Drag pressure

When you're anchored up and fishing for snapper, how much drag do you set on the reel as it sits in the rod holder waiting for a bite? cheers Pete.


richie68's picture

Posts: 165

Date Joined: 07/08/11

Drag Pressure

Sat, 2018-05-12 16:48

 I normally use around 2kg of drag for the snapper. Too much and you may pull the hook, too little and they will run and reef you. just enough to be able to pull the line off the spool with a bit of force. Big snapper can pull quite hard and sometimes take big runs. Best thing to get out to a spot, hook a few and you will soon work it out. Good luck! Richie.

Posts: 727

Date Joined: 28/07/16

If you

Sat, 2018-05-12 17:02

 Want to leave it in the holder buy a thunnus or baitrunner style reel perfect for that sort of fishing.

 

Without a bait runner i would probarly set the drag tight enough to set the hooks cast the bait out put it in the rod holder and then grab the line and yank as hard as you can if the rod comes flying out the holder then loosen the drag haha 

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wont catch em sitting at home!

piston broke's picture

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Date Joined: 05/11/08

 Thanks guys, I had two

Sat, 2018-05-12 17:25

 Thanks guys, I had two schools of thought  ( no pun intended)  1. Drag tight, fish feels resistance and drops bait. 2. Drag too light, fish isn't caught because hook doesn't penetrate. 

Dale's picture

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Date Joined: 13/09/05

Sat, 2018-05-12 17:45

 Depends what reel I’m using, my TLD will have maybe a couple of kilos of drag, and spinning reel a little less.

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"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."

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Paul_86's picture

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Date Joined: 27/03/09

 Get yourself a couple of

Sat, 2018-05-12 20:48

 Get yourself a couple of bait runner reels. My hook up rate sky rocketed when I went from normal spin reels to bait runners, it’s what they are designed for. Money well spent if your anchoring and burleying for pinkies. 

I lost too many good fish from stuffing bait trying to tighten the drag quickly as the fish is running for the reef and missed too many finicky snapper coz my drag was too tight and they felt resistance and dropped the bait. With a bait runner you got best of both worlds and way more fish hitting the deck!

 

timboon's picture

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 TLD dale? Do you fillet with

Sun, 2018-05-13 02:22

 TLD dale?

 

Do you fillet with a machete?

Dale's picture

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Date Joined: 13/09/05

Sun, 2018-05-13 09:20

 No, just shave with one.

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"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."

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ranmar850's picture

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Date Joined: 12/08/12

My vote for Baitrunners for that style of fishing

Sun, 2018-05-13 07:13

 I have a number of them--a couple of 6500's and a 4500. That old 4500 has caught everything from snapper to a big sailfish. Having them able to run with no resistance , and then being able to hook by just turnng the handle is a godsend. And the bigger 6500's have had the hell beaten out of them on big fish. Sails, sharks, XOS mackerel, big snapper, cobia--great for the set and forget type if you like leaving rods in holders ( which I generally don't) If I have a mug fisherman on board without their own gear they'll be given a 6500 baitrunner on one of those cheap clear-tipped 7' Shimano spin rods--they'll have every chance of landing a big fish if they hook up, and they are pretty well impossible to hurt.

luke george's picture

Posts: 554

Date Joined: 13/04/07

Pretty much all the info you

Mon, 2018-05-14 09:26

Pretty much all the info you need there. All I'll add is to use circle hooks if your leaving the rod in a holder with light-medium drag, the fish should hook themselves