If you're looking for how to set the drag on any kind of reel, there are plenty of step-by-step instructions and videos available online to guide you. I truly doubt, however, that even 1 in 10 anglers use any kind of science when it comes to this chore. Most probably just take the line in one hand, give it a pull until it feels right to them, and call it good.
Wired2Fish writer Walker Smith uses a method you likely won't find prescribed anywhere, but as he says, "Works for me, and I think it might help some folks. If you don't agree, I totally respect that. To each their own."
You see, Smith doesn't use the drag on any of his casting reels. Instead, he spools 'em up with fresh line and turns the drag star as tight as it will go. Might even, as some old-timers from my youthful years used to tell me, tighten 'em down with a pair of pliers.
"I have a great deal of confidence in all my reels," said Smith. "I wouldn't use them if that wasn't the case. I've lost very few fish since making this switch. When they bite, they very seldom come off.
"I think my reasoning revolves around two very important variables: control and feel."
Smith starts with the most obvious application for this method: pitching and flipping shallow water.
"Big bass love to get in the thickest cover they can possibly find. Not only does it offer them a sense of security, but it also provides a strategic ambush point from which they can attack unsuspecting prey. For these two reasons, I fish a lot of thick cover.
"Once I get a bite in these areas, my main goal...actually, my only goal...is to get them out as quickly as possible. Just one extra head-shake can allow them to wrap your line and break you off, so I don't play around. I want to put the proverbial ball in my court and immediately put myself in control of the situation."
As he explained, "If my reel is stripping any amount of line when I set the hook in heavy cover, I'm not in control. It may just be for a split-second, but that is plenty of time to lose a big bass.
"You'll get the fish out 80 percent of the time if you tighten your drag. Put on your hook-setting shoes, use some stout 20-pound fluorocarbon and horse 'em out. Don't give that bass any choice but to come in your direction. Put yourself in control."
Smith also is a big proponent of cinching his drag when fishing treble-hooked lures, such as crankbaits.
"That again probably isn't the most popular method, but it works great for me," he said. "I prefer very flimsy rods when using these lures. I want the tip to act as the shock absorber, both on the initial bite and throughout the fight. There's a lot more finesse involved in fighting and landing treble-hooked bass, which means even the slightest mistake can cause the hooks to pull free. If my drag system delays in dispensing line, even a millisecond, that fish can turn its head the wrong way and come unbuttoned."
As Smith noted, lighter-action rods allow him to feel every head shake and tail kick the bass makes throughout the fight. Instead of relying on a drag system that potentially could fail or temporarily seize, he prefers to manually press the thumb bar and control the output of line by applying pressure directly to the spool with his thumb.
"When a bass makes a quick run, and I start feeling those quick tail kicks," he said, "I can quickly depress that thumb bar and rely 100 percent on my feel and instincts, not an inanimate object. If the bass is running circles around the boat, and I have to lift my rod over my trolling motor, big motor, or Power-Poles, this allows me to do so without increasing the pressure on the fish.
"If done correctly, this can result in fewer bent hooks and warped split rings, which are both recipes for disaster when you're fighting big bass."
As Smith said in the beginning, not everyone likely will agree with him on this issue, but it has worked for him.
"I've noticed a big increase in my landing percentage," he said. "It's certainly something to think about."
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