How to Use and Adjust Fishing Reel Drag Systems - Beginner Tips

[@jaws1754]

Nat, I owe you big time. You've taught me almost everything about fishing and sparked a passion in a hobby I've always wanted to have.

[@nikk5084]

Couldn’t agree more

[@pauls2731]

Same. Another excellent video

[@FishingwithNat]

Happy to help!

[@gregmcmillan4239]

I am a beginner when it comes to fishing and your videos by far are the most clear and concise. By far the best tutorials for this hobby.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you - I appreciate that

[@benandres9627]

Simple, short, well-produced, and straight to the point. You sir are a professional. I click on too many youtuber “how-to” videos that just end up being a 15 minute fish catching highlight reel.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback.

[@mysteryman5213]

Just another quality video providing useful info without annoying filler. To the point with no BS. Thanks, Nat for not wasting my time.

[@FishingwithNat]

You're very welcome. With the time saved, you were able to leave this nice comment. 🙂😆

[@jonathanmuzzy3812]

First. Love your videos. Been a fisherman for around 20 years. Found you about two months ago. Most information I’ve gotten in the shortest amount of time possible.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks - I appreciate the feedback

[@Voodoo288]

Just got back into fishing as an adult with plenty of time as a kid with my grandpa fishing but wanted to learn the art myself. Your channel has the best straightforward content, thanks man!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you - I appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback. Welcome to the channel and good luck!

[@seanpalmeter]

It's truly amazing what you can bring up on small setups in open water when you know how to properly dial in drag setting. I think the more experienced an angler becomes, the easier it is to adjust drag simply by feel. I think measuring with a fish scale is a great idea when you're starting out to get a ballpark idea of what various levels of drag feel like.

[@FishingwithNat]

I agree!

[@haroldsfishingadventures754]

This is an important topic, thanks for sharing and every new fisherman should learn how to properly use drag on their reels

[@FishingwithNat]

I agree!

[@eddy2.011]

Spinning reel is my favorite, thank you for making lots of videos about it

[@FishingwithNat]

I use spinning reels and baitcasters, but the spinning reel is my favorite too.

[@aretox1]

Was actually searching for a video like this a few days ago, great timing! Love your videos, very informative to me as a beginner!

[@FishingwithNat]

Excellent. I hope it answered your questions!

[@Whatnonsenser]

As always the best tutorials on YT. I’ve shared it with all my friends

[@FishingwithNat]

Great - I appreciate it.

[@netnooker]

Great channel, sharing it with all my friends. Can't wait to see more.

[@FishingwithNat]

Cool, thanks. Glad you are enjoying the channel!

[@BernardoLora1]

Thanks!

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@davidwilliams1805]

Good stuff Nat! As always, thanks for helping others!

[@FishingwithNat]

Happy to help 🙂

[@Edgybozo]

Another excellent video like always thank you for everything you taught me

[@FishingwithNat]

You're welcome!

[@MonkeLmao2025]

Nat, you should come to Thailand and fish at Bungsamran, it is a huge fishing park where there are a bunch of Giant Mekong Catfish and Giant Siamese Carp, you can rent bungalows or just fish out of the chowders on the waterside. I am pretty sure you can rent their fishing rods since normal lure rods aren't rated to handle these big fish. Most anglers there use about 50 lbs line on a 8-9 ft rod. I haven't been there myself but I have seen many people catch their PB fish there.

[@FishingwithNat]

Sounds fun to me!

[@mohammedanika7246]

Thanks man for making the video.

[@FishingwithNat]

No problem - I hope it was helpful to you.

[@intenseboardsports]

Good video nat. You should do a life of a walleye or trout and how to catch them next!

[@FishingwithNat]

I'd like to do both. I have another species up next though!

[@goloprakfishing]

Amazing,,, very cool. Greetings, one hobby friend, I'm from Indonesia, I really like fishing.

[@FishingwithNat]

Thanks

[@Spacecadet0730]

Thanks Nat, I lost something big the other day because my new bait caster drag tightens in the opposite direction of my other casters. I ended up removing all the tension from the line and whatever I had managed to throw the hook.

[@FishingwithNat]

Bummer - that's frustrating.

