Big or small, fresh or saltwater, knowing how to fight a fish is crucial to upping the odds of bringing the fish boat side. One common mistake that I see most commonly is reeling against the drag. By this, I mean that as the fish is pulling, the angler is reeling. If I did my job well as a guide, the drag is set so that the fish will still be able to pull the drag, despite the angler’s efforts. Despite this, though, there are reasons not to reel against the drag when a fish is actively pulling drag.
For anglers using spinning gear, when a fish pulls drag, the very nature of the way the line is pulled through the bail, a small amount of line twist is created. When the angler reels against the drag while a fish is running, this twisting phenomenon is increased exponentially. For this reason, it’s best not to reel while the fish is actively pulling. As a guide, I advise to all of my customers to wait until the fish stops pulling drag before they start reeling. If the fish begins to run again, simply stop reeling and let the fish do its thing. A properly set drag on a quality reel will tire the fish out when used in conjunction with the proper rod. Line twist is not as much of a concern when using a level wind baitcasting style reel. However, another issue arises.
When anglers reel against the drag being pulled by a fish. Line stress. A simple way to look at it is if two people are both pulling on a shoelace. If one person were to stop pulling momentarily, the other person could more than likely gain control, and leverage the other person. If both were to continue to pull against each other, the shoelace would probably break before one side gained a clear advantage.
Now I certainly understand that there’s a fine line between keeping a tight line on a fish, and continually reeling against a fish pulling drag. I also understand that in the excitement and chaos that often ensues during the fight that we sometimes get overly excited about the situation, abandoning the most effective fish playing techniques. Whether bass fishing with Traverse City Bass Guide Service (http://www.traversebass.com) or salmon or steelhead fishing with Manistee River Salmon Guide Service (http://www.manisteesalmon.com), just bear in mind that with a properly set drag, the rod and reel will do the work, allowing the angler to be at their best. And a good guide will have each reel’s drag perfectly set for each customer and each specific technique.