How To Set The Drag On Your Reel
Original post made by Gary Fontenot(Bear) on May 19, 2004
I've done it, and so have most of you! Lost a really nice one, the line broke; and of course the mental picture of the "Brute" that got away grows larger and larger with the telling of the broke line. But, you proably could have landed him, if your drag was set to your pole, reel, and line correctly. I know some of you have your favorite methods to set your reels drag; there's the pull directly from the reel until it's tight,...now it's too tight, may as well cut the line when you get a bite! Or the mid-way on the rod pull til it's tight; Results...See the previous description! How about the directly off the rod tip, straight out, Better, but you'll lose that "horse" you been trying for for years! Now the method I'll tell you about won't stop all the lines from breaking, cause some of them lines or so old, if you look crossways at them, they'll break. Get a bucket, fill it with weight(Sand or Dirt works best) to the approximate weight of the prey (Horse)you want to fish for. Oh, Yes make sure the line goes with the reel( you know the clean, oiled, and lubed one!). Tie the line to the weighted bucket, now back off about 35 ft. Starting with the drag in the no-drag position, (for you fellas who don't use the cirlce hooks)Set the hook, I mean bucket! Slowly tighten up on the drag, and redo. When you can see the bucket move, and you've set the hook, the line is set at it's optime, best for that size of fish to that size of line(if line breaks before the bucket moves, you are fishing with the wrong size of line! Don't be alarmed, after releaseing the bucket(always practice catch and release!)you will try to pull line from the reel, and it will come out easily, but the drag is set correctly for the type of fishing you are doing! Resist the urge to tighten up on the drag when fighting with a large fish, and you will have pictures to post instead of broken line tales to tell! Hope this helps, can't hurt!
Have a Great day Fishing, my brother!
The Bear
I've done it, and so have most of you! Lost a really nice one, the line broke; and of course the mental picture of the "Brute" that got away grows larger and larger with the telling of the broke line. But, you proably could have landed him, if your drag was set to your pole, reel, and line correctly. I know some of you have your favorite methods to set your reels drag; there's the pull directly from the reel until it's tight,...now it's too tight, may as well cut the line when you get a bite! Or the mid-way on the rod pull til it's tight; Results...See the previous description! How about the directly off the rod tip, straight out, Better, but you'll lose that "horse" you been trying for for years! Now the method I'll tell you about won't stop all the lines from breaking, cause some of them lines or so old, if you look crossways at them, they'll break. Get a bucket, fill it with weight(Sand or Dirt works best) to the approximate weight of the prey (Horse)you want to fish for. Oh, Yes make sure the line goes with the reel( you know the clean, oiled, and lubed one!). Tie the line to the weighted bucket, now back off about 35 ft. Starting with the drag in the no-drag position, (for you fellas who don't use the cirlce hooks)Set the hook, I mean bucket! Slowly tighten up on the drag, and redo. When you can see the bucket move, and you've set the hook, the line is set at it's optime, best for that size of fish to that size of line(if line breaks before the bucket moves, you are fishing with the wrong size of line! Don't be alarmed, after releaseing the bucket(always practice catch and release!)you will try to pull line from the reel, and it will come out easily, but the drag is set correctly for the type of fishing you are doing! Resist the urge to tighten up on the drag when fighting with a large fish, and you will have pictures to post instead of broken line tales to tell! Hope this helps, can't hurt!
Have a Great day Fishing, my brother!
The Bear
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