Loosen drag after fishing trip?

[sam78]

What are peoples opinions on loosening the drag after a fishing trip to preserve the washers? do you do it or do you just leave the drag dialed in?

[quintrex101]

Always tighten the drag when i wash the rod and reel in the shower, and loosen the drag right off when the reel is dry

[sam78]

Do you full lock the drag when you wash it? I usually rinse the reel with the drag the same as I fish (not fully locked up), hope it's tight enough to stop the water from entering though.

[BREAMCRAFT3000]

I usally full lock it, but then after when it is dry I will back the drag right off till it is easy to spin with my finger!
I read about 15 years ago that the reason that you dont have your drag tight is because of temperature change! If you have it tight and the temperature where you store it changes from hot to cold or cold to hot it will cause the washes to expand and shrink which will ultimately cause them to buckle under the pressure, thus leaving you with a lumpy drag!
If this is true or correct I dont know! But I have always loosened the drag when in storage since reading that article!
It would be interesting to know if same still needs to be done today with modern reels....

[youngfisherman]

I always tighten the drag right up when washing so no water gets inside the reel, once washed and dried I back the drag right off. Reason being if you leave the drag real tight it will compress the drag washers leaving you with a very lumpy drag. I learnt the hard way as a beginner

Todd

[Bream2nv]

+1 with what every1 else has said.

[saltwaterfisho]

I have been told to loosen the drag while not in use so have allways done it, thats a good idea to wash the rod and reel in the shower I might do that next time

[kaleidonova]

im pretty sure its ok to leave ur draqg on just not locked up the exeption being fly reels with cork drags which compresses the cork and greatly decreases the drag

[Rayman]

Originally Posted by sam78

What are peoples opinions on loosening the drag after a fishing trip to preserve the washers? do you do it or do you just leave the drag dialed in?

Definitely loosen it.

[nuzzy]

JMO, my take on it is that a drag will only go lumpy under certain conditions. some cheaper reels use rubber washers in their drag systems, keeping the drag tight on these can cause the drag to go lumpy when stored in warmer conditions. in most other reels that have wet drags, Eg Daiwa sol's, certates etc, the only time they will go lumpy is if water gets in to the drag and mixes with the grease/oil on the felt washers.

as for the people washing their reels in the shower, each to their own but its a fairly quick way to stuff up the reels. all you need to do is get a spray bottle and spray a mist of water on the reel then wipe it off.

i never loosen off my drags and i have never had one go lumpy yet.

[sam78]

Will a light rinse under the garden hose be ok, I usually just rinse the rod and the reel with the nozzle taken off, so no preassure to force the salt water in or anything like that.

[fishnhook]

Alway's back off drag when not in use.

If you wash it in the shower the heat difference can suck in water like a watch can.

Watches are water proof to 50, 100, 200 meters and they say not to take a watch into the shower as the change in temperature can be so profound that water will be sucked inside - same as diffs in 4WD's...

Just get a mist spray going on a garden hose and lightly spray it all lver paying attention to the spool & bail roller.

I am a firm believer in the theory of backing off drag's after the reel has been dried properly - eg: pulled apart & let to dry in the shade then re-oiled & put back together before storage in a room or in a box.