John F's DIY: Adjusting the drag (on lever drag reels) on your own!

[Capt. Hook]

Thanks John and Tkei....personally I just need to know where my FULL is at. The rest I manage on feel by adjusting the lever drag itself. If I target wahoo I set it light to my feel. Plastics on Marlin I would pull the line and it should run of the reel just before the mono stretches.

In short I cannot comment as I do it on feel.

I also do my strike on feel and always have, on full I set at 90%

[Capt. Hook]

I do not want to diss lines publicly but I have spooled to rolls before where we lost fish the next day. On taking it back to the shop I asked them to pull it off. The line had varying diameters through out the spools. It was enough to put me of. As for line that I can guarantee will break on their stipulated rating is DOUBLEX. This is also a line I have exstensively tested. The problem these days is that stores stock the brands on which they make the best margin so usually I do not get the specific XX I'm looking for (rating and colour). I then fall back onto berkley BIGGAME and if there is none I have to take ANDE.

This is merely my experience but what i can add is that the guys who go for records on 2kg and 4 kg classes also take XX before any other and they swear by it.

We should actually run a test and check the results.

I like double x

[Tsutsuma]

I also do my strike on feel and always have, on full I set at 90%

Yes Mike
That is the way to do it
Good on you
}<(((*>

[Tsutsuma]

I like double x

I did manage to get the Double X from the Richards Bay Shop
Will replace my ANDE tomorrow on my return as
it looks like Tsutsuma will head out to sea at 4am on Saturday
}<(((*>

[benniejordaan]

Mike,
If you set your drag to 90%, what happens when your spool is half way down. I reckon you will be way over the breaking strain of the line! Do the calc, you will see. It should be no more than 75% imo.
Don't forgetting what drag you are at when 1/2 or 3/4 of your line is out. You would be shocked!!!

[Capt. Hook]

Mike,
If you set your drag to 90%, what happens when your spool is half way down. I reckon you will be way over the breaking strain of the line! Do the calc, you will see. It should be no more than 75% imo.
Don't forgetting what drag you are at when 1/2 or 3/4 of your line is out. You would be shocked!!!

I do my drag setting with 100m line out and this is the FULL setting which you only use when you absolutely need to and usually this is close to the boat and you are on the leader. It is about 75% when the lever is on STRIKE

[TUNAMAN]

I also do my strike on feel and always have, on full I set at 90%

Mike it is difficult to explain to others that this is how you do it. They all believe it to be BS and that you do not know what you are doing and taking chances. I have lost minimal fish in my life and can honestly say not once due to drag. Some really do know where they are on feel. Like we have mentioned as long as we know where full is.

[TUNAMAN]

Mike,
If you set your drag to 90%, what happens when your spool is half way down. I reckon you will be way over the breaking strain of the line! Do the calc, you will see. It should be no more than 75% imo.
Don't forgetting what drag you are at when 1/2 or 3/4 of your line is out. You would be shocked!!!

Bennie I constantly operate the lever during a fight backing of or up as I go and as stated even with the rod in the holder and lines out I constantly check and set.

[Capt. Hook]

Mike it is difficult to explain to others that this is how you do it. They all believe it to be BS and that you do not know what you are doing and taking chances. I have lost minimal fish in my life and can honestly say not once due to drag. Some really do know where they are on feel. Like we have mentioned as long as we know where full is.

I have never lost a fish due to drag either because very seldom do I put it on FULL anyway, for my clients I set the lever and adjust when I feel needed. I also have to guage theri strength as some guys want big fish but are not strong enough and then I leave the drag lower and chase down the fish

[TUNAMAN]

Okay I think I should explain in better detail. When I fish every species out there according to me requires a different drag setting and also the method of targeting. As much as one plans ahead, one cannot determine what you meet out on the water. Today there is Wahoo and lots of livebait. Now I opt for swimming them targeting Wahoo. Now my drag is set as light as possible so that it only just prevents an overwind. Why .... because they strike hard and hook themselves up. Everybit of drag on the reel in this case that is more than the minimum assists the fish to bite through your trace. Have you guys had them bite through nr. 9 piano before? I have seen this happen on other boats with drag on 1/3 theory.

Sailfish with dropback you set just before the line stretches. This sets the hooks and sailys rarely will spool you. Remember here to to drop off drag if spool gets to half. Baiting for them or feeding one you all know you free spool and when tightening up you just need enough pressure to set the hook. I do all my setting on billfish with the boat. When I skipper all the fisherman has to do is up his drag and hold on not to fall overboard. This works with dropback as well and i have been successfull with this. The only exsclusion to this is when there is one fish on and another feeding near the boat. When you pitch to the second you are on your one to set the hooks thus not interfering with the one on the line.

I set my drag with lines out and thus the amount ofline allready out has no influence on the drag and it starts at where it should be.

I understand the theory for Marlin anglers as they target a specific species and the rest is just bycatch but Mike and myself are gamefisherman and target the varieties and this is where it differs.

I can post by achievements in comps and interprovincials and nationals here as proof. All these were purely Sailfish and gamefish orientated. You will improve targeting these species if you learn to use this method. this is why lever drag was invented ontherwise we could all use stardrag reels.

I can elaborate more but I trust this clarifies what I'm trying to get across.

[shagnrelease]

Thanks Tunaman I think that has cleared a few things up for the guys, I think the confusion came in on the difference between your PRE-SET strike drag and then slacking of using the lever. I also drop my drag and up it using the lever when targeting certain species or pulling certain baits, but the basic PRE-SET strike drag is fixed at 1/3 and does not get interfered with at all while fishing.

[TUNAMAN]

Thanks Shag .... I omit my thoughts at time and forget to state all the detail. Will remember to be more detailed in responses from now on.

[John F]

I got your point Tunaman right from the start,

We are on the same page after all! Experts or not!

[Capt. Hook]

Thanks Tunaman I think that has cleared a few things up for the guys, I think the confusion came in on the difference between your PRE-SET strike drag and then slacking of using the lever. I also drop my drag and up it using the lever when targeting certain species or pulling certain baits, but the basic PRE-SET strike drag is fixed at 1/3 and does not get interfered with at all while fishing.

Agreed basic preset is around 1/3, but on full you need more