Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Much of the fishing we do off Delmarva and most of the fishing I do down in the Florida Keys each winter involves using what many would consider to be "light tackle" and as anyone who has ever been hooked up to a large fish on thin line knows - a smooth turning and properly set drag is a crucial element of winning victory over what might otherwise be a one-sided battle in favor of the fish. Unfortunately, and probably much to the delight of the fish they are trying to catch, a lot of anglers are unaware of what it takes to properly set the drags on their reels. There are many reasons why a fish might become disconnected from a fisherman and improper drag setting should never be one of them.
While in Florida, I was fishing with a friend who had just purchased a light spinning rod and reel. We hadn’t been at it long when my buddy hooked a large barracuda that struck hard and made off on a fast run. Or perhaps I should say, it “tried” to make off on a fast run because as soon the line came tight the hook pulled from the fish’s mouth and it was gone. A few minutes later the same thing happened, which prompted me to check the drag on his new reel, and just as I had thought, it was tight – really tight!
When I asked my friend if he intended to fish with such a tight drag he told me that it really wasn’t too tight because he’d wound on 30-pound braided line and it could “surly take the strain.” I was compelled to explain to him that even though the line might be able to withstand the forces of a heavy drag setting, the small hook he was using would continue to have a hard time staying put in a fish’s mouth if he didn’t lighten up a bit. But he was insistent and the drag setting stayed where it was.
Later in the morning, we started catching a bunch of jacks and cero mackerel. At one to three pounds these weren’t huge fish, but on light tackle they were a blast to catch. Each one I hooked gave me 3 to 5 minutes of give and take fun before I’d get it to the boat for the release. My friend however had each one of his fish in and gone in about 30-seconds, not because he was catching smaller fish, but simply because his drag was so tight he just pretty much “cranked-em-in”. I was having fun with the small fish, but in no time my friend was bored with them and wanted to move on and look for something “bigger that might give more of a fight.” Even though his rod and reel qualified as somewhat “light-tackle”, the simple fact that he had his drag cranked down so much changed the game (and his fun) altogether.
Most of the tackle we buy these days is pretty much ready to use right out of the box which makes it great for beginner anglers because they can usually just connect the parts (rods, reels, line, hooks, lures) and start fishing. But when it comes to “settings drags” there are no hard and fast rules about how it should be done or any reels that are sold with the drags pre-adjusted for every type of fishing. It’s up to the angler to adjust the drag setting to accommodate not just the breaking strength of the line, but also the fishing conditions of the moment and that’s exactly what my fishing partner that day didn’t seem to understand.
The amount of force it takes before the line starts to slip from a reel is the “drag” and this force changes, not only by how the drag knob or lever is adjusted, but also by air temperature, humidity, mechanical condition of the reel, moisture in the reel and amount of line on the spool. With so many variables, there’s no way a fisherman can get away with setting their drag at the beginning of the season and not touching it again all year. Every time, and I do mean EVERY time, I start to fish, the first thing I do is check, and if necessary adjust, the drag setting on the reel I’m using. Then, throughout the fishing day I’ll periodically check to see if the drag needs any fine-tuning.
Fishermen often make the mistake of thinking that the only consideration for drag tension is the breaking strength of the line. The first mistake my friend in Florida made was to put too heavy a line on his reel. He then made it worse by adjusting the drag to the breaking strength of that line. Had he set the drag for line in the 10?to 15 pound range, he would not have been pulling hooks on big fish or killing the fight from small ones. For any fishing line, there is a range of drag settings that might be appropriate to use. There are certainly times when a tight drag at the upper end of the spectrum is best, like when dealing with a larger than expected fish or when fishing in close proximity to fishermen or other obstacles that could tangle or cut a line if a fish is allowed to run too far. There are also times to lighten-up on the drag, such as when dealing with small hooks, light leaders or smaller fish.
It’s good to be in the habit of checking your drag setting throughout the day because once a fish is on the line it’s very difficult to properly make adjustments, although sometimes it’s necessary. If a fish runs around an underwater object, such as an anchor-line or propeller, one had better loosen the drag quickly or run the risk of the line chafing through. Another time to lighten the drag would be if the fish pulls out half a spool or more of line. Under such circumstances water pressure creates a tremendous amount of stress on the line and the reduced diameter of the remaining line on the reel means that the spool must turn much faster for each bit of line that’s pulled off it as the fish runs. Those two factors can equate to a lost fish for anglers who don’t know when to back their drag off.
Reels have drags not just to stop fish in their tracks, but also to let them run as needed. Wise fishermen keep their drags adjusted to facilitate whatever action is most appropriate at the time.
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center. During the winter months, Capt. Mark runs charters in the Lower Keys.
