Drag Setting Can Be Your Make or Break Point

That's a lesson Jerry's son learned the hard way today, and there are many of us who can relate to that "empty" feeling you get after losing a nice fish, simply because you had that drag cranked down too tightly.

Back in the days when I used mono, I experienced many of those empty moments before I read some advice in a magazine article. Don't ask me what magazine or what article that was, because far too much water has passed under the bridge since then for me to recall. Shoot, I'm at that stage in life where my wife even kids me about keeping the library's phone number handy in my cellphone contacts--just so I can call and find out what the date is if I forget that, too.

Anyway, the article in question discussed a simple way to set your drag and have a reasonable degree of certainty that it was set correctly or close to it. The article said to fasten the end of your line to a stationary object, tighten down the drag, then start loosening it until you could walk backward (holding the rod in a straight line from the stationary point), with the line slipping through the guides without undue resistance.

I followed that advice for the remainder of the time I used mono, including the whole year I spent experimenting with nothing but ultralight tackle, including 4- and 6-lb. test line, and I only had a few of those empty moments. Once I shifted to braided line, I began adjusting my drag just by pulling off a few feet until I thought the resistance felt about right. I still use that method today, but as I admitted to Jerry, I know the drag setting usually is too heavy, even for the 40- and 50-lb. test line that I use. As all the articles I read today spell it out, you run the risk of having the braid bury into itself when a bigger fish makes a hard run or you hang up with too much drag set.

According to most experts, a reel's drag should be set to one-third of the line's breaking strain. To be precise, tie the end of your line to the hook on a set of pocket scales or a spring-balance pair. Have someone hold the scales steady while you walk slowly away from them, pointing the rod tip directly at the scales. Adjust the drag-setting mechanism until the reading you get on the scales is equal to one-third of the breaking strength. One note of caution here: If you're using 30-lb. test line but only a 15- or 20-lb. leader, the drag should be set to one-third the breaking strength of the leader--or other weak link in your setup.

Tight Lines! And here's hoping you don't have too many "empty" moments in your future fishing endeavors.