Reel Speed For Square Bills

[WPCfishing]

What retrieve rated reel do you prefer?

What are the benefits to using that retrieve rate?

[bigbill]

I find the 5:1 ratio perfect or as close as you can get it. I feel everything slow. I started leaning by saying the number 1,000 slowly as I make one turn of the crank. I feel just slow and steady enough to get the best lure action at the same time it looks like an easy meal. I more my spinnerbaits, inline spinners, and spinflys just fast and steady enough for the blades to just spin.

The higher speeds are ok for certain baits to burn them but I get tired fast using the 6.1 & 7.1 reels.

Look at the way you crank the handle. Focus on making a perfect circle with your hand. Your presentation needs to be a even speed not fast then slow.

Slow reel to the 1,000 beat, practice it and make a full perfect circle on the reel handle.

Most 99% of my success from shore is from slow and steady.

Sorry if I bore the experienced fisherman but I like to help the new to bass fishing people too.

[RUSS9999]

I think that makes no since. If I am getting it right you are counting to 1000 slow so you are not turning a 5.1 to fast go to a 4.1.. Don't under stand why a 6.1 or 7.1 makes you tired compared to a 5.1 you are turning the handle the same speed with less turns to move the bait faster and a farther distance . As for the presentation I think mixing up the retrieve some times triggers a strike. Back to the post I use a 5.1 most of the time for square bills some times a 4.1 if they seem to want it really slow or closer to the surface. I have seen times if I give it a few cranks then stop and let it float back to the surface that will trigger a bite and I will us the 4.1 for that so I am not running it as deep as the 5.1 would. I run 10lb Berkley Trilene XT on both of then so I can get more depth when I want it.

[iabass8]

something in the 26 IPT range is what I prefer for squarebills. That's usually 6:2 - 6:6 depending on who makes the reel. Mine is a 6:3.

[WPCfishing]

I find the 5:1 ratio perfect or as close as you can get it. I feel everything slow. I started leaning by saying the number 1,000 slowly as I make one turn of the crank. I feel just slow and steady enough to get the best lure action at the same time it looks like an easy meal. I more my spinnerbaits, inline spinners, and spinflys just fast and steady enough for the blades to just spin.

The higher speeds are ok for certain baits to burn them but I get tired fast using the 6.1 & 7.1 reels.

Look at the way you crank the handle. Focus on making a perfect circle with your hand. Your presentation needs to be a even speed not fast then slow.

Slow reel to the 1,000 beat, practice it and make a full perfect circle on the reel handle.

Most 99% of my success from shore is from slow and steady.

Sorry if I bore the experienced fisherman but I like to help the new to bass fishing people too.

 

I'm not new to fishing. I was curious to read how other fishermen like to work square bills. I use a 7:1:1 and a 5:4:1

[Bluebasser86]

I use a 5.1:1 most of the time. 

[Robert Riley]

I have a 5:1, but I'm planning on getting a 6:1. Since you fish squarebills in shallow water, you might want the speed so you can get the fish out of the sticks faster. 

[WPCfishing]

For steady retrieves I like the 5:4:1 for banging them off the bottom. I like the faster reel around big rocks, smaller rocks and gravel on the bottom. I'll can control the reel speeds and then movements with my rod. The idea is to trigger a strike.
So far I've been successful doing so.

Around Fallen trees and limbs I'll use the faster reel and work the rod.

[iceintheveins]

I prefer a 5 ratio reel.

[A-Jay]

I use a 5.3:1 and a 5.7:1 for the bulk of my square bill fishing.

 

A-Jay

[Kevin22]

I dont know about you guys, but a squarebill is a reaction bait for me. Bounce in shallow riprap, throw into laydowns, bounce into docks, etc. I use a 7.*:1 with 15# fluoro. I want to be able to pull them out of the cover fast.

[Ozark_Basser]

I've been fishing them lately with an 8:1. You can cover lots of water, and you can still fish them pretty slow if you want.

[Tmmytomato]

For a square bill crank I like a 6.2 or 6.4:1 being as most of my square bills are in the 1.5 to 2.5 size range. The 5.0 means reeling extremely fast just to get action. I definitely fish a 5.0 to 5.5:1 when fishing big cranks like DD22s or 10XD or even 8XD or any other larger big diver with a lot of cranking resistance. I can comfortably crank a 1.5 to 2.5 size bait without killing myself or getting too much torque when using a low 6:1 ratio reel. Using anything faster means a ton of torque and fatigue when using the typical square bill sized cranks. Just my experience and opinion.

 

[Bass_Fanatic]

If I'm throwing a squarebill it's because I'm looking for a reaction strike. I throw mine on a 7:1 gear ration tells and burn it through cover. The beating and banging and quick retrieve normally produces bites when other retrieves don't.

[robster80]

i use 7.1:1

[ww2farmer]

6.something:1 works for me.

[Chief 2]

I have been using a 7.1 for my SB baits. I will usually burn it a bit and then let it stop. Usually get the bite when I stop it. I will have to try my 5. something today and see way happens.

[smalljaw67]

6.4:1 I find is awesome, I can slow it down to worm through limbs but I have enough speed that I don't have to reel like a mad man when burning it over rocks and through sparse brush.

[SDbassin]

I use a 7.1 for all my cranking, sounds like it would be insane to use that gear ratio for cranks, but it works really well for me, and I don't burn the baits either, unless I have too. I can really slow it down or burn it super fast. A lot of the fish I catch on cranks come at me, so its much easier for me to catch up to the fish, and not worry about loosing them. I also like to cover a lot of water, making multiple casts to the same target, and the higher gear ratio really helps me with that. I kind of use the Aaron Martens cranking logic, he uses all 7.1 for cranking because it works for him, the same goes for me.

[Bruce424]

I kinda use both 5.1 in the spring if the bass seem sluggish. Then 6.1 in the summer makes it real easy to burn the thing if I have to

[Jrob78]

In my opinion, a sq bill should be fished fast most of the time.  I shoot for a fast, erratic retrieve so I like a faster reel, usually in the 6's.   I reserve slower reels for deep cranking and deep spinnerbaits.

[Chief 2]

Well I gave the 5 something a try for the sq bill. Big difference in the bait action. I didn't like it and neither did the fish. Couldn't get a bite with the slower retrieve. Switched back to a 7.1 and got fish.

[WIGuide]

I uses a 7.1:1 with my square bills. I can slow them down if I want, but in my experience anyway, a faster retrieve equals more bites. The only time I've experienced different is when the water is very cold. 

[Hooligan]

Depends on the baits and conditions at hand. In general, a mid-ratio 6.2:1 or 6.4:1 is what I generally prefer.