Hey, guys. As this is my first post on your forum, I thought it might be considerate to begin by thanking you all for sharing so much of your experience. I've consulted the forums several times, when I found myself in need of information & have always been compelled in one way or another. My apologies if the question I'm about to ask has been answered; in fact, I'd be surprised if it hadn't.
I pitch & flip into a good deal of heavy cover. Being in South Texas, it's usually brush, but I also encounter mats/vegetation. Love fishing this way, and am interested in knowing what you guys think is the ideal gear ratio for the baitcaster with which you make these, or similar, presentations.
One school of thought seems to dictate that a high-speed reel, say 7:1:1, would be superior as it enables the angler to collect line quickly and promptly set the hook. The other, opposing, view asserts that a low gear ratio (call it 5:1:1) is the way to go if you're going to be horsing them out of the thick stuff.
I'd love to hear from you all, especially those who do a lot of this style of fishing, and/or have fished both gear ratios for this application. I'm not exactly seeking anyone's favorite of a particular make or model, but rather a more theoretical analysis of what the ideal gear ratio is, and why.
In closing, I'd like to reiterate my absolute gratitude for everything that goes into this website & these forums. Thanks, guys.
Garry Baker
