike does...LOCKED down!
I don't use that 5000D, I picked it up "real" cheap, and put it with some other "vintage" stuff I have. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | I think he meant mike hulbert. The guide and writer for muskyhunter. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | MikeHulbert - 3/12/2014 9:27 AM
I like to keep them LOCKED down as tight as I can get them. If I need to let a fish run a few feet, I roll the spool back with my thumb and hit free spool and apply drag pressure with my thumb. This is done subconsciously and sometimes done 3-6 times per fight depending on the fish and power of the fish. All the reels in my boat are completely locked down. |
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Posts: 47
| Last time I took a drag, I was in lock-down. |
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Posts: 243
Location: South Central Wisconsin | adubs - 3/14/2014 12:38 PM
I'm not an expert by any stretch but I would consider a few guys on here to be one. I do what Mike does...LOCKED down! I don't want any drag slip when I'm setting the hooks under any circumstances. I have never had a problem getting to free spool but if I did, I would simply loosen the drag during the fight. I watched my brother lose a 4'er when he set the hooks, the rod loaded and then went straight as the drag slipped. He fishes with his locked down now too. We've caught enough fish boatside with the drag locked down by either free spooling or just letting the long rod be the drag...
just my .02 Yep... |
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Posts: 243
Location: South Central Wisconsin | Strawberry - 3/14/2014 10:23 PM
Last time I took a drag, I was in lock-down. LMBO! I caught that!  |
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Posts: 455
| You have to be careful doing what the expert does. Why? There are ten other experts that do it ten different ways. I totally agree with Dog Lake. Weather trolling or casting the drag should pay out when the rod is fully loaded. Secondly hook size has a lot to do with it. If the action or you rod is too heavy or light for your hooks you will either not drive them or straiten them. Throw a Rizzo wiz on your double 10 rod lock the drag down and set the hook boatside and see what happens? The rod should load to max and line should pay out then. That is the correct way. Can you do it another way sure, but the equipment was designed to work exactly as Dog Lake said. |
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Posts: 455
| Also sharp hooks and a proper snapping technique on the hookset prevent the need for total lockdown IMHO. |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | It's all about the he said, she said.
I think Fred Durst or our fearless leader Steve W. should weigh in next.
One thing's fer sure, there's learning afoot here.
For instance, i'm learning that my old timey gear might function more smoothly if I upgrade my drag material.
Who knew? Our resident pimp Pikemaster, that's who.
~note to self "order more parts from Richard"~
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Posts: 251
| I agree with the people on here who say that you should have it set to where it pays out after the rod loads appropriately. It just makes sense to me and that is how the equipment is designed; it all works together to to help land the fish.
Also, agree that sharp hooks are a necessity to still get the proper hookset. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | If your throwing big rubber and you don't have it locked down you will lose half the fish you encounter. They bite the rubber and it's up to you to rip the bait out and get the hooks in. Trust me. Lost a few monsters that way. Still makes me sick. |
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Posts: 455
| Yes but the XXXXXheavy rod you use for rubber will not load easily so you can leave it locked and not break the rod. You don`t want to do that with every style bait for sure. You don`t want to lock it down trolling. That I`m sure of. |
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Posts: 251
| muskyrat - 3/15/2014 3:39 PM
Yes but the XXXXXheavy rod you use for rubber will not load easily so you can leave it locked and not break the rod. You don`t want to do that with every style bait for sure. You don`t want to lock it down trolling. That I`m sure of.
agreed* |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Masqui-ninja - 3/12/2014 10:22 AM
Someone needs to invent a reel that somehow would be lock-down drag at the end of the cast and lightens up as the lure approaches the boat :) XXXXXXX Someone has invented a reel just like that. One of my all time favorite Reels the Abu-Garcia AMBASSADEUR 5500c SYNCRO Does just that. Trouble was it didn't cast for shimit I have 4 of them. syncro drag to control hard fighting fish simply move the handle backward 1/4 turn to reduce drag by 75% Automatically Move the handle fully forward to return to preset drag to stop the run. this was back an the 80's I have caught several big hard fighting fish with this reel , caught a 54" 40LB musky on it and a 51"er here on the cave with it and had no trouble at all. now i'm going to make jigging reels out of them as you don't have to cast much to jig fish. be nice if Garcia came out with a new one with ball bearings Good fishing to you Marv. |
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Posts: 897
| Locked down and adjust after the hookset. With fish in the 8 I bend my knees once they're hooked, push the thumb bar down, use my thumb as the drag, then engage/disengage the thumb bar as needed. |
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Posts: 192
| I don't troll often. Most years only 4 or 5 days and then it is in the late fall. When trolling I always use very large lures like Plows or 13" Grandma's, so most of the lures have 7/0 hooks. When trolling I use 8 1/2' and 10' Ugly Sticks that are very limber. braided super line and I set the drag loose. I can't recall the last time I lost a fish that I hooked while trolling.
Can't say that for casting though. I think I probably lose 20% or 25% of the fish I hook while casting. Like most I use heavy 9' rods with the drags locked down pretty tight, probably too tight when casting. I will say that I don't often throw big rubber though. Just not my favorite thing.
Makes me wonder if I should back off the drags on my casting reels a bit. BTW, all my casting reels are TE's with the Carbontex drag washers so they have high quality drag systems. |
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| yes a lot more,near the max you can |
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Posts: 307
| I locked it down last year at Wabigoon, since you can't see but 6" in that water I figured boatside action was a low probability and I'd have plenty of line and rod to work with on a bite. But, "the one that got away" was boatside, and surprised me. I was pulling the lure out, saw the jaws and tucked it back in. She hit, thrashed and soaked me, and 2 seconds later left me with a bent hook on my Rapala on the end of my 9' rod.
I still analyze the what-ifs in my head, but can say for certain I'll be loosening up the drag a bit this year. I can always thumb down for a 2nd hookset or increase it during the fight if need be. And there's been plenty of trips where I've forgotten to set the drag on the first day and managed to figure it out during the fight.
So yes, in my $250 reels I'm gonna use the drag.
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| Awesome! |
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