I use a spring scale to do this but if you dont have one then you can try using dumbells if you have them. With dumbells or weights there are usually many different weights and sizes. You want to do this with the reel on the rod as the guides can add friction. Tie off to a weight that is around 1/3 to 1/2 your line weight and lift, adjust drag atill it just starts to stop the weight from falling or start where you can pickup the weight then adjust till it just starts to slip.(later is recommended method)
You can also use a fish scale to adjust the drag but remember that many of them are crap anyways and may be off as much as 5 lbs or more so use caution when doing this

try this thread, there is a description about 5 or so posts in. I do it in a very similar mannar
http://www.stripers247.com/phpBB2/showthread.php?t=17352&highlight=drag

Sorry it is this one and about 3 or so posts in. The thread above is also a good read
http://www.stripers247.com/phpBB2/showthread.php?t=17729&highlight=drag

This is from the thread:
You want to measure the tension as it would be if you were fighting a fish. The friction on the guides adds to the tension much more than you would think, that's why you do not want to measure it right at the reel. I hook my scale on the bumper of my truck, hook the scale with a plug (you could use a snap swivel, or a bait hook if that's your preference), and get in the fish fighting position, rod at about 2 o'clock. Slowly tighten down on the drag until it just starts to slip at the desired poundage on the scale

 

So, for example, i have 50lb power pro. Put a 20lb dumbell on the floor, tie off to it, and lift until my drag starts to slip. Thanks a ton for the info, setting my drag properly has been driving me nuts...haha

 

So, for example, i have 50lb power pro. Put a 20lb dumbell on the floor, tie off to it, and lift until my drag starts to slip. Thanks a ton for the info, setting my drag properly has been driving me nuts...haha

Personally I don't do it that way but it will work if its your only choice. I would double and triple check it though. I also usually set to a maximum of 1/3 of minimum line/leader test and abit more with 2 reels listed above. I use a brass scale which gets tested about every year or two as it is used in testing steering wheel tension/resistance in vehicles. As Rock said a decent scale (Like the one I use) will cost less than $50

 

The drag on a reel is probably the most mis understood, abused item in most aglers arsenal... buy the scale..a quality brass 50lb scale is cheaper then a spool full of power pro...

The drag on a reel is simply a brake... but goes through several stages in a battle...

1) starting drag... this is what you are actualy setting, it SHOULD be set for 1/4 the breaking strength of the WEAKEST part of your line/leader connection... if your using 50lb PP but run a 20lb leader, the correct drag setting would be 5 lbs...this should be set with a "fighting" curve in the rod, somewhere in the vicinity of 10:00..
2) running drag, this is the amount of friction available as the spool has been set in motion, in the beginning it will be consideably less than the starting drag, if the fish takes a long run, it increases as the diameter of the spool shrinks and the resistance of the water adds up on the line, older, un cared for drags may become jerky and un smoothe.. the 1/4 ratio gives you a cushion to cover a wide spectrum including unseen knicks .cuts and poor kmnots... extra drag can be applied ( lightly) with a finger or palm... better to err on the side of caution, if I had a dollar for every angler that fished a drag that was too tight.. I'd retire right now and go fishing In some warm climate...

the exceptions: and there are quite a few, I'll name a few...

Rock piles and pilings.... guy's( and gals) that frequently fish these places have little choice but to use heavy lines and tight drags, if they dont they sacrafice fish to the rock gods ( no relation)


Fast water... Cape cod canal is one of these places... if the drag is not 1/3 -1/2.. and the tackle heavy... good chance the fish is gone...they just point their nose with the current and head with it...

so why not fish a tight drag all the time.. simple.. tight drags loose fish and break tackle.. it's as simple as that... hooks pull or bend, rods and guides break... gears get stripped in reels.

in summary: use a spring scale.. maintian your drags "health" by loosening the drag after each trip and keeping sand out of it... set it to 1/4 the breaking strength ( unless you have no choice) of the weakest link... and go fishin'!

tight lines
Roc

 

starting drag... this is what you are actualy setting, it SHOULD be set for 1/4 the breaking strength of the WEAKEST part of your line/leader connection... if your using 50lb PP but run a 20lb leader, the correct drag setting would be 5 lbs...this should be set with a "fighting" curve in the rod, somewhere in the vicinity of 10:00..

Above can also be stated and has been proven this way this way:
Starting inertia in a nutshell could be explained as follows: Newton says that a static body tends to stay static, and a moving body tends to keep moving. So, a static spool set at 40# of drag will not move at 40# of pull, but it will need a starting pull of anything between 45-55# to start moving, then once mobile it will start giving line at the original 40# until it stops and starts again. The difference between the drag setting and the initial pull required to start it is what makes a good drag and a bad one.

There are only a few reels out there that have such advanced drag technology and size where starting inertia does not apply.(when well maintaned) This has also been proven in extensive testing. One set of reels are the newer Shimano Stella SW and Twinpower SW. Another reel that has very limited starting inertia is the Zeebaas There may be a few other reels out there that also don't apply or have very limited difference to this theory but they are very few.

Below is a picture of what can happen when starting inertia is not factored in, by the way that is a reel that costs around $600 or more

 

Roccus Quote "starting drag... this is what you are actualy setting, it SHOULD be set for 1/4 the breaking strength of the WEAKEST part of your line/leader connection... if your using 50lb PP but run a 20lb leader, the correct drag setting would be 5 lbs...this should be set with a "fighting" curve in the rod, somewhere in the vicinity of 10:00.."

