Testing your Drag

[Guido]

How does one test their drag on particular outfit. Example being 6'10 med light spin rod daiwa capricorn 1500 2/10 power pro.

I read an answer elsewhere that seemed interesting. It involved weighing out an object tieing line to it, wrapping your line thru your guides and lifting the said object.

All this jazz to test your drag accurately.

Thoughts? Different methods of testing your drag? I always done the old five finger tug, like im some weights and measures expert

[vikingmeatwad]

I always test with the patented hand pull technique.

:-)

[Aquaman01]

Most new reels have a section on setting the drag in the owner's manual - and if you don't have a manual check for one in PDF fvormat online.

I've heard of using a fish scale tied to a solid object (bumper or hitch) and setting to 2/3 the breaking 'test' strength of the line.

I'm particuliar to the hand pull, unless I'm setting up my big Ambassadeur for river-sumos - then I tie the line to my yellow lab's collar, throw a tennis ball, and set the drag to whatever stops the dog.

[icehousebob]

Aquaman, I try to get mine at about 1/2 the breaking strength of the line to make allowance for the weakening caused by the knot. As for your catfish line testing, I don't have a lab. Would it be okay to use two Bassets in tandem and throw a puppy treat?

[Surface Tension]

I'm usually more concerned with pulling hooks out then breaking line. So if I have a fish on and I anticipate it taking a run when it gets to the boat my drags tension is far less then the breaking point of the line.

[LocalGuide]

I also go by pulling the hook out. I normally adjust the drag to the fish if its a bigger one otherwise I will have it set so when I set the hook the drag will take some of the hit and the fish isnt horsed in.

[Graywolf]

Well since the title of this thread is Testing your drag, not Setting your drag perhaps a verbal image to lighten your day. When I buy a new reel, I run the line through all the guides and tie it on the hitch of my Dodge Cummings truck. The wife drives away at a slow pace down our street and I watch the rod tip holding the rod at about a 45 degree angle. If you have a "sticky" drag, the rod tip will continually dip down and snap back up as the drag releases and "sticks". Sometimes it takes two or three reels to get a really smooth releasing drag. I had a lady walking a dog one day stop and say "What are you going to do with that truck after you catch it?" Sounds and looks a little like you have lost your marbles, BUT, you would be amazed at the difference in factory drags on the same model reel. Yea,Yea, I know, if I had used my friend's Chevy or Ford, I would have never been able to pull it backwards.(wish those tires wouldn't smoke so much when you are pulling the truck backwards.)

I set the drag by running the line through all the guides, hold the rod at a 45 degree angle, tie on a digital fish scale and smoothly pull the line down and away until the drag slips. I try for the drag to release at about 25% (1/4) of the line test.

Be sure to SET the drag before you TEST the drag.