Back in the day when I was fishing Charlie Brewer slider rigs, I was careful about setting the drag on my spinning reels. Didn't want to stress that 6-lb.-test mono line I was using at the time, especially if I happened to get hold of a bigger fish.
These days, though, when I'm fishing all baitcasters, with a minimum of 30-lb.-test braid, I really don't concern myself that much with the drag setting. As long as it's snugged down pretty tight, I'm good with it. However, I still always loosen the drag at the end of each day, so that I don't wear out the drag washers.
Like a lot of other things in life, drag is a matter of personal choice. Wired2Fish angler and writer Walker Smith happens to like really cinching his drag down tight.
"This method just works for me," he said. "If you don't agree, I totally respect that. To each their own.
"I spool my casting reels with fresh line and turn the drag star as tight as it will go. I have a great deal of confidence in all of my reels. I wouldn't use them if that wasn't the case. I have lost very few fish since making this switch. When they bite, they very seldom come off now."
Smith's reasoning revolves around two very important variables: control and feel.
"I'll start with the most obvious application for this method: pitching and flipping shallow water," he explained. "Big bass love to get in the thickest cover they can 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 over.
"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.
"If my reel is stripping any amount of line when I set the hook in heavy cover, I am not in control. It may just be for a split-second, but that is plenty of time to lose a big bass. It has happened to me in the past, and this mistake cost me thousands of dollars."
Smith likes to skip a jig underneath docks. In response, some people say, "Sure, that's cool. But what happens when you get a bite so far under a dock? There're no way you can get 'em out."
"My response is simple," he said. "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-lb. fluorocarbon, and horse 'em out. Don't give that bass any choice but to come in your direction. Put yourself in control.
"I'm also a big proponent of cinching my drag when I'm fishing treble-hooked lures, such as crankbaits," Smith continued. "That's probably not the most popular method, but it works great for me.
"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."
According to Smith, the 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 could potentially 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 the bass makes a quick run, and I start feeling those quick tail kicks, 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 the 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."
Smith knows not everyone will agree with him. However, he's noticed a big increase in his landing percentage and feels it's something to think about.
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