How Do You Set Your Drag?

[krisis7]

There are many ways I have seen lever drags set-up. Do you set them to troll with the lever all the way up on the stop in the strike position, or do you set it different.

[hubris 1]

unless you beat the fish to the bait.......put the reel in strike! period. dont play that game where they are just in catch, because you dont want them to feel the drag and then everyone is asleep. if your going to stand at the reel with attention that work's but most guys lose interest after an hour. put it in strike! at least if your hooks are sharp, your hooked up. maybe not great on a bill but a tuna or mahi is a pig. he's on for good.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

Then be familiar enough with them to be a ble to drop back and reel up without looking at the reel but at the rest of the spread. When that covey of whites comes up you can drop back to one and still see him or another come up on another bait, you feel him grab it and turn his head to swim away and throw it in strike and reel like mad, all in roddy holder. A short version, but you get the idea.
Michael

[MarlinHunter03]

While trolling for marlin we set ours just above free spool. We find this the most effective method for us because we feel it allows some margin for error if the guys in the pit are asleep or a white comes from, seemingly, out of nowhere. I'll leave other guys to comment on trolling for tuna as we do very little of that. I don't think the old man likes eating it...

[floridadeckie]

I'll set strike at around 1/2 of the line's breaking strength, then back off my drag to halfway between freespool and strike. that gives me enough grunt to set the hook upon impact, and still enough room to put some additional heat on the fish if need be

[burricane]

Interesting concept there. What line class do you usually pull? I'm assuming, from what I know about Islamorada, that you probably use 30 pound at some point. So 15 pounds of drag at strike? That's a heck of a lot of drag. Almost the max you can put to a TLD 25, isn't it? We typically put a third of the lines breaking strength at full and back the lever off while trolling. Even fishing for bluefins with the standard 130# or 200# topshot, we're only using 25# of drag at strike. Try and pull it off the reel through the rod tip with the rod bent over and tell me how far you get. Just a thought...

[hubris 1]

Interesting concept there. What line class do you usually pull? I'm assuming, from what I know about Islamorada, that you probably use 30 pound at some point. So 15 pounds of drag at strike? That's a heck of a lot of drag. Almost the max you can put to a TLD 25, isn't it? We typically put a third of the lines breaking strength at full and back the lever off while trolling. Even fishing for bluefins with the standard 130# or 200# topshot, we're only using 25# of drag at strike. Try and pull it off the reel through the rod tip with the rod bent over and tell me how far you get. Just a thought...

maybe your math is right but the concept is wrong. the drag is set at strike. if its 30 # i set it at 9# at strike not at full. i have never heard of setting the drag at full. where do you go from there if you need more? your thumb! certainly you jest.

[fishskipper]

Most set their drags at 25% of the line weight. Thats at the strike position. !00 lb test would be 25lbs at strike... Be sure to heat up your drags before setting with a scale by pulling out 25 yds or so like a fish would do. I usually do that several times by having my mate run down the dock. Guess it looks funny but it does heat up the drags. Once a fish hits,believe me the drags do heat up. By doing this, it gives you a more accurate setting. When setting out your baits we set the drag just below the strike position no more than a 1/4 in. But you'll need to check it because each reel will engage differently due to the wear on the drags.

Capt. Ron
www.littlejeanniesportfishing.com

[GALAZIO]

I'll continue to follow this thread as it is interesting to learn the different settings and the logic behind them. What I would like to see added is "What happens to DRAG as the line is peeling off?" I have heard two different arguments as to drag pressures increase or decrease.

I have always set my drags at 25% at 50 yds (on 20 & 30 class equipment running 30 & 50 lb line each) on the "STRIKE" setting. I always troll in the STRIKE setting (only times I don't is when we are closer to shore and in Kingfish territory and out of slob territory, then the drags are backed down to hold the baits trolling with just a little more added pressure).

This gives me 7lb at strike on TLD 20's (with 30# line) and 12lb on my 30W (with 50# line).

Now for the true question? Does drag pressure INCREASE as line diameter decreases on the spool, does in DECREASE??? or does it remain the same? Help me out with this.

According to Everol the drag pressure INCREASES big time. (see pic). What say you?

[pitch bait]

The drag definatly increases as the spool gets smaller. It is the hardest thing to do when you are getting spooled is to back the drag down.