I've been fishing mostly with trolling reels. I always set the drag to 1/3 of the line resistance. For a 50 lb rod, I use 50 lb line and I set the drag to 16 lb aprox.

Is all this the same when using spinning reels?.

I have a frinds who wants me to build a rod to be use for jigging with a Daiwa Saltiga Z-6500 (30Kg = 70 lb drag!!). Must I select a 80 lb blank, a 70 x 3 = 210 lb one,...??.

Are these drags a myth?. Can you really bring it to the limit? Is there any 6 ft blank suitable for this? I can only imgin XX stand up and trolling blanks.

Thank you,

Daniel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2005 12:56PM by Daniel Rotea.

The trouble with anything much heavier than a 1/4 to 1/3rd drag setting of the line's breaking strenght, is that you're assuming the reel drag is perfect - no start-up inertial, no sudden surges from the fish, etc. Such a setting provides immense leeway and almost guarantees that your fish won't/can't break your line.

The higher you set the drag setting per the line's breaking strength, the less you have for error in your equipment, technique, etc. Obviously, you can do this if you or your customer desires. Some types of fishing are generally run with 1/2 to 3/4 drag settings, such as trolling and stand-up.


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What is the practical limit to how much drag you can get on, for example, an ABU 6500. Can you ever get more than 5 or 6 lbs on most reels? BTW, I replaced my ABU factory washers w/ smooothies and love them, but I still don't think I could get 10lbs of drags. I probably should stay with 15# for my surf fishing and be happy to get 5#.

The question I have is how to choose the components starting from the reel.

We usually choose the line weight ("I want a 50 lb stand up rod") and line and reels are choosen from this. But in this case I have the reel from which my friend wants to have the maximum power and I must choose the blank.

How is it done?.

Seeker has a 6 1/2 ft 30-80lb jig/live bait blank CJBF65H and you could go with something like a CALSTAR 64660XH 40-100lb. These should both work for jigging (I know the Seeker does). But even though the blank is rated to handle the 70lb drag you plan to put on it, it is still close to the top range of the rod.
If you are asked to build a jigging rod capable of 70lb drag, you should look for a blank that can handle 80-100lb test line. I for one, would not like to hold onto a rod set at 70lb drag. It would probably pull me into the water. About the max I go is 30lb drag with 50lb test. This lets me handle the initial pull from the fish. If it's really stubborn, I can put the rod into a rod holder, crank the drag up, and use the boat to try and pull it off the bottom.
Here's an example...my friend uses a 5ft 130lb standup. He has 80lb test line and sets his drag about 50lbs. He is a large person, weights about 250lbs. He wasn't paying attention once and he almost went into the water when the fish hit. The initial hit is the hard part. From there you should be ready for strong pulls or runs. If your customer thinks because he can set the drag heavy and pull in large fish, he might not know what he's in for.
Jeff

Those of you who have ever lifted weights- picture two 35 lb weights tied to the end of a rod you have made, and lifting them both off the ground with that rod. Or, picture a very big Lab, wrigging while you pick it up in the air with a shoulder harness... Yikes. 70 lbs of drag is not realistic, anything above 30 lbs is asking for trouble.

Effectively you would be fishing with a locked reel. Imagine trying to set the drag on a reel like that! I go offshore where 500 lb fish are not uncommon, and no one I've ever been with uses more than 20 lbs of drag even when using 100 lb test line. I caught a 209 lb big eye tuna last summer on a reel set at 18 lbs drag, and I'm absolutely convinced that if the drag was even 40 lbs I would have been pulled overboard. A buddy of mine who fishes 18 lbs has two rods that were snapped at the butt when in rod holders while trolling when a big fish hit at warp speed. At 70 lbs drag, how long will any rod last?

Mike's definitely on target when trolling. If I understood you (Daniel), this would be bottom fishing, which is a little different. Trolling, I set the drag to just hold whatever bait or lure I have on the line. Bottom fishing, you need more drag to keep the fish from getting back into it's hole. You can handle the heavier drag settings for Grouper and other bottom fish but you have to be ready for the initial strike, and you should be using a belt as a minimum.
Hope this helps you Daniel. Sometimes it's better to tell them you won't build it for that. It's better than having the guy end up overboard and loose the rod and reel. (of course than you could build him another one)

In the article we did on stand-up rods, we were careful to spell out the dangers of fishing for fish that are bigger and stronger than you are, with line that tests in at 50lb and up, with high drag settings. If the reel drag won't slip, if you don't have a leverage advantage (you won't) and you're not tied in, you can go overboard. Fishermen get killed this way every year. It's not at all uncommon.

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Hi, my friends,

yes, you have confirmed what I thought. I know a guy in the Canary Islands who had (now he hasn't it yet) the IGFA record for yellowfin (something like 360 lb) with 50 lb line!!

I've already explained the risk of finishing into the water. I also think 70 lb drag is not possible to handle, at least for common humans!!.

As Jeff says, bottom fishing is slightly different to trolling, because you have to minimize the ammount of line a big grouper can take out from the reel to avoid it to reach its hole. But 70 lb...

I've however though in something like a GUSA URS60MH-T (50 to 100 lb). Do you know this blank?

Hi, my friends,

yes, you have confirmed what I thought. I know a guy in the Canary Islands who had (now he hasn't it yet) the IGFA record for yellowfin (something like 360 lb) with 50 lb line!!

I've already explained the risk of finishing into the water. I also think 70 lb drag is not possible to handle, at least for common humans!!.

As Jeff says, bottom fishing is slightly different to trolling, because you have to minimize the ammount of line a big grouper can take out from the reel to avoid it to reach its hole. But 70 lb...

I've however though in something like a GUSA URS60MH-T (50 to 100 lb). Do you know this blank?