I was curious what you guys set your drag too

Usually 1/3 to 1/2 the line test - for braid, about 2/3 the max drag the reel is rated for

 

The accepted standard for drag tension is 25 to 30 percent of line test. 

I've closely adhered to that benchmark for many years, but eventually grew tired of all the redo's 

caused by every drag tweak made afield. For instance, when horsing a trophy on a short line,

I'll often tweak back on drag tension, in anticipation of a boat-side lunge.

 

For the last many years, I've been setting & resetting drag tension afield based on gut-feel,

which has served me well. It was Fish Chris who first changed my mind, for those who remember him.

 

Roger

 

 

Set drag by feel. Yes it’s that simple

2 minutes ago, basser27 said:

Set drag by feel. Yes it’s that simple

That’s what I do. And my “feel” is likely more prone to be on the light side. 
 

I’d rather have a fish run and pull line vs. snapping it. 

On 8/5/2020 at 6:47 PM, BrianMDTX said:

That’s what I do. And my “feel” is likely more prone to be on the light side. 
 

I’d rather have a fish run and pull line vs. snapping it. 

 

More than snapping the line, a more frequent occurrence is the hook tearing out  ?

 

 

Years ago I started using the pull method. You get a feeling for what works without having to measure the pull after doing it for so long, but I'd guess my drag is normally set at about 1/2 of my lines test.

47 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

Years ago I started using the pull method. You get a feeling for what works without having to measure the pull after doing it for so long, but I'd guess my drag is normally set at about 1/2 of my lines test.

 

Even at 50%, that's a great deal of drag tension.

'After' the hook-set, a lightly set drag makes it exponentially harder for a trophy to tear off

 

Roger

I have mine set so there is a little slip when I set the hook.  That way I can’t break it on the hook set.  I can always add drag with my off hand or thumb.

27 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

Even at 50%, that's a great deal of drag tension.

After the hook-set, a lightly set drag makes it exponentially harder for a trophy to tear off

 

Roger

 

Good point. So far I haven't had any issues with my drag, if I find it's to tight, only takes a split second to losen it up.

Since I fish Florida usually in less than 5 feet of water with thick grasses and weeds, I keep the drag locked down tight.  It is so important to get their head up out of the water or they will bury you in weeds.   Line no less than 15 pound test is also a must.  Less than full lock down, and you will be losing bigger bass.

Bass fishing the rod is usually the limiting factor, the average MH rod can only manage 5 lbs of dead weight lift. 15 lb test line w/5lbs of drag force is about max.

I learned to use 1/3rd line ( mono/FC ) strength decades ago and it's served me well.

IF You need additional force the thumb works. When big hot bass get near the boat a slght loosening the drag maybe prudent, that is where most get away.

Tom

I set my drag with a spring scale.  I usually set it to start slipping at 1/3 of the line test.  If I'm using braid then I set it to protect my rod which is roughly 1/3 the max line rating on the rod although it varies somewhat with the rod I'm using.  

 

I've found that using the "best guess" method works great 99.9% of the time.  That other 0.1% are the "fish of a lifetime" that I always try to be prepared for.

I set it all the way down and turn it 1/4 turn back. Except when fishing slop, then it's all the way down. 

Haven't had a problem yet. 

 

1 hour ago, Hammer 4 said:

Years ago I started using the pull method. You get a feeling for what works without having to measure the pull after doing it for so long, but I'd guess my drag is normally set at about 1/2 of my lines test.

I set it by feel also and assumed i was around 40-50%. Just tested and came in at 25% 

6 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

I set it by feel also and assumed i was around 40-50%. Just tested and came in at 25% 

I tested mine for the first 5 or 6 times to get a feel for it..I come pretty close to what I want..

About 75-80% of line test or max drag setting here...but I'm a backreeler/thumbarrer 

   Half a gallon of water. That's 4 lbs. Unless I'm fishing for muskie, that's the max. If I need more for some really weird reason, I add thumb pressure. When they get close to the shore, I back off the drag. I used to have a M/F rod that would stack with 4 lb. pull. Some rods won't take as much as you might think.       jj

My general rule of thumb is 20% - 30% of the line I am using and for braid but never exceed 25% of the maximum line rating of the rod, this way it protects my rod pretty well. For braid, I use 25% of the maximum line rating for the rod. When I measure it at a 45 degree angle to the point it starts to slip, which is important to my next point - although half the time I do it by feel, in which case I usually end up on the lighter side and that has its advantages once the hook is set.

 

The idea is that if am using 17lb fluorocarbon to fish jigs on an arcky head style jig (something I do a lot in my area) then 30% of the line strength would be 5.1lbs but because my MH rods have a max line rating of 20lbs, I will go no higher than 4.5lbs. The max breaking strength of most MH rods is around 6lbs, and at 4.5lbs at a 45 degree angle, that is somewhere around 5.5lbs pulling straight down, so it never hits 6lbs.

 

And on the flipside, on the M/MF rod I use for crankbaits, I may set it closer to 20% as I really don't need a lot of drag to set the hook. If I hook a giant, I may crank that up or thumb the spool and point the rod directly towards the fish, but most of the time I can make do with less drag.

7 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

Even at 50%, that's a great deal of drag tension.

'After' the hook-set, a lightly set drag makes it exponentially harder for a trophy to tear off

 

Roger

Unless that Trophy is slinging a large & heavy  swimbait around.

13 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Unless that Trophy is slinging a large & heavy  swimbait around.

 

TRUE...but don't you love when that happens  (never enough)  

2 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

TRUE...but don't you love when that happens  (never enough)  

I have scars on my soul from multiple big girls that I've had throw a big swimbait. Several right at the side of the boat with the rod in one hand and net in the other. Getting a good look at a great fish just cuts a bit deeper. I gotta stop I'm getting emotional. ?

I set my drag by feel. I like it a little on the heavy side so I can set that hook and turn the bass before it realizes it’s been hooked. 

For spinning reels with braid, I like the drag to slip just a tad when I set the hook. Baitcasters, I tighten down all the way and if the fish surges next to the boat I disengage the reel and thumb the spool.

On 8/6/2020 at 7:04 PM, GreenPig said:

I have scars on my soul from multiple big girls that I've had throw a big swimbait. Several right at the side of the boat with the rod in one hand and net in the other. Getting a good look at a great fish just cuts a bit deeper. I gotta stop I'm getting emotional. ?

 

In Lake Huron, I was fighting what I believe was the largest northern pike of my life (including fly-in).

The beast jumped 3 times completely out of the water, and I said to my wife "That's A Musky!".

I was finally able to pump the tired serpent alongside the boat. I was then ecstatic to see

the bean pattern of a pike, which I much preferred to an intermediate musky.

 

Just then my wife did the unthinkable, she momentarily removed the net from the lake

to reposition the netting. During that highly anxious moment, my jig fell out of the pike's mouth,

and the huge serpent sank slowly out of sight. That was about 30 years ago,

and every time it crosses my mind, I still feel that same unhealed, open wound 

 

Roger