Drag Setting in a Sand Spike

I was in a discussion the other day about drag setting. One guy (who catches a lot of fish) keeps his as tight as possible without a big fish being able to break it on the first run. He also never uses a spike, so this may be the difference. I've been keeping mine a bit on the loose side this year, but when I try to set my hook, I've not been able to feel it "sink in". I'm thinking of tightening it up. Any of you other spike guys have any opinions? I'm heading off to Maine on Thursday night for 10 days and look forward to a lot of fishing.

[Patrick]

That guy is flirting with disaster. Stripers can be very strong and one cold wet day, he is going to get a big suprise. I have seen even small stripers pull rods over the side. Of course he can feel the fish hit but sometimes, you can get lost in things around you.(namely cute women)<img src="/Images/TooHappy.gif"><!--e13-->

I have two methods that seem to work well.
My first one is I leave the drag loose to the point where I can pull line out freely. Then I just set it in the spike. When a fish takes it, I cup the spool, set the hook and use my hand as a temporary drag. Then I put the rod under my arm and as I control the leverage and the drag tension with my hand(my right hand in my case) I tighten down my reel drag with my left hand. Then I resume the battle as normal. I've been fishing with the same reels for years and I basically know how much I need to tighten to get the tension I want.

The second method is to leave the reel with the bail open and the drag set up how I want it. Let the fish peel off some line, snap the bail down, cup the spool and set the hook. Then go on with the fight.
Of course you could get a baitrunner but that isn't practical for me. One more thing to break.
Are your hooks sharp? I try to sharpen mine to a triangular point. I find this hooks the fish the bestway as for resharpening. Of course hook companys like Gamagatsu chemically sharpen the hooks much better. Maybe you are hooking too soon or at the wrong moment. I like to feel the fish moving off with my bait before I hook. That way, I know my hook is going towards the side of the mouth or the back of it and not out the mouth.

[JohnR]

Marty... I think the Shimano Bait Runner (and those with that same feature) is the best "sand spike reel" for it's ability to have two settings, one to let the fish fun and one to actually fight the fish. There is another option. Have you tried to use circle hooks? I've used them a limited amount of times with cut bait (I don't like them for eels) and they work pretty well in addition to being good for the fish. You also don't need to do the big hookset like you normally would do. This can allow you to set the drag more for fighting the fish. Most of the better circle hooks come very sharp to begin with so you shouldn't need to sharpen them...

One thing that was hammered into my brain by many people when I used spinning reels is to properly set your drag before you cast. Bad form to change your drag with a fish on, certainly taboo to tighten a drag. This is not an issue with conventionals, just spinners.

Thank you, Patrick. Hook sharpness is another thing I'm learning about the hard way. It is hard to believe that a hook can become dull in just a few hours of fishing. One of the guys on the beach actually wears a small file on a string around his neck. He'll file the hook every hour or so. I'm not big about wearing anything loose while I fish, but I do intend to carry my file in the tackle box from now on. A few scrapes during the day can't hurt, and it certainly won't take much time. My next report will probably come from the York Hospital, but what the heck.

[Patrick]

There are two schools of thought when sharpening hooks.

Some people believe that you sharpen away from the point. This is okay but you are left with a little burr on the tip that needs to be taken care of.

Others believe that it is best to go against the point. This way, you don't have the burr but you can get stuck by the hook if you slip up.

I use the second method if I have the time to sit down and file my hooks in a vice. I use the first method for on the water touch ups because I'm usually shaking bad from cold or excitement.

John, I do use circle hooks. I think that maybe my drag has been set too loose, because I always have to tighten it when bringing in the fish. Time to tighten up.

[John M]

First off I use conventionals when fishign bait so this may or may not work for you. I like to spike the rod in gear witht he drag backed off and the clicker on. when I get arun off I use my thumb to set the hook. IfI am using circles I will set the drag tighter and let the fish hook itself. I dont set the drag real tight just enough to set the hook. I like conventionals becasue I feel as though I have more control. Stripers are pretty tame when compared to Blues and albies, they can lay out osme blistering runs. Stripers have some power but you can usually stop/slow them with not alot of drag.