Thank you Chad for sharing your thoughts and knowledge with us. I have often wondered if my drags were set right. Now, I can properly set them and feel confident. Enjoy each and every video you send our way. The best to you and your family.
I fish down here in the Colorado River. I've lost many good fish to heavy cover and drag. Over time I just got a feel for where I should be. Thanks for the interesting info.
do not go with 20% if you are using rods between ultra light to medium action ,they can barely handle that load on a drag test ,i will repeat the general comment i left to this video for you,, these rods regardless of being carbon fibre or hybrid or what have you and deemed strong are not really able to dead lift much weight at all before they bend drastically or even break and even 20% drag is too much for them ,for example i had a berkley lightning rod 5'6" light made of 24 ton multi modulus carbon fibre and i tried dead lifting something like 3lbs + and just as it started lifting the rod snapped ,i got me another rod and tried the same test only to realise that on my 4lb line i was just barely comfortable lifting 3/4lbs at most and the rod was almost starting to bend on the lower section so even at only 3/4lbs for a 4lb test line this comes to 18.75% under 20 ,not sure if i went to 0.8lbs at 20% it would make it ,id def not be comfortable at dead lifting or scale pulling (like he done) at more than 1/4 to 1/2lb max and that makes it 12.5% max so you can see putting out such rule of thumb numbers is not good info less you have tested and put a range to them, i even tried lifting 3/4lbs with a berkley sherry wood carbon fibre 6'6" medium action rod and it was still drastically bending just like the lighter rod, so what id recommend is that you do this test like he done in the video or by using a small 3/4lb dead weight on the floor attached to the line from your rod and try a 90 deg lift and do it slowly and see how much bend your rod is gonna take before you feel comfortable of lifting any more and you will see what i told you is true and that you will end up going much less down than 20% to set your drag at
Remember, If your leader is weaker than your line, you set your drag to the leader and not to the line. I use 20lb pound braid and a 14lb floro leader. I can't pull on the line by my reel and set the drag by "feel' because my leader isn't that long. Just saying. Now that I think about it ... we should probably be setting the drag to knot strength - maybe that's why they suggest the 20% rule.
i would not be going by any rule of thumb numbers of 20% for 20lb test line or less etc for ultra light to medium rods , these rods regardless of being carbon fibre or hybrid or what have you and deemed strong are not really able to dead lift much weight at all before they bend drastically or even break and even 20% drag is too much for them ,for example i had a berkley lightning rod 5'6" light made of 24 ton multi modulus carbon fibre and i tried dead lifting something like 3lbs + and just as it started lifting the rod snapped ,i got me another rod and tried the same test only to realise that on my 4lb line i was just barely comfortable lifting 3/4lbs at most and the rod was almost starting to bend on the lower section so even at only 3/4lbs for a 4lb test line this comes to 18.75% under 20 ,not sure if i went to 0.8lbs at 20% it would make it ,id def not be comfortable at dead lifting or scale pulling (like you done) at more than 1/4 to 1/2lb max and that makes it 12.5% max so you can see putting out such rule of thumb numbers is not good info less you have tested and put a range to them, i even tried lifting 3/4lbs with a berkley sherry wood carbon fibre 6'6" medium action rod and it was still drastically bending just like the lighter rod
ok let's say we can both agree that drag should be set at 20% of line strength on 20lb test or less well something i dont understand now is why should i bother with a 20lb test line when i can simply use 8lb test line? go ahead and do the math and you will see that this comes to a 6lb drag only(not sure most rods can even dead lift that much unless they are tuna sticks) , so long as you set the drag right i dont see why you cant land a small or heavier bigger fish on the same 8lb line that you would on a 20lb line? not like you will be dead lifting the fish all the way ,you will be using the rod bend and drag to take most of that force and bring the fish in to net it so i dont understand why there is a selection of lines??,, you did mention something about not caring what size or brand of line you are using so long as the drag is set to 20% but you said "size" did you mean this as line diameter so that refers to test lb or you talking size as in strength (ie lb test) of line?
There is another hillbilly way to do it. For instance if you have 25lb line tie on an 8lb leader. Hook the header on something solid . Back your drag all the way off. While pulling steady pressure tighten drag until the leader breaks. Not as accurate but will get you close.
I’m taking myself and my son fishing today and this video help so much thank you. Hope to catch some great catfish
One of the best video s on TH-cam for setting drag hands down ...thanks Chad Ferguson Tight Lines
Thanks
Great 6 minute video! I always wondered how to properly set drag. Thanks man!
Thanks
That was the best I ever seen on how to set your drag,great job Thanks buddy.
Thanks
Thank you Chad for sharing your thoughts and knowledge with us. I have often wondered if my drags were set right. Now, I can properly set them and feel confident.
Enjoy each and every video you send our way. The best to you and your family.
Thanks
I fish down here in the Colorado River. I've lost many good fish to heavy cover and drag. Over time I just got a feel for where I should be.
Thanks for the interesting info.