[@bradymagoffin7496]

Hey Nat. Beginner angler from Utah here. Do you have a video dedicated to different types of rigs? Also, I am looking for a book or something I could look at to get to know each species diet, behaviors and recommended rigs. Any suggestions on books or channels? Hoping to learn as much as I can. Lack of knowledge is probably why I’m getting skunked all the time.

[@FishingwithNat]

Yes I do. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZLQo5edi8-jh80 I've also made lots of videos that look at each category of lure in more depth and talk about how/when to use them. And I've made lots of videos about specific species, including how to catch those fish and what to use. Most of these can be found in my Learn How to Fish playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLcXAWxBLRzoLwZtDQEhuaHby0yQM_wHhU

[@mrln247]

Using the scale, is both fairly obvious but also solid Gold advise.

[@FishingwithNat]

Agreed. Many people set the drag simply by feel, which is usually ok for an experienced angler, but a scale can be helpful just to make sure.

[@FourthCoastOutdoors]

Thanks for the info !!

[@FishingwithNat]

You bet!

[@Fish-Erman]

Another great video from Nat. I would only disagree in that 1/2 the lb test is too high, especially for beginners who may not tie the greatest knots. Personally I never set my drag more that about 1/3 the break strength of the line, with 10lb line maybe 3lbs. You'd be surprised how hard it is to lift 3lbs off the ground with a med-light setup and 10lb test!

[@FishingwithNat]

Good point - I would agree that beginners would be better off closer to 1/3 the line weight.

[@diaryofagoat-lass1023]

Good to know so now I will adjust the drag on mine as it’s clearly too tight. 😅

[@FishingwithNat]

Better to have it too loose than too tight.

[@miguelcampinho9561]

Nat, Obrigado pelo vídeo! Era excelente falar sobre as espécies de peixes., O seu percurso de vida, alimentação, época reprodução etc. Muito obrigado 🍀

[@FishingwithNat]

Thank you for the comment!

[@Whatnonsenser]

I check your channel every day to see if thrs a new video.. or is ot just me hahaha

[@FishingwithNat]

😆I am working on several others at night but it's been busy at home and at work, so no new ones out since this one!

[@Whatnonsenser]

@@FishingwithNat absolutely. Family first.

[@JordanMateos]

Can you do one on types of hooks

[@FishingwithNat]

Yes, I plan to do that yet this year. I have many video ideas and too little time to make them all!

[@ElijahGilmore-xu8kx]

Can you please explain to me how to use a buck perry lure and how they move in the water

[@FishingwithNat]

The Buck Perry spoonplug and other imitations of that lure are sort of a hybrid spoon and crankbait. I mention a version of it in my How Spoon Lures Work video and include underwater footage of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYSkZaB_ZrqApbc

[@ElijahGilmore-xu8kx]

@@FishingwithNat 🙏😊

[@bobmcbob49]

Still kicking myself for having my drag too tight for what I can only assume was a monster lake trout while I was shore fishing Lake Superior. Whatever it was was real heavy and real slow, but it broke my line before I found out for sure.

[@FishingwithNat]

Bummer. It happens to the best of us.

[@dalafgaming7238]

How do you know what loose to pick to catch fish cause I can’t catch any fish in life for me and I need help catching them

[@FishingwithNat]

Check out my 3-minute video on How to Pick the Right Lure kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoK4aWx-d7-He8k

[@HunterBloomfield-g5u]

Could you do a life of a crappie video

[@FishingwithNat]

Yes, it's one of the species on my list.

[@aman263lewis5]

I had a pike and I had my drag too tight and when I could see it near the surface it jerked and snapped my line

[@FishingwithNat]

Yep!

[@CharliehVanderWalt]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@FishingwithNat]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@CarterFoster-we4dz]

Today I accidentally had my drag all the way then I hooked into a 30 pound flathead and my line broke😢

[@FishingwithNat]

Crap. Every time I hook into a good flathead, I am blown away by their power.

[@markrigg6623]

Watch that "high sticking".

[@FishingwithNat]

True - I was lifting it pretty high

[@markrigg6623]

@FishingwithNat Yeah it's a kayak thing mate, you're almost forced to do it in order to be able to get to the fish to you. So backing off on the drag even more to compensate for the rod angle would help, I guess. Thanks for the honest and positive response as well, it's a rare thing on the internet. 👍

[@FishingwithNat]

@@markrigg6623 Very true. Depending on the fish, I will often hand-line the fish next to the kayak for the last few feet.