You set your drag to about one third the breaking test of your line. So if you have 20 lb test, you’d want it set to about 7 pounds. You can set it up by using a scale tied to the end of your line to check where the drag is starting to let the line play out.
How much drag do I need for yellowfin tuna?
While trolling, the lever should be pulled back from Strike to a setting about one-fifth the line strength. That’s about 10 pounds of drag for 50-pound line, which is plenty of punch to set the hook but light enough to prevent snapped lines.
How much line do you need for yellowtail?
We recommend using 30-80 Lb braid for yellowtail. If you are fishing lures or jigs you may want to stay on the 30-50 Lb side of that range of that. For fishing deep water around structure you may want to fish on the heavier side of the range to make sure you can pull a BIG yellowtail away from the structure.
How much drag do you really need?
So how much drag is enough for your style of fishing? For sailfishing, it might be just 6 pounds at strike and 12 pounds max, says Littau. For bottomfishing, it’s maybe 12 pounds at strike and 20 pounds max. Most anglers don’t ever need to go above 25 to 30 pounds of drag, says Rice.
What is a good reel for yellowtail?
Most yellowtail enthusiasts prefer star-drag reels due to the ease of clicking the reel in gear after casting. With more and more anglers fishing Spectra line, narrower reels like the Penn Fathom 25N have become popular. I fish mine brim full of 80-pound Spectra to a short 3-foot, 60-pound fluorocarbon leader.
What should my drag be set to?
For best results, the drag setting should be able at the point where the line holds a third to half of its weight before moving (e.g., a 20-pound line should not move until the hook holds seven to ten pounds).
How do you set drag on a tuna reel?
As a general rule, the proper drag setting for nylon mono lines up to 20-pound test is 20 percent of the breaking strength of the line. For 30- through 50-pound mono, it’s 25 percent of the breaking strength, and for 80- through 130-pound mono, it’s 30 percent.
What kind of rod do you use for yellowtail?
A graphite rod in the 8 to 9 foot lengths are great for casting way out to where a big Yellowtail may be pushing a bait ball to the surface evident by working birds on the surface.
Are yellowtail line shy?
Yellowtail are not very line shy so you can use mono instead of braided line. Use flurocarbon as a leader if available. Again, ask your deckhand to tie you up, that is what they are there for.
How much drag do I need for a 30lb line?
Setting your drag simplified
The proper amount of drag versus test poundage is: Up to 20 pound line requires 20% drag pressure (4 pounds) 30 to 50 pound line requires 25% drag pressure (6 to 10 pounds) 80 to 120 pound line requires 30% drag pressure (16 to 24 pounds)
Can drag be too tight?
Tightening the drag makes it harder for the fish to run and take line, while having a loose drag makes it easier. If the drag is set to loose, line will easily spool off the reel, and fighting the fish is inefficient. When the drag is set too tight, the line can’t go out fast enough, resulting in breaking off.
Is 15 pound drag good?
Registered. A good rule of thumb is that the drag is set at 1/3 of the breaking strength of your line. With that said, 15 pounds of drag is alot. Try it by hooking a scale on your rod and have someone pull it to 15 pounds.
What is a 8.1 gear ratio good for?
High gear ratio reels | 7.1:1 thru 8.1:1
High gear ratios are best for techniques where taking up slack and bringing a bait back to the boat are critical. Topwaters, jerkbaits, jigs, plastics and even lipless crankbaits warrant the use of a high-speed reel.
How much drag do I need for inshore fishing?
Since the line I use for inshore fishing is 10 lbs, the recommended range is 2 to 3 lbs. So I was pleased to see that my time-tested drag setting is 2.3 lbs, which is in the middle of the recommended range.
Do I need a two speed reel for tuna?
You want a two-speed for a fish that goes down and stays down, like amberjack, tunas and big halibut.”
How much drag does a giant bluefin tuna need?
The traditional bluefin tuna fishing method uses the heaviest of offshore tackle—huge, wench-like lever drag reels with up to 130 pounds of drag pressure paired with short, ultra-heavy tuna fishing rods held with a full-body fighting harness. This fishing gear is assumed to be mandatory when fighting a true giant.
Why do tuna fishermen pull the line by hand?
If the line is under a lot of tension they can’t just crank the reel, so they pull it in by hand to avoid grinding their reel’s gears to dust.
What’s the best bait for yellowtail?
Known as “breezers,” these fish can be finicky, but they’re still susceptible to well-presented live bait and metal jigs. While red crabs have become their preferred forage, yellowtail also prey on smaller fish, including sardines and mackerel, two of the best baits for big California yellowtails.
What is the best bait for yellowtail?
Yellowtail are opportunity feeders and can be caught on many different live and dead baits: live sardines, anchovies, mackerel and squid are their favorite meals. They will also strike dead squid, slabbed mackerel or whitefish fillets and stripped bait as well.
How fast do you troll for yellowtail?
TROLLING FOR YELLOWTAIL
Troll at about 7 knots along the shoreline in 30- to 100-foot depths while scouting for birds, and signs of bait and fish on the sonar.
What size hooks for yellowtail snapper?
size 4 to 2/0
The best bait for yellowtail is cut bait after you have successfully chummed them up from the bottom. Hook size ranges from size 4 to 2/0.