PRE-SETTING REEL CLUTCH TENSION
 

My friend had set his lever drag clutch quite tightly, but complained that it was jerking and letting out line as he tried to wind in a big fish.  I turned to watch and was alarmed to see that he was trying to regain line and bring the fish to the surface from 200 feet of water by just cranking the reel handle.

I suggested that he should “pump” the fish up, by lifting his rod tip to regain line and then wind in line only as he lowered the rod tip again.  It is important that you do not try to retrieve line by reeling in, especially when the fish is diving.  That is a quick recipe for losing big hard-fighting fish.  He took my advice which solved his problem.

This set me to thinking about correct drag tension.  I read the brochure that came in the box with my new Abu 7000 Big Game Lever Drag multiplier reel, which I had loaded with 330 yards of 20 lb monofilament line.  It’s a well constructed good quality all round reel and I really like it.  I recommend this model to you.  It suggested the correct drag setting for this reel should be measured under a tension of 6 lbs pull on the line.

It instructed the user to mount the reel on the rod and thread the line through the rod eyes.  It suggested that the line should be tied to a spring balance outside the tip rod ring.  You then ask a friend to hold the spring balance while you apply pressure to the line by lifting your rod tip.  You set the pre-tension on the clutch to release line only when the pull on the spring balance reaches 6 lbs.

Please remember with any lever drag reel that you must only adjust the knurled clutch tension screw when the lever drag is set in the lightest “free spool” position.  Never try to turn this adjustment knob while the clutch is under load as this can damage the clutch adjustment mechanism.  It’s pretty straightforward and a great way to establish a starting point.

I subsequently experimented at home with various reels from a wide range of manufacturers, loaded with both braid and monofilament fishing lines.  I established that a clutch tension which releases line at approximately 25 percent of its stated breaking strain is ideal.

You may think that sounds far too little tension.  If you do, then I suggest you simply attach the end of your line to a spring balance and pull it directly against the tension of the clutch and see it for yourself.

I try to avoid the two handed scenario by not threading the line through the eyes of the rod, but just attach the scale direct to a figure of eight loop on the end, straight off the reel, which I mount on a rod butt.

Bear in mind that some knots may weaken your line by anything up to 50 percent of its stated breaking strain. 

You will be amazed at how much effort it will take against a clutch tension of 5 lbs to pull line off the spool of your reel.  I promise you it will be set far harder than you would ever have imagined.

So, for 10 lb line set the clutch to let out line at about 2 lbs 8 ozs.  With 50 lb line set the clutch to just start to slip at 12 lbs 8 ozs.  Work to this 25 percent ratio and you will find the setting is just about perfect for all your scraps with big fish which pull back in the opposite direction.

I must add that the patented clutch which acts on both ends of the spool in my new Accurate Boss B-870M lever drag reels worked superbly when I used them for the first time over the weekend.  (You can read a full review in my Tackle Tips Page).

I pre-set them in the manner I have described and they functioned without a glitch while connected to some muscular and active specimen fish. I am a very happy and satisfied customer.  I recommend them to you.

(c) Mike Concannon 7th Feb 2005