Above can also be stated and has been proven this way this way:
Starting inertia in a nutshell could be explained as follows: Newton says that a static body tends to stay static, and a moving body tends to keep moving. So, a static spool set at 40# of drag will not move at 40# of pull, but it will need a starting pull of anything between 45-55# to start moving, then once mobile it will start giving line at the original 40# until it stops and starts again. The difference between the drag setting and the initial pull required to start it is what makes a good drag and a bad one.

There are only a few reels out there that have such advanced drag technology and size where starting inertia does not apply.(when well maintaned) This has also been proven in extensive testing. One set of reels are the newer Shimano Stella SW and Twinpower SW. Another reel that has very limited starting inertia is the Zeebaas There may be a few other reels out there that also don't apply or have very limited difference to this theory but they are very few.

Below is a picture of what can happen when starting inertia is not factored in, by the way that is a reel that costs around $600 or more

ALL reels have a different starting drag than running drag... inirta has NOTHING to do with it... water creates it's own drag coiffeciant...

40 lbs of drag will bust most rods... my strike drag on my 130's is set at 30lbs...

 

As usual thanks for the awsome information guys. I'll give it a shot once i get my new reel, i really appreciate the input.

Thanks again,
Ethan.

 

Ghilie you might want to reread Roccus again,then again another time. If your a clean beach guy after your first big fish on the beach without a scale you can reset(because you loosened at half spool) by pulling line off the spool between your thumb and your pinkie finger . It might help with the second big fish. I always check my line as above but have been doing it since i had hair with color.Hope i haven't confused you

 

Newton's laws of Inertia has everything to do with starting drag. It applys to everything in nature that is static then has a force exerted on it. With some drags they are more advanced than others and this is why the starting inertia is much closer to the running drag for them. One other thing can help some reels, it's drag grease.(very thin layer) The grease is not used as a lube but to help keep the dust and crud from getting where it does not belong. There are a few drags that it is not advised to use on.

Starting inertia for drag is starting drag resistance: Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion. I also quess that Alan Hawk has no idea what he is talking about

I fail to believe that somehow fishing reels do not apply to the laws of physics well unless they are in some worm or black hole or I quess if you were fighting a fish in outer space then maybe it would not apply.

40 lbs drag will break most surf rods but there are many maybe hundreds of boat rods that will handle far more than 40lbs drag pressure. It's amazing how things have changed over the years as 15 years ago almost or nobody fought huge fish with a spinning reel. Nowadays we have spinning reels with up to 70 or 80 lbs drag. The reason for such high drag pressures is so you can have massive drag but mainly that a reel w/80 max when set at say 40 is much smoother as it's only at half it's capable drag pressure, this also prolongs the washers life.

 

http://www.entertonement.com/clips/mvkrdnknxp--If-you-only-had-a-brain

 

I used to work with a whole department of PHD Physics and Optics guys. These guys were smart and would have given Sir Newton a run for his money. They didn't know squat about fishing. When it comes to fishing, I'll listen to the guy who has more experiance than most. :notworthy:

 

I used to work with a whole department of PHD Physics and Optics guys. These guys were smart and would have given Sir Newton a run for his money. They didn't know squat about fishing. When it comes to fishing, I'll listen to the guy who has more experiance than most. :notworthy:

That is way I used some of Alan Hawks words and info. He has been testing reels and fishing lnger than many have fished. His info used is regarding inertia (Starting drag). I have also been setting the drag on my reels the same way for around 25 yrs., it has worked fine for me and was taught to me from an older timer way back when. The man was the Captain of the Bertram I was mate on

The other thing is I never said that Roc was wrong with the way of setting drag. I just choose to set at 1/3 and hold rod at 2:00 which is basically the fighting position. Loosen drag just till it starts to slip. (this is starting drag)
The term inertia means energy or force needed to set an object in motion, this force changes when the object is moving-same thing as drag. The reason the starting drag is more than running is due to the theory of inertia. There is also much more to the theory as there are several aspects of it like force need to change direction and so on.

 

Alright, thanks again. That was my fear with scales is that they would be in accurate, and a difference of a few lbs could potentially mean alot with a fish on. But i'll give both methods a try soon as i get my new reel, thanks.

 

Holy crap. All this Fig Newton inertia BS is making me hungry.

Set the drag as per Roccus instructions.

the exceptions: I'll name a few...
Rock piles and pilings....
Fast water... Cape cod canal is one of these places... if the drag is not 1/3 -1/2.. and the tackle heavy... good chance the fish is gone...they just point their nose with the current and head with it...

in summary: use a spring scale.. maintain your drags "health" by loosening the drag after each trip and keeping sand out of it... set it to 1/4 the breaking strength ( unless you have no choice) of the weakest link... and go fishing'!

Feel the tension on the drag, file it to memory and use this. Dont fuss with the drag while fighting a fish until you have some experience. (even then dont do it)
You should be able to judge without a scale after doing this a number of times.

Keep it simple.

 

YouTube- JerseyStriper talks about inertia and stuff

LOL!

 

dude........i was eating a bowl of cereal cuz i was starving when i walked in the door. turned on the pc and proceeded to weed out and look at a few things. this seemed interesting so i proceed to have a look see. i click on the video and spit my cereal out. this will be hard to beat.....:lff3:

 

I thought it was pretty funny. :redbiggrin:

 

i had to just hit this again