Tell Me About Fast Gears

[Josh Smith]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm trying to like fast gears, you know, 6.8:1 on up.

 

From what I understand, these serve two purposes:  Burning lures across the water and fast retrieve to boat or bank after the lure leaves the strike zone.

 

Is there any other reason to go faster than, say, 5.3:1? 

 

How about IPT?  These low profile reels and even the round Shimanos seem to have an IPT retrieve at 5.8:1 or so similar to that of my old Abu Garcias at 4.7:1.

 

I've had bass come at me with 23 IPT and I kept up just fine. 

 

I do have a reel that retrieves at about 27 or 28 IPT (off the top of my head here; I'm not looking it up right now!) and will shortly be getting another that's around 25 IPT.

 

I'm really trying to understand the 7.0:1 and higher ratios, with the 30+ IPT retrieves.  The places I fish, it seems those would be quite difficult to use.  Winching power is important among brush, seaweed and grass, and for the crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and the like that I use.

 

Can you explain, please?

 

Thank you,

 

Josh

[Catch and Grease]

Its preference, there isn't a right and wrong when it comes to gear ratios/IPT.

I prefer faster reels to pick up slack line faster, whether that be a fish swimming towards the boat or me just wanting to get ready for another cast faster...

[thehooligan]

Its all preference really. I started on 6:4 curados and when i made the jump to a core with the 7:0 ratio is was a nice bump in retrieve speed. Now i use aldebaran with an 8:1 ratio and would never consider going under the 7-8:0 range for topwater/plastics.

 

Your abu gear ratios are perfect for crankbait fishing, thats the only reason most people use gear ratios that slow...

[OkobojiEagle]

Your abu gear ratios are perfect for crankbait fishing, thats the only reason most people use gear ratios that slow...

 

 

wrong...

 

oe

[thehooligan]

^ Different strokes for different folks 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

99% of the topics discussed come down to personal preference at the end of the day. IMO using a reel as a winch is both ineffective and unnecessarily hard on the reel. The rod is where you get your fish moving power from. Your dead on in referring to IPT as that's the more meaningful measurement. Low ratio / 20 IPT +/- reels have a mechanical advantage retrieving deep cranks and maybe 1oz Colorado bladed spinners and the like. Beyond that, it's almost all personal preference.

[Catch and Grease]

Its all preference really. I started on 6:4 curados and when i made the jump to a core with the 7:0 ratio is was a nice bump in retrieve speed. Now i use aldebaran with an 8:1 ratio and would never consider going under the 7-8:0 range for topwater/plastics.

 

Your abu gear ratios are perfect for crankbait fishing, thats the only reason most people use gear ratios that slow...

 

4.7 is pretty slow for crank bait fishing besides deep cranks, I prefer a 6.4-7.0 for my square bills because its just easier to use all day long. 

[thehooligan]

4.7 is pretty slow for crank bait fishing besides deep cranks, I prefer a 6.4-7.0 for my square bills because its just easier to use all day long. 

 

Its all preference like i said. Some guys still use the old curados with the 3:8 gear ratios...

 

I like the shimano 5:2 - 6:4 ratios for all the different cranks out there.

[Catch and Grease]

Its all preference like i said. Some guys still use the old curados with the 3:8 gear ratios...

 

I like the shimano 5:2 - 6:4 ratios for all the different cranks out there.

 

yes, it is all preference, like you said "different strokes for different folks" lol

[Catt]

I use 5.8:1 for every thing execpt for one 5.0:1 for slow rolling spinner baits & traps.

Can't think of a single situation where I was at a disadvantage.

[Catch and Grease]

I have a handful of old baitcasters like the bantam 100 and they are pretty slow, I love them and they catch fish but you have to reel like a madman and its kinda hard with those tiny handles hahaha love my bantams though!

[Alpha Male]

I personally like the faster gears. I can just reel slower. that seems easier to me than trying to reel faster.

[Raul]

There is a third purpose for having a fast reel: to pick up the slack line caused by fishing lures that generate the slack line ----> jigs n´soft baits.

 

Reels with high IPT are not new, I´ve owned one since the late 80´s and seldomly sees action, the Daiwa PT33SH has a gear ratio of 7.1:1 and an IPT of 33", the situation here is that it´s very easy to "get caught in the trend", how you feel fishing with your gear ? I feel fine with mine and it really doesn´t bother me to fish with my "slow" 4.9:1 Abus or my "regular" 6.x:1 almost every reel I own, or with my extra "slow" Curado B38 or with my "super fast" Daiwa PT33SH which, once again I mention, sees very little action.

 

For me the situation is pretty much like this, I like to fish cranks and spinnerbaits ( cast and retrieve baits ), I have a certain speed at which I turn the handle, ok so based on that premise if there are reels that allow me to crank without having to try to speed up or slow down the cranking then why not ? so I end up fishing with several reels with different IPTs to perform specific tasks.

 

A pic of the reel I mention, it´s also have nice features, a flipping switch which I never use and a "line test reminder"  ( a small dial with 10, 12 and 14 ) just for you to know which line you have spooled in it. The only thing I did to it was to upgrade the drag pads because the stock drag was not good.

 

[OkobojiEagle]

 

For me the situation is pretty much like this, I like to fish cranks and spinnerbaits ( cast and retrieve baits ), I have a certain speed at which I turn the handle, ok so based on that premise if there are reels that allow me to crank without having to try to speed up or slow down the cranking then why not ? so I end up fishing with several reels with different IPTs to perform specific tasks.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to explain this...

