Drag settings - surprising results

[fragmeister]

Hi Raiders,

Because I couldn't go out on the water on such a great day I decided after doing all the yard cleanup that I would have to

something just a little bit fishy.

So I set up a little Shimano 2-3kg outfit with one of the cheaper Shimano reels I use for the kids and tested the drag settings.

It is always amazing to me how much the rod acts as a lever in the fishes favour.

When I test the drag I am using I usually find that I am no where near the amount of drag I think I am putting on the fish and in the past it has has helped me to stop a few fish by being confident that I can really wind up that drag.

Check out the action on this rod below... looks fairly loaded doesn't it?

Well, if you look in the next picture you can see from the scale that is only around 3/4 of a kg drag.

When we fish we are always balancing the right amount of drag. Too little and the fish might spool you or wrap you around the structure and too much and you could pull the hook or break the line at one of your knots.

Certainly in my case, and maybe for a lot of us that long lever that attaches us to the fish can give a false impression of how much stick you are actually giving the fish.

A mate of mine and a legend of the early LGB fishing fraternity was once asked if he had a single piece of advice for fisherman... his response was " More Drag!"

Cheers

Jim

Edited October 25, 2014 by fragmeister

[Hooked-Up]

pretty surprising hey!

try running about 6-8 kilos of drag through a heavy rod and see how hard that is to hold onto.

i was very surprised when i did it.

[fragmeister]

pretty surprising hey!

try running about 6-8 kilos of drag through a heavy rod and see how hard that is to hold onto.

i was very surprised when i did it.

Yes,

The typical mechanical advantage is three to one on the side if the fish depending on where your top hand is on the rod.

8 Kg of drag will feel like 24 kg's which is like holding a bag of cement for the length of the fight.

No wonder its exhausting fighting big fish.

Edited October 26, 2014 by fragmeister

[Scratchie]

On my last trip I found that sometimes a fully locked drag don't help either! Here is my spheros 14000 reel, 15-24kg rod and I still couldn't stop this thing.........scary!!!

I would only be quessing but I think the drag setting was about 10-15kg. I couldn't pull it off.

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Sydneyfisher12]

I was thinking was my drag tight enough after getting spooled by a salmon at south head on Saturday I was only using 6lb fluro leader I wonder if I could of put more drag in the fish to stop it

I'll have to test it out

Cheers sydneyfisher12

[fragmeister]

I was thinking was my drag tight enough after getting spooled by a salmon at south head on Saturday I was only using 6lb fluro leader I wonder if I could of put more drag in the fish to stop it

I'll have to test it out

Cheers sydneyfisher12

Give it ago... I think you will be surprised.

[fragmeister]

On my last trip I found that sometimes a fully locked drag don't help either! Here is my spheros 14000 reel, 15-24kg rod and I still couldn't stop this thing.........scary!!!

I would only be quessing but I think the drag setting was about 10-15kg. I couldn't pull it off.

Cheers scratchie!!!

By my calculation that fish has about a 3 to one mechanical advantage on you so at 15kg drag you are hanging on to two bags of cement with your arm outstretched!

No wonder its a battle.

[NaClH2OK9]

I brought some digital scales ( they also have a hold function so display the heaviest weight even after the pressure is released) they are an amazing tool to see real world weights compared to published numbers.

I use mine to test breaking strains and drag settings but have done this with a straight rod. I'll be testing with the rod loaded tonight.

[fragmeister]

I brought some digital scales ( they also have a hold function so display the heaviest weight even after the pressure is released) they are an amazing tool to see real world weights compared to published numbers.

I use mine to test breaking strains and drag settings but have done this with a straight rod. I'll be testing with the rod loaded tonight.

I haven't actually compared but I would expect the breaking strain not to change.

[mike2153]

When I set my drag in my stella 14000sw I hold the rod straight hook the hook onto my fence and pull it straight that way the rod isn't taking any of the load, after testing a few knots i can safely set it what feels like locked up I mean really cranking the drag up. When I wrap the line around my hand I cannot pull line off at all. To me if a king can do that he deserves to live lol

It amazes me what some people call big drag or locked up. Seeing people with 8000sized reels putting 15lb line on what's the point?

[fragmeister]

When I set my drag in my stella 14000sw I hold the rod straight hook the hook onto my fence and pull it straight that way the rod isn't taking any of the load, after testing a few knots i can safely set it what feels like locked up I mean really cranking the drag up. When I wrap the line around my hand I cannot pull line off at all. To me if a king can do that he deserves to live lol

It amazes me what some people call big drag or locked up. Seeing people with 8000sized reels putting 15lb line on what's the point?

