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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | I didn't want to infringe on the post about free spooling on the figure eight so a separate query here.
I sometimes back my star drag off just a "tad" - maybe 1/5-1/4 turn - right after the initial hookset just for save-keeping. Not so it's too lose but just to give a bit of room for any surges etc.
I've done this for years. Am I alone on that? |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | I do it too! |
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Posts: 833
| I started doing it this season. So far it has worked well. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | I am a freespooler. Short line, stiff rod headshakes no drag for me. I would have to run it loose enough to where I would have to put my thumb on the spool anyway to fight the fish so why bother. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: Walker, MN | I back off a little. |
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Posts: 98
| I do it, I just figure why risk ripping the hooks out. Don't need to play the fish out, but just enough that they'll take some drag. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | rarely back off the drag as my casting rods are not locked... the ones I did most were over 50 and when I was fishing by myself to play them out a bit to make netting easier... once in a while on a big fish on a sucker rod as those drags are locked, but on casting rods my drag is not locked...
Edited by BNelson 6/26/2014 5:04 PM
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Posts: 164
Location: Twin Cities | I back it off. I can always thumb it if I need more tension. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I've never backed the drag off. I don't lock my drags, not even when I'm throwing big rubber. They are firm - it takes a good pull to take line but they will give. I find it easier to anticipate a fish running and use free spool rather than wait for a fairly tight drag to give if the fish starts heading in a bad direction or isn't hooked solidly.
Tucker |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Jeremy - 6/26/2014 3:58 PM
I didn't want to infringe on the post about free spooling on the figure eight so a separate query here.
I sometimes back my star drag off just a "tad" - maybe 1/5-1/4 turn - right after the initial hookset just for save-keeping. Not so it's too lose but just to give a bit of room for any surges etc. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GOOD POST, I always back off for a big fish, I sometimes USE a Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500c SYNCRO . YOU CAN BACK OFF ON THE HANDEL TO GIVE THE FISH LINE AND WHEN YOU REEL IN THE DRAG GO'S BACK TO WHERE IT WAS SET. 3 off my biggest fish were caught on that reel Two 54"s and a 52 with no problems at all.
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | Thanks all. I appreciate the replies.
My drag is never locked down tight. I take pains to check it every time I go out with a good tug and usually 2 or three tugs towards a firm setting but she'll slip. I prefer that.
I just back it off a bit for the reasons given by some replies, so as not to risk ripping out hooks and a bit of "I don't mind playing them a little bit" before dipping in the net.
Appreciate your posts. |
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Posts: 921
| I just responded to the other Fig 8 post. But me, personally, I get so excited when I get a bite I #*^@ near black out. The last thing on my mind is fumbling with the drag.
That's just me. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | Just to expand upon freespooling you can't count on great hooksets no matter how hard you set into a fish. I like the chances with my thumb when fish are not hooked well and with suckers I wouldn't even consider using the drag.
Edited by ToddM 6/26/2014 9:10 PM
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Posts: 1220
| Not to be on the other side of anything...but: It takes a certain mental calmness to be fooling with drag right after a strike. Put simply, it's a wiser choice for those who have caught a lot of fish, not so much for a newbie. I think I can do all sorts of stuff now, with the experience I've had including keeping a tight line without barbs if I wish to but it wasn't always so. My advice to the "regular weekend warrior" is to nearly lock it down and leave it till freeze-up. Not with channel locks...just finger tight. You'll have a tough time pulling line but a 40 incher will not. He'll be ten feet out in an instant and you won't know how it happened. Naturally, this is based on totally sound equipment choices; minimum 80 lb braid, solid tackle, stout hooks, long rod etc. My belief is the equipped in this fashion, a 40 plus fish will get all the line he wants, and a below 40 fish will be brought to net quickly, safely and with little fanfare or stress, especially with the hot water season now upon us. I know how many praise the joy of playing out a fish, but I'd rather be casting for the next one knowing I had done little discomfort to the one just released. |
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Posts: 409
Location: Almond, WI | I agree with Junkman. Exactly what I do, and in my experience a fish over mid-30s will pull some drag. I will loosen if I'm throwing a small bait with small hooks (I throw Husky Jerks and the like early season sometimes). |
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Posts: 79
| My bucktail reels have lever drags. That gives me a lot of freedom with playing with the drag while fighting a fish, especially when they hit in the 8. My other reels I never have the drag fully locked down. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | I do not lock my drags but keep them tight. You will have to wrap your line around your hand a few times to pull line out of my set-ups.
I also will back off the drag just a bit if I or a client has a big fish or crazy one. Very easy to do on quality reels. I don't recomended doing this on cheap reels.
I use my thumb on the spool when I set the hooks so my reels are kind of in the lock down mode when I set hooks even though they are not set in lock down mode. Clients sometimes do thumb the spool but mostly just trust my settings when the fish hit.
I agree with getting a fish in quickly when you can to avoid over stressing fish and loss of fish. Too loose of drags will allow the fish to extend the fight much longer than needed.
Todays longer rods also act like a drag in a way because they can be used as a shock absorber when the fish takes big runs. |
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Posts: 1036
| I leave my drags backed off a bit. I clamp my thumb down on the spool on the hookset.
Before I trained my thumb to do that, I locked 'em down and loosened them after the hit. Lost a few when I was really young due to the drag being too loose.
Live and learn, I guess. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | vegas492 - 6/30/2014 1:59 PM
I leave my drags backed off a bit. I clamp my thumb down on the spool on the hookset.
Before I trained my thumb to do that, I locked 'em down and loosened them after the hit. Lost a few when I was really young due to the drag being too loose.
Live and learn, I guess.[/QUOTE
Yup this is how I do it works for me |
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Backing off on drag after the hookset??