what a drag !!
 

How often do you guys play with the drag system when bass fishing? Only time I really pay attention is when I go sportsfishing (salt water).

I do pay attention when I use 4 lb line to catch bass but when I use 8 lb - 15 lb lines, I hardly pay attention, except one time when I caught my PB of 6.5 lbs - she was dragging my line all over the place and I had to tighten then let loose my drag system a bit (bait caster reel at that time).

Is this usual for most bass angler?

Re: what a drag !!
 

When a big bass wants to run I loosen the drag and let it. Then I'll tighten it up to bring it closer and once I get it boatside I loosen it again in case it takes one last run.

So I do play with it some if its a fish that is putting up a good fight

Re: what a drag !!
 

You can't always rely on your line. If a fish is pulling hard I always loosen the drag because you never know if you have a nick in your line or a weak spot somewhere. Obviously the lighter the line, the more careful you have to be. Also, you never know when a fish will decide to make a hard run and take off.

Re: what a drag !!
 

If I'm fishing heavy 20-30 lb. line on baitcasters, I'll lock the drag down tight unless I think I'm going to run into a super-big fish. When I fish spinning gear with 4-8 lb. mono, I'll leave the drag loose enough at all times to handle a run from a big fish. The drag should slip a little on the hookset, which is why sharp hooks are a must!

Re: what a drag !!
 

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I got into the habit of setting my drag when I used to do a lot of carp fishing. A 10 or 20 pound carp can snap the mono of an incorrectly set drag with ease.

From what I have read in English carp fishing books, the drag is usually set to about one-third (1/3) the breaking strength of the line. I use that as my rule-of-thumb unless there are special circumstances such as fishing elbow-to-elbow with other fishermen (opening day) or there's a tangle of roots and I need to yank the fish away from that.



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Re: what a drag !!
 

It also depends what your fishing in regard to structure. If your throwing around lay downs and such you can't really give them an inch. A lot of the time I'm fishing 25lb mono pretty much locked down. On my lighter spinning stuff I'm on the heavier side of line rating unless I am in open water where I can't get taken into structure.

Re: what a drag !!
 

I usually use really light line 4-6#, so when a hog hits, the drag gets adjusted. I a more in it for the fight than a lot of more serious bass anglers.

I'm the kind of guy that goes for big fish with light tackle. Gives the fish a fighting chance.

Re: what a drag !!
 

I'm with you on that. I don't see the fun in reeling in a 2 lb bass with 30 lb test and a MH or H rod, so I usually use the lightest rod and line that will get the job done - within reason. I don't want to go overboard and fish too light because an extended fight can exhaust a fish to the point of no return. Most of my bassing rods are ML and M with 6 -12 lb test line depending on what I use it for.

A 4 lb bass can snap 12 lb test in a hurry when it makes a run so I keep the drag lighter, rather than heavier and crank it down or loosen it depending on what the fish is doing. If they start diving toward structure or weeds I bite the bullet and tighten it because I know I'm not getting them out of there with my lighter lines.

Some of my older Shimano spinning reels have a feature they called "Fighting Drag". I like it because it allows you to easily find your original setting after you loosen or tighten the drag.

Re: what a drag !!
 

If you're fishing open water, then absolutely. But sometimes you need to get the bait into laydowns, or heavy weeds, or big rocks that would shred light tackle. Most of the time I'm not matching my tackle to the fish I'll be catching, but rather to where those fish live.

Re: what a drag !!
 

great point Lard