Drag setting

[Takem]

How do you guys set your drag when trolling from your kayaks?

[ComeOnFish]

General rule is less than 1/3 of the strength of the main line for the most of the fish.
For speck/weakfish I start with at around 3-5 LB regardless the main line (When a light lure is used such as 3/16 - 1/2 oz jig). If Stretch 25 (deep diving lure) is used for Weakfish, then 1/3 of the strength of the main line

joe

[Oldbayrunner]

Just tight enough not to spool out while trolling but loose enough to spool out if it gets snagged.

[fishinggod]

from my experience down in the slower lower, the rocks and blues slam everything bait and never just nibble. I'm also trolling open water with very little obstructions they can break me off on. so i set em pretty light and don't mind them taking some line at first. then i adjust after i assess the general size of the fish.

[ronaultmtd]

I like a fairly tight drag to set the hook on the troll- and when I am pulling stretch 25's I set it pretty tight- I troll with forward rod holders so I am watching the rods all the time anyway- there is almost no way anyone can break 30# braid on a rod unless you point the rod straight so there is no pressure on the rod and lock the reel to pop the line...and forget 50#...get your knife out- most reels will not have a drag strong enough to break 25# test line...where you break lines is by having weak spots, wind knots and abrasions- I re-tie after a few fish to prevent break offs...

[sega]

Greatly depends on your gear. A lot of guys use the light tackle so they obviously have to keep it pretty loose.

Some guys like to keep their drag loose so they can hear when their reels start ticking.

I like keeping it tight so that the hook gets set on the hit and if not it gets set with one or two hard paddles forward. I use heavy braid for this.

[Raptor]

How do you guys set your drag when trolling from your kayaks?

If I'm out away from any structure like bridges, pilings, etc. I set my drag light enough that I can easily pull line out from the reel. You should always check this after your first cast because sometimes if you haven't pulled drag in a while it can initially be be a bit sticky. It is usually a quick shock that breaks lines, knots, etc. - i.e. a head shake. It is almost impossible to break 20# braid with a steady pull. I think the sticking drag doesn't happen with the really nice reels but the cheapie spinning reels I use . . . sometimes it happens. Anyway, out in clear water I use a light drag - logic - you can always tighten the drag after the fish tires, but you can't unbreak a line. I have never had to "set the hook" when trolling for Rock and Blues - they are hogs and usually hook themselves quite well. A Tarpon, or Large Mouth maybe require a hook set.

T.


T.