Maximum drag is a ceiling for the reel, not a fishing recommendation. Your working drag has to protect the weakest real part of the setup: line, leader, knot, hook, rod angle, or the cover around the fish.

Smooth startup matters more than a headline number because a sticky drag creates a hard shock before it slips. Start conservatively and pull line through the guides at a fishing angle. Add pressure when the hook and cover justify it, but do not turn the spool into a solid axle. Locked drag, high-sticking, and lifting fish are not signs of a strong setup; they are how strong setups get broken.