Yes, I agree completely.

My testing is all about getting a feel for what 1 or 3 or 10kg of drag is so I can do a bit of guesstimating in the thick of fighting a fish.

I have on occasions set the drag using scales just before setting a bait out for say a kingy or a jew but that all falls by the wayside after a while and sometimes you want actually to set a light drag and dial it up later.

I have made the mistake of putting 10KG of drag on a live bait and not being able to get the rod out of the holder before the king had me wrapped around the pilons. The pure pressure of the fish and the leverage on the rod had it jammed in the rod holder. I got it out but it was all too late.

All in all though I reckon I have lost more fish through not enough drag than too much drag.

Edited October 28, 2014 by fragmeister

[mike2153]

Yea I know what you mean. I've had the same struggle of getting the rod out of the holder and have lost 2 food fish trying to get it out. But if I hadn't run alotnof drag they would have just reefed me anyway.

In my old boat which had marine ply gunnels I wouldn't use my stella because I was to scared that running a locked stella would actually rip the rod holders out haha

[lostproperty]

Yes, I agree completely.

My testing is all about getting a feel for what 1 or 3 or 10kg of drag is so I can do a bit of guesstimating in the thick of fighting a fish.

I have on occasions set the drag using scales just before setting a bait out for say a kingy or a jew but that all falls by the wayside after a while and sometimes you want actually to set a light drag and dial it up later.

I have made the mistake of putting 10KG of drag on a live bait and not being able to get the rod out of the holder before the king had me wrapped around the pilons. The pure pressure of the fish and the leverage on the rod had it jammed in the rod holder. I got it out but it was all too late.

All in all though I reckon I have lost more fish through not enough drag than too much drag.

Last summer fishing in shallow water for kings we had this problem (about 14m) and kept getting reefed before I could get the holder out, so I tightened up the drag and held the rod in my hand, meant I could give a little to help the hook set and strike then it'd be a short but super intense fight against the fish to turn its head, was serious fun ! Lost a few still as only fishing 50LB Leader but managed to get in a few before running out of bait

[Jamestown]

On my last trip I found that sometimes a fully locked drag don't help either! Here is my spheros 14000 reel, 15-24kg rod and I still couldn't stop this thing.........scary!!!

image.jpg

image.jpg

I would only be quessing but I think the drag setting was about 10-15kg. I couldn't pull it off.

Cheers scratchie!!!

If that is you in the red there is no way known to man that spheros is locked. If it was before that photo was taken you would have 2 rods due to it being snapped because of being high sticked.

[Scratchie]

If that is you in the red there is no way known to man that spheros is locked. If it was before that photo was taken you would have 2 rods due to it being snapped because of being high sticked.

Yes that is me! The second photo is me pumping and winding ON FULL LOCKED drag to a small, 5-6 kg fish. The first is my fish being upgraded (sharked) on the same drag setting! And yes it was still spooling off!

[Scratchie]

Same drag setting, same rod, same fish but with an extra set of hands! I wasn't up there fishing for bream!

[fragmeister]

Yes that is me! The second photo is me pumping and winding ON FULL LOCKED drag to a small, 5-6 kg fish. The first is my fish being upgraded (sharked) on the same drag setting! And yes it was still spooling off!

All this talk of fully locked drag settings is getting me excited!

Off for my Friday fish tomorrow!

[Scratchie]

All this talk of fully locked drag settings is getting me excited!

Off for my Friday fish tomorrow!

Good on you mate! Hope you get your arms pulled out!

[galini09]

Yes, I agree completely.

My testing is all about getting a feel for what 1 or 3 or 10kg of drag is so I can do a bit of guesstimating in the thick of fighting a fish.

I have on occasions set the drag using scales just before setting a bait out for say a kingy or a jew but that all falls by the wayside after a while and sometimes you want actually to set a light drag and dial it up later.

I have made the mistake of putting 10KG of drag on a live bait and not being able to get the rod out of the holder before the king had me wrapped around the pilons. The pure pressure of the fish and the leverage on the rod had it jammed in the rod holder. I got it out but it was all too late.

All in all though I reckon I have lost more fish through not enough drag than too much drag.

I have made the Excat same mistake. i now always hold rod in hand when live baiting kings unless i am downrigging of course. I've found, espcially in deep water kings will often play with a bait and sometimes it's mecessary to have a crack at setting the hook yourself. i learnt this one day loosing about 10 livies to the decent but not wild bites. i had a genuine crack at stiking one and up came an 85cm king. so I'd say to a beginner fishing for kings to put tough drag on and hold on tight, you need a fair bit of experience to get them up with lght gear and a whole lot of luck.