Excellent descriptive information Chad 👍
Thanksn
So many incorrect versions of this instructional. Thanks for sharing the only correct way!
You're welcome!
That is an excellent video. I never thought about using a scale or the 20% rule.
Thanks
do not go with 20% if you are using rods between ultra light to medium action ,they can barely handle that load on a drag test ,i will repeat the general comment i left to this video for you,,
these rods regardless of being carbon fibre or hybrid or what have you and deemed strong are not really able to dead lift much weight at all before they bend drastically or even break and even 20% drag is too much for them ,for example i had a berkley lightning rod 5'6" light made of 24 ton multi modulus carbon fibre and i tried dead lifting something like 3lbs + and just as it started lifting the rod snapped ,i got me another rod and tried the same test only to realise that on my 4lb line i was just barely comfortable lifting 3/4lbs at most and the rod was almost starting to bend on the lower section so even at only 3/4lbs for a 4lb test line this comes to 18.75% under 20 ,not sure if i went to 0.8lbs at 20% it would make it ,id def not be comfortable at dead lifting or scale pulling (like he done) at more than 1/4 to 1/2lb max and that makes it 12.5% max so you can see putting out such rule of thumb numbers is not good info less you have tested and put a range to them, i even tried lifting 3/4lbs with a berkley sherry wood carbon fibre 6'6" medium action rod and it was still drastically bending just like the lighter rod, so what id recommend is that you do this test like he done in the video or by using a small 3/4lb dead weight on the floor attached to the line from your rod and try a 90 deg lift and do it slowly and see how much bend your rod is gonna take before you feel comfortable of lifting any more and you will see what i told you is true and that you will end up going much less down than 20% to set your drag at
Very good video very helpful thanks
Thanks
Hey Chad do you use 20lb or 30lb mono main line for big blues?
What is that orange bag in the water?
Drift sock
I saw some TH-cam videos about loosing line strength at any knot/tie on your line to be at around 20%. Is this what you all talking about?
Great video !!I die a happy man if ever got to fish with one of the Catfish Gods Chad Ferguson
Thank you!
I would love to see Steve Douglas Chris Souder and you In a video together. That will be epic. Seeing all the jugernots of catfishing in one video.
Thanks
Thanks!
Thanks
Yeah man
Remember, If your leader is weaker than your line, you set your drag to the leader and not to the line. I use 20lb pound braid and a 14lb floro leader. I can't pull on the line by my reel and set the drag by "feel' because my leader isn't that long. Just saying.
Now that I think about it ... we should probably be setting the drag to knot strength - maybe that's why they suggest the 20% rule.
i would not be going by any rule of thumb numbers of 20% for 20lb test line or less etc for ultra light to medium rods , these rods regardless of being carbon fibre or hybrid or what have you and deemed strong are not really able to dead lift much weight at all before they bend drastically or even break and even 20% drag is too much for them ,for example i had a berkley lightning rod 5'6" light made of 24 ton multi modulus carbon fibre and i tried dead lifting something like 3lbs + and just as it started lifting the rod snapped ,i got me another rod and tried the same test only to realise that on my 4lb line i was just barely comfortable lifting 3/4lbs at most and the rod was almost starting to bend on the lower section so even at only 3/4lbs for a 4lb test line this comes to 18.75% under 20 ,not sure if i went to 0.8lbs at 20% it would make it ,id def not be comfortable at dead lifting or scale pulling (like you done) at more than 1/4 to 1/2lb max and that makes it 12.5% max so you can see putting out such rule of thumb numbers is not good info less you have tested and put a range to them, i even tried lifting 3/4lbs with a berkley sherry wood carbon fibre 6'6" medium action rod and it was still drastically bending just like the lighter rod
Nice helpful video. Awesome boogies in your nose the whole vid! Ha!
ok let's say we can both agree that drag should be set at 20% of line strength on 20lb test or less well something i dont understand now is why should i bother with a 20lb test line when i can simply use 8lb test line? go ahead and do the math and you will see that this comes to a 6lb drag only(not sure most rods can even dead lift that much unless they are tuna sticks) , so long as you set the drag right i dont see why you cant land a small or heavier bigger fish on the same 8lb line that you would on a 20lb line? not like you will be dead lifting the fish all the way ,you will be using the rod bend and drag to take most of that force and bring the fish in to net it so i dont understand why there is a selection of lines??,, you did mention something about not caring what size or brand of line you are using so long as the drag is set to 20% but you said "size" did you mean this as line diameter so that refers to test lb or you talking size as in strength (ie lb test) of line?
There is another hillbilly way to do it. For instance if you have 25lb line tie on an 8lb leader. Hook the header on something solid . Back your drag all the way off. While pulling steady pressure tighten drag until the leader breaks. Not as accurate but will get you close.
Since most manufacturers are exceeding break strength these days I wouldn’t want to trust that.
This is the most complicated and non understandable video for the drag setting ever..
I don’t know how I could make it any simpler. Some people just shouldn’t fish.
I bet you’re a blast at parties!