Just curious what’s everyone’s thought on how tight to load up your rods on the DR clip. Only reason I ask is I noticed last week at Nootka lots of guys troll with what seems like very little tension on the rods. Just seems like the hook up ratio decreases without the rod bent over with a lot of tension.
Rod tension
- Thread starter dennisb
- Start date
Rain City
Crew Member
Absolutely pinned, drag locked, clip buried. That's how I roll anyway.
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
Same with me. It bugs me when I see people trolling with their tips in the air. Just means that much more slack to pickup.
casper5280
Crew Member
Same here. Locked and loaded and ready to rock.
Rain City
Crew Member
I also like that it only takes a slight tug to release the clip and set the hook like that. No big flailing, rod busting, jerk offs.
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
Not to mention being able to see shakers way easier. You guys ever seen the video where the guy has 100 yards of mono out and he tries to set the hook with the hook stuck in a guys leg? There’s so much stretch in it that he doesn’t even feel it.
kingblazer84
Crew Member
Imo rod tip should almost be touching the water when loaded
That would totally depend on the angle of your rod holder, height of your freeboard and bendyness of your rod.
I'm still toying with drag settings. I'm just on Shimano GT's right now. I find to get the rod loaded the way I want like most earlier comments, the drag needs to be pretty tight to not creep. I usually tighten it way down then ease it back slowly until it starts to creep, and then tighten one or two clicks. But any bit of change in speed or current can start it creeping again. Maybe I am over thinking it, but I figure having the drag too tight on the initial hit increases chances of a breakoff, especially with braid.
But yeah, like everyone else I like a nice tight bend in the rod if I can achieve it.
But yeah, like everyone else I like a nice tight bend in the rod if I can achieve it.
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
I’m a tight dragged, corked over kinda guy myself; but one of the fishiest guys i know ( who also guides in haida gwaii) has his rod tips almost straight up in the air and he checks line tension with two fingers. if the reel won’t pay line out pulling with two fingers it’s too tight. they fish a lot of cut plug up there so they want the big boys to be able to swim away with the bait under zero tension.
he applies the same mentality when he’s home and he still does well.
he applies the same mentality when he’s home and he still does well.
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Not too tight, medium flex rods arc really easy though. I check my lines every 10-15 minutes for crap, so creep doesn’t play into it, and is over debated. Watch your reels and wind down now n then if needed. I want the fish to be able to run if need be. Distance from the clip also affects the arc, that changes for certain species. No need to bury the line in the clip either.
TheHurtLocker
Well-Known Member
Hair trigger
donnie d
Well-Known Member
Certainly this is a bit different, I do the same for the coho rod out the back (not on dr) drag so loose that the 6oz weight is a C hair from pulling line. Dr tight to the water and drag as finely tightened as possible, with likely loosening when a fish is on. I only get a couple trips a year to the chuck and learned my lesson the hard way with tight drags
CIVANO
Well-Known Member
I fish with guys that release a tight drag too much or too little with a fish on. For the most part they are terrible palming the reel. I do not fish deep very often usually less than 100' so no problem with line creep.. I set the drag on the reels to the drag I want fighting the fish. I have MR2's. I keep all hooks stickey sharp. Rod goes off and who ever picks it up just fights the fish. Only time we might tighten the drag a little during the fight is if we have a screeemer. I set the line deep into the clip. I do not reset the hook when I pick up the rod.
Rain City
Crew Member
Watch the reel when this thing gets hit, it's hard to see. That drag is effing tight, I can assure you. MR2. Absolute freight train at 40 feet.
Fisher_dude
Crew Member
I think a lot of it depends on the reel that you’re using as well. If you got a creeper, I find the drag is set tighter. Ever since I got my tr3s, I set the drag so I can move the downrigger up and down if I need to without having to touch the drag. When I set, I reel down until the rod doesn’t return back up after the reel down to take up the slack. It’s different if I’m using level winds with braid though.
Roberth
Crew Member
All I do is put a quick release connected to the rod holder on the line as it comes out of the reel. Then I can set the drag where I want it to fight the fish ahead of time and no line creep
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