Setting your drag for trolling?

[NCLaker]

I don't normally troll to much, but plan to on the river later this week. I'm looking for some helpful advise on setting your drag for trolling. When casting I normally lock my drag down for a good inital hookset. But for trolling I would be worried about ripping the hooks out.

What do you recommend for setting your drag when trolling at speeds of 3-5mph? Do you set it differently for slower speeds?

I plan to mostly troll crankbaits, but may throw-in mag bull dawgs/Medussas (pumping them), and possibly spinnerbaits/bucktails.

Thanks for your help!

[RK]

Hiya -

If you lock your drag trolling, hooks pulling out is a near certainty. If they don't pull out, something else - rod, line, rod holder - will fail.

My drag for trolling is set so that if I really hammer the throttle, it'll slip a little bit. Another way to gauge it is that the drag should slip just a little before the rod is fully loaded up and won't bend further. A fish that hits or hitting a snag should take drag easily. Don't worry about not getting hooks - you're 'setting the hook' with a one-ton boat, and the fish never gets slack line.

[NCLaker]

Thanks for the helpful advise RK. That is pretty much what I've been doing, just wanted to make sure I was taking the right approach.

[b1gf1sh1]

i'd add... consider using mono. 20 lb. is good. the stretch helps for not ripping out hooks too. good luck on that river

if you get bored, don't pass up casting those eddies.