How To Set The Drag On A Fishing Reel

A question that is asked frequently by anglers of any skill level or experience level is, “How do I set the drag on my spinning reel?” It’s a fairly simple concept, but it can be difficult to accomplish if you’re not sure what you’re doing. This article will answer how to set the drag on a fishing reel so that you can accomplish your goal of bringing in that big one.

Step 1:

The first step on how to set the drag on a fishing reel is to put some tension on the spool. It doesn’t need to be much, just enough so that it will spin but not so much that it’s spinning wildly out of control. Next, grab the side plate of the reel (the plate that is not in direct contact with the spool) and pull it away from the frame of the reel. Once you’ve done this, you should be able to turn your crank smoothly and feel a bit of resistance. If it still feels smooth, then more tension needs to be added to the spool already.

Step 2:

The next step on how to set the drag on a fishing reel is to spin the spool as fast as you can, then let go of it. If the spool starts spinning wildly out of control, then your drag is too tight. If not, then it’s too loose. You should loosen or tighten the drag by 1/8th of a turn, not more. If you go any further than that it could ruin the drag system of the reel completely.

Step 3:

Last, but not least, you use your thumb to make sure the spool spins smoothly. Once again, if it’s spinning too fast or too slow then adjust accordingly until smoothness is achieved. This will accomplish how to set the drag on a fishing reel and better your chances of landing that big one.

Final words

we discussed how to set the drag on a fishing reel. We hope that you found it helpful and informative! If there are any questions or topics you’d like us to cover in future blog posts, please let us know by filling out our contact form below.