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JoeZ (10/29/2009)Lighten the drag or up the leader size are my first options.
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Absolutely not.
Are you getting "owned?" As in, hooked up to a solid fish and he's just making short work of you? If you're on a productive spot where you KNOW there are big fish, make sure you go on ahead and have a belt and/or harness hooked up to you. As soon as you hook up. if your drag is locked down enough to where he can't strip any line but is just putting you on the gunwhale, then be a man and lift that rod and try to get 2-4 cranks on your down stroke. Don't just sit there and try to reel. Use leverage. There is an art to fighting fish. If he's stripping line, there is nothing you can do. Just wait. Another option, depending on where you are fishing (rig), is get someone to motor away from the structure in an attempt to drag the fish out of his hole and fight him from open water. I'm not a huge fan of bottom fishing, but when I do, I fish with a locked down drag only because I am using power pro and very heavy leader and I am definately not going overboard. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone though.
As for getting cut off, if you're in an area notorious for kings/sharks, then that is something you are going to have to deal with. Don't switch to wire leader unless you are wanting to land the kings/sharks/cudas. You will get less strikes anyway.
I would like to assume that your knots/connections are not the problem. If you think they might, go to a local tackle store and ask them to teach you the uni knot. I like to use a swivel when using jigs. Maybe a thirty-six inch flourocarbon leader with a swivel between it and the mainline.