Slower Gear Ratio

[Catt]

2 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Much of this frequent discussion concerning appropriate reel ratios revolves around what is comfortable for the angler instead of what is most applicable to the bait presentation and the bass' state of aggression.

 

oe

These 3 have more experience with crank baits than all of us combined which is why I'm following their advice!

23 hours ago, Catt said:

Mark Davis, David Fritts, & Paul Elias all use 5.1:1!

Works for me!

 

[tbone1993]

4 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

In olden times, Shimano marketed a Curado in a 3.8 to 1 gear ratio.    They weren't selling at the tackle store I go to and I noticed that they were getting discounted from time to time.   When they got down to much less than half the original price, I bought one.   I found out that 3.8 to one is too slow - word got out and now wonder that they didn't sell well.

Then I found out during a conversation with an employee at the reel repair show next door to the primary BPS store in Springfield, that the Curado B's were all the same size inside and it was a simple matter of around $20 to switch out the gears from 3.8 to 5 to 1.   The next time I was in KC I bought 4 of the lower gear ration Curados and got them all switch over to the slightly higher gear ratio.   So I got a whole set of back up reels for less than $75 each.   

As I upgrade reels from time to time I find that the  5 to 1 ratio is harder and harder to find.   The Curado E and Chronarch 50 size are 6.4 to 1 and I'm ok with that.   I recently acquired a new Curado 70 which has a higher gear ratio, but I haven't had a chance to fish with it yet.

How many parts do they need to change to do that? 

[aprilbass101]

The bottom line comes down to "Personal Preference!" There's no right or wrong on ratios on reels! Honestly, the fish will tell you how fast they want the baits to be presented! IMO....I think the pros use them specifically to cover a lot of water regardless of the bait their throwing minus flipping & pitching! No bites....Slow it down

[BobP]

Gear change = pinion and main gears.  I think the higher and higher gear ratios came about as they began to engineer reels with larger diameter main gears, the reels that require the side cover on the crank side of the reel to be bumped down and out so it protrudes beneath the reel foot.  Once they did that, they could build reels with sufficient cranking power to accommodate 8 and 9:1 gear ratios.

As far as what ratio gears to use for different presentations, It's all about comfort and what works for you.  I converted my old ProMax reels from 5.3 to 6:1 ratio gears and haven't had any problems.  But I still keep a Shimano 200B5 with 5:1 gears for fishing super deep divers.  The 6.2:1 reels are considered moderate speed "do it all" reels nowadays but the ratios keep trending upward.  Eventually, we may see reels with right side plates as big as tea saucers to accommodate 20:1 gear boxes.  The fish won't care.   

[Tmmytomato]

For squarebills I prefer something between 5.7:1 and 6.4:1. As baits get bigger and bulkier I go to a 5.1:1 to 5.7:1. If you never throw super deep oversized cranks you can speed up but the lower ratio means hours and hours of presenting a bait versus short spurts that put a lot of torque and resistance in your reeling.  I have 8.5:1 reels too but save those primarily for jigging, flipping and effortless buzzbaits.

[Catt]

Those who have studied the effects of speed on crankbait depth have discovered that when a billed crankbait begins to dig into the water, it creates turbulence.  But excessive speed creates so much turbulence that it begins to decrease the bait’s efficiency to move through the water, reducing its depth.  This is usually just the opposite of what the average angler expects. Paul Elias

By Chuck Bailey

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Not trying to be know it all but squarebills are made for slow retrieves.i mean yes you can burn them but if im burnin most likly im burning a lipless.i use squarebills as a wake bait .now if its a diver down to say 5ft il burn that ..i use abus with 3.8 5.1 and 6.3 for all my crank task .im gonna be trying out some lews i bought also a ss1s in 5.4 and 2 lews tourney mb one in 6.3 and the 8.1..stay tuned yall i may have 3 brand new lews for sale.i didnt buy them to replace my abus just to see how well the.hype is lol .

55 minutes ago, Catt said:

Those who have studied the effects of speed on crankbait depth have discovered that when a billed crankbait begins to dig into the water, it creates turbulence.  But excessive speed creates so much turbulence that it begins to decrease the bait’s efficiency to move through the water, reducing its depth.  This is usually just the opposite of what the average angler expects. Paul Elias

By Chuck Bailey

Exactly the only way a crank can be stable at high speeds is more resistance.bigger. bill ..its a easy test take a rapala floater and burn it as fast as can it leaves a bubble.trail and stays maybe 3" s below surface pureeeee crankin no rod swiping

[Netfish and Chill]

9 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

I find that the  5 to 1 ratio is harder and harder to find. 

Amen to that! I drove 2 hours to the nearest BPS and 2 hours back for that Lew's this weekend. They're really becoming a thing of the past it seems.

~ Mr. Netfish and Chill 

[tbone1993]

36 minutes ago, Netfish and Chill said:

Amen to that! I drove 2 hours to the nearest BPS and 2 hours back for that Lew's this weekend. They're really becoming a thing of the past it seems.

~ Mr. Netfish and Chill 

Had my boss stock a bb1 for this very reason. You always see the 6:4 and up reels in small shops but just a few slow gear ratios. You might as well stick the one reel that was known for it.

[finesse68]

Nothing but preference, if you're fishing a square bill a 6 ratio works fine. I'd rather speed up than slow down, so I'd prefer a 5 ratio. If you're cranking deep divers, it's a no go for the higher ratios. I've yet to see a high ratio that will pull a deep diver without struggling horribly, and wearing you out at the same time.