Locked down Drags

Started by Jayce, April 28, 2011, 02:04:57 AM

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Jayce

Hi,

When I was in still back home (Philippines).
We do a lot of Grouper fishing (Pier and Boat).

The normal set-up was braid with wire leader and Locked down drags.
When I say locked down i mean using vice grips to totally max out the drag.

If this is the case will it be a better idea to remove or replace the drag washer and put something else to totally remove the drag function?


Alto Mare

Quote from: Jayce on April 28, 2011, 02:04:57 AM
Hi,
The normal set-up was braid with wire leader and Locked down drags.
When I say locked down i mean using vice grips to totally max out the drag.

Wow! The last time I saw a guy using vise grip was on a winch on a tow truck. What type of reel are you talking about? :-\
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

Jayce


Spinning Reels
Mostly are Penn Spinfishers

only 3 of my buddies do it.
They use the vise grips to tighten fully the drag adjustment knob on the spool.

Squirmypug

Alot of people lock down the drags so they can pull grouper and snapper out of wrecks(sometimes hit the star drag with a hammer).I don't think changing the drag washers to something else would help much.Usually people use Penn 113h 4/0 for this and just crank the fish up off the bottom.(make sure if you do this to hold on the rod tight)
I'm not talkin' 'bout pleasure boatin' or day sailin'. I'm talkin' 'bout workin' for a livin'. I'm talkin' 'bout sharkin'!

Alto Mare

[quote author=Jayce link=topic=2094.msg11165#msg11165 date=1303956297

If this is the case will it be a better idea to remove or replace the drag washer and put something else to totally remove the drag function?
[/quote]
Sorry, it might be me but  the hole thing doesn't make any sense to me.The functionality of the drag is so that you can work the fish without snapping the line, among other things.That's a lot of ponishment on one of my favorite reel, what size fish are we talking about? What about the gears, don't they get stripped? Also how many reel foot on the housing did they breack off? :-\
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

akfish

Wow. I'm surprised you do't bend the shaft with that much drag. People who use 7500 and 8500 Spinfishers to snag salmon up here inevitably bend the shaft -- which wipes out the ant-reverse and causes other problems. If I needed that much drag, I'd use a different reel.
Taku Reel Repair
Juneau, Alaska
907.789.2448

Alto Mare

Quote from: akfish on April 28, 2011, 11:53:15 AM
Wow. I'm surprised you do't bend the shaft with that much drag. People who use 7500 and 8500 Spinfishers to snag salmon up here inevitably bend the shaft -- which wipes out the ant-reverse and causes other problems. If I needed that much drag, I'd use a different reel.

A Manual Trailer Winch? ::)
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

kmstorm64

I think you need a bigger reel.  That sounds absurd, in todays day and age. 
Bad day of fishing still beats a good day at work!

philaroman

why ruin a reel that was never meant for that kind of stress -- there are modern spinners w/ max drag well over 40# & built to handle it (over 60#, if you spend the big bucks)

Ron Jones

So,
I'll be the odd man out and try to answer the question even though I agree it is a poor practice. I do not believe that you could substitute a material for the drag washers that would not allow the spool to slip at all without tightening the drag knob excessivly.

What you could do, and I have seen done, is drill a hole through the drag stack and insert a pin. This will mechanically lock the shaft to the spool and then you can at least stop destroying spool knobs. Again, I do not recomend this and think it is unwise, but I do understand that in other parts of the world the resources available to us Americans are just not there and you need to "run what you brung" especially if it means eating.

The pin idea works because if you want to restore the drag, assuming you haven't destroyed the reel, all you have to do is remove the pin.

I cannot stress enough that I agree with everyone else and if the resources are available you should get a bigger reel.

Hope this helps.
Ron
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Newell Nut

The same practice exist in Florida for grouper fishing. Hammered drags on a 113 is the norm. If you let the drag slip at all then you are guaranteed to get cut off on the reef. If the drag is locked then the line needs to be heavy enough to get several fast turns on the reel to get away from the reef.
I don't use a hammer on my reels but when grouper fishing the drag is locked down tight.

franky

#11
This is the whole reason why some of us recommend using a bigger reel.  Use a penn 6/0 or a torium 50, that'll do the job.

If lack of resources is an issue, you might want to try handline.  Just use gloves and yank with all you got.  :)

Makule

Quote from: franky on November 26, 2013, 07:33:44 PM
This is the whole reason why some of us recommend using a bigger reel.  Use a penn 6/0 or a torium 50, that'll do the job.

If lack of resources is an issue, you might want to try handline.  Just use gloves and yank with all you got.  :)

x2, x3, x4
I used to be in a constant state of improvement.  Now I'm in a constant state of renovation.

Tightlines667

#13
Hand lining is fun!
Until the 500lb Blue runs off with your $50 lure.
:)

I have caught alot of big pelagics on hand lines though.  A good solid piece of rubber or surgical tubing can substitute for a rod during the strike.  

I think my favorite hand line set up for big fish is one I commonly saw the Vietnamese fishermen employing for Cobia, Amberjack, and Snapper on the oil rigs in the gulf.  They had custom carved wood spool with an internal handle that basically fit over one hand, and a glove with a piece of leather attached to it on the other.  I've seen these guys catch sum huge fish with this set up YFT, etc... They are able to use the leather glove and spool as a rudimentary drag system, and can actually retrieve line at a pretty impressive rate too.  
I've seen a similar method used by local tuna fishermen in Mexico as well.
We Weaterners are accustomed to our fancy gear, but fishermen accross much of the world are making do, and in some cases excelling with homemade systems.  

Another case in point are the homemade deep drop/trolling reels popular in Anerican Samoa.  These guys catch huge tuna, marlin, etc on reels made outta a few 2X4s.
Interesting topic really.

Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.

Newell Nut

Even with my 6/0 the drag is still going to be as tight I can get it. Can't let it slip when playing with grouper and reef.