Hard-pulling saltwater fish

With hard-pulling saltwater fish, it's important to set your drag at about ⅓ the breaking strength of your line. With the line going through all guides on the rod, tie the line to an accurate hand scale. Have a friend pull the line and report how many pounds of pressure it takes to get the drag to flow smoothly. Adjust as needed for the initial set. Then you can make on-the-fly adjustments while fighting fish.