 

 

oe

[A-Jay]

There is a third purpose for having a fast reel: to pick up the slack line caused by fishing lures that generate the slack line ----> jigs n´soft baits.

 

For me the situation is pretty much like this, I like to fish cranks and spinnerbaits ( cast and retrieve baits ), I have a certain speed at which I turn the handle, ok so based on that premise if there are reels that allow me to crank without having to try to speed up or slow down the cranking then why not ? so I end up fishing with several reels with different IPTs to perform specific tasks.

 

 

 

X2 ~   Raul - I am the same way. 

What I have found is that I actually like to retrieve rather quickly. - meaning I like to turn the reel handle fast.   So by using the a specific gear ratio (or IPT reel) I can maintain the same (or something very close) retrieve cadence and get the bait speed I'm actually looking for.

 

That said, when burning a bait (lipless, spinner bait or even a crank bait) and using a fast reel, I still have to remind myself to slow down - especially once the bite come on. 

I guess I might get a little amped up.

 

A-Jay 

[Josh Smith]

Thanks for the answers, guys.

 

I guess maybe what's going on is that I do have a set retrieve speed that feels good to me, and when I take it to a faster reel, it starts messing me up. 

 

I tend to lay spinnerbaits over on their sides, for example.  This is flat out no good as it starts messing the action up.

 

Some methods of jigging do require me to take up a bit more line faster than can comfortably done with the 4.7:1 gears, and this is why I have 6.3:1 on the larger reel.

 

I'm looking forward to the 5.3:1 5500c3.  I should be able to use it for more with less adjustment in reeling speed.  The one thing I'll miss is my anti-reverse dog.  If I had my druthers I'd find a reel that has both instant anti-reverse with a dog backup.  I don't know which reels have this, though.

 

So tell me about burning lures across the water with these high-speed reels?  I know bass can hit things really fast and I've never been able to add extremely high speed fishing to my armory of techniques as I don't have a reel for it.

 

How does one "burn" a lure, and in what circumstances?  I asked that question just now in its own thread, here: > I was going to ask it here, but technique seemed apart enough from hardware that I figured I should probably make a different thread.

 

Back to gears -- how fast do you turn the handle?  My comfortable speed is one turn per second to one turn every half second, meaning about 23" to 46" per second, not counting pauses if I'm rolling the jig (or whatever) over timber and other obstructions.

 

This also changes if I change the size of the handle.  I usually have Power/Speed handles from the '70s on the reels, but I also have some that I use from stock '80s reels (larger) and even a couple smaller ones from Gator Grip. 

 

I've never been comfortable with the stock, small-crank handles, though they can go fastest of all of them.

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[Catt]

If y'all need a high speed reel to take up slack when fishing a T-rig or jig ya aint doing some thing right.

As for "burning" a lure it can be done two ways

One is to reel fast & the other is to raise your rod tip!

[ec1]

If y'all need a high speed reel to take up slack when fishing a T-rig or jig ya aint doing some thing right.

 

I believe that the advantageous part is not for picking up slack or catching up to the fish. It is more so for getting your bait back, and making your next pitch.

If you break t-rig or jig fishing down, those that get the bait back quicker, and can make the next pitch faster will save time. This equals more pitches and more time the bait is in the water. Keyword: efficiency.

There are situations where this also means nothing, such as fishing trees or docks where accuracy means more than anything else.

[WRB]

IPT is measured with a full spool of line, who fishes with a full spool, we all make casts that reduces the spool fill. A round reel like a Calcutta has a larger spool capacity the a low profile Curado for example. The Calcutta with 5.8:1 still retrieves 24 LPT with 30 yards of line off the spool, the Curado with 6.4:1 may only retreive 18" at 30 yards with the higher 6.4:1 gear ratio. It's not all about either gear ratio or LPT until you factor in how the reel performs the you use it.

Tom

[tomustang]

It's easier to slow down a retrieve on a faster reel than it is to speed one up on a slower reel.

[Catt]

I believe that the advantageous part is not for picking up slack or catching up to the fish. It is more so for getting your bait back, and making your next pitch.

If you break t-rig or jig fishing down, those that get the bait back quicker, and can make the next pitch faster will save time. This equals more pitches and more time the bait is in the water. Keyword: efficiency.

There are situations where this also means nothing, such as fishing trees or docks where accuracy means more than anything else.

The average angler with his high speed reel will get his lure back 6-10" ahead of me?

The average pitch is what 10-15 yards?

Yea y'all beating me bad!

[thehooligan]

I primarily fish sammys and other walking baits. The cadence is much easier with a faster geared reel, atleast i think so... 

[Catt]

It's easier to slow down a retrieve on a faster reel than it is to speed one up on a slower reel.

Huh!

Dude that's silly!

[A-Jay]

It's easier to slow down a retrieve on a faster reel than it is to speed one up on a slower reel.

 

Not For Me ~ I'm non compos mentis

 

 

A-Jay

[tomustang]

Huh!

Dude that's silly!

What's so silly about it? I'd rather retrieve slower then retrieving faster all the time to compensate for a slower reel.

Working a bait isn't the only thing to worry about, bass charging you when hooked and reeling in the slack is too.