What drag setting???

[NormC]

I'm heading for Awoonga for the first time on Monday in the hope of that barra we all dream about.

I will be fishing with a Shimano Curado 200 DPV on a Barra Raider rod with 50 lb braid and 80 lb leader.

My wife will be using a Penn Power Graph 4000 reel with a Power Graph 3-7 KG rod with 30 lb braid and probably 60 lb leader.

This is our first time with this sort of fishing and I'm curious about drag settings. With line that is rated well above the rod, I don't want to risk breaking the rod, but want the best chance of landing that big one if we can hook her up.

My guess is about 6KG of drag on the Raider and about 4 KG on the Power Graph, but that is based on nothing more than gut feel.

Any advice from you seasoned impoundment barra fishermen (and women).

[NormC]

I've just been playing in the workshop using Whichway's idea (from another thread) of a bucket and water as the weight for setting drag. On the Raider / Curado I got to 4KG (4 litres of water) and chickened out. Without 'expert' advice, I'm not comfortable going any further than that as it is enormous pressure on the rod, even if it is rated to 10KG.

Any thoughts?

[Tony_N]

Norm

I'm with you, I think rods are designed like reels to take about 1/3 of the recommended line BS. I have a little 10-15kg ugly stik which I think maxes out at a little over 4kg. The rod does its best work when there is still a little bit of flex left in it .

One thing you should have a go at is to see how much more you can get out of your rod when you point it down instead of up. Just try it with somebody holding the tip or put the line to a set of scales and try to pull with a high stick and a low stick. Its a good one to know when you are onto a big fish relatively high in the water. Just operate as normal, but with the rod tip in the water

Tony

[PlasticFantastic]

I've got a Daiwa Catalina Nabura rated to 14kg and can use 7kg drag on it without worrying the rod to much. You should see the bend in it when it's loaded up though. ;)


PlasticFantastic

[fisherman_dude2006]

half max drag of the reel.
you can always thumb it for more pressure if you need to, thats the advantage of the baitcaster reel. :o