Thread: Drag question

Does anyone actually put their reels/line on the scale to find the 1/4 (of line strength) slip setting for a particular line; or do you just go seat of the pants and estimate?

John G posted about that here:

http://gulfshorespierfishing.com/diy...msg936/#msg936

http://gulfshorespierfishing.com/gen...7689/#msg17689

He wasn't talking so much about a particular line, though, just a general rule. I have, out of curiosity, tested mine with a digital scale. What I "feel" is a good setting usually weighed out between 1.5 and 2 pounds. Four pounds felt like an absolute ton when I pulled it out of the reel after setting it with the scale. But I might have been doing it wrong. Either way, I went back to what "felt" right.

i just tie my line on a four wheeler and get my brother to take off that how i test my drag

Unless you are trying to break some line class world record, I really think breaking out the digital scale is over-thinking things.
Its fishing, it aint rocket science.

After acquiring a digital scale I messed around with drag setting a bit, both straight line pulls and bent rod.
But went right back to by hand guess'timation according to what I'm fishing for.
Because I may set a tight drag and let the fish hook itself, or a light drag and let it run before tightening it down.

I too found that my hand estimated drag was way lighter than the scale.

the guys I would go offshore did it before every trip, with there trolling reels....heated the drags up some from use then pre set at strike ....mine for the pier always change due to me so why bother