Let's talk Cranking reel ratios

[Jaderose]

I've been looking around for something to pair up with a Mojo cranking rod I have and I know conventional wisdom is to go with something like 5.4;1 or even lower.  And then I got to thinking about it.......why?  I simply do not understand why I would want a slower reel for something like this.  I watched the Aaron Martens video on this and he says basically the same thing I am thinking.  Why?  It seems to me that the opposite would be true...that you would want a fast reel if a fish grabbed the lure coming towards you, and a faster reel would help with hook set, no?  Just looking for some opinions.

[bigturtle]

I use 7.3:1 on my cranks up to around 12~15ft range. I dont have any problems. I just reel a bit slower than I normally do.

[WRB]

What lures are you planning to use and what power rating is the rod?

Tom

[Jaderose]

Glass Crankster  7'4" Med/Mod and I will throw pretty much all my cranks on it  Nothing huge.  I don't do a LOT of cranking with the exception of Lipless.....I do throw a lot of those but I throw those on a MH fast with a fast reel

 

[bigfruits]

you get more power for deep cranks with a slower retrieve ratio. like the little uphill gear on the mtn bike.

[Jaderose]

5 minutes ago, bigfruits said:

you get more power for deep cranks with a slower retrieve ratio. like the little uphill gear on the mtn bike.

 

 

But I have to wonder if that only applies to older reels.  I have no problem ( at least I haven't so far) throwing a crank with a faster reel

 

 

 

Besides.....define "power".  That is what I always hear but it doesn't really mean anything without an explanation.  I'm actually not trying to be obnoxious.......I just want real some explanations and not hear..."more power"

[bigfruits]

yep. i dont deep crank but i have no problem crankbait fishing with a 7.x:1 on a newer Shimano reel. Im throwing things I wouldnt have on my older 6.x:1 reels. I actually just bought a 6.2:1 scorpion to see what difference i feel between that and a 8.2:1 scorpion when throwing 10ft divers.

[Catt]

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

 

Works for me!

[riverbasser]

I'm no expert by any means but the slowee ratio is mainly reccomended for deep diving cranks. It has to do with the dive angle and keeping your bait in the right depth. When your cranking the first third of the cast it diving the middle is the desired depth and the last third the bait is ascending up to the boat. The slower real is suppose to make it easier to keep the bait in that middle depth for as long as possible. This can be done with any ratio but is easier with a slower gear.

[WRB]

The rod you have is rated for 1/4-3/4 oz lures, medium power, mod action. You will be limited to lures in the 1/2-3/4 oz size. The only time you may need a reel with more torque via a slower gear ratio would high resistance retreive deep divers, otherwise it's your choice, most bait casting reels will work.

If diving lures are your choice I would seriously consider Berkley Dreager series 10.5 and 14.5 that are similar to Bomber 6A and 7A, Norman DD15 except dives deeper with less resistance and your rod can handle these lures.

Tom

 

[Jaderose]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

The rod you have is rated for 1/4-3/4 oz lures, medium power, mod action. You will be limited to lures in the 1/2-3/4 oz size. The only time you may need a reel with more torque via a slower gear ratio would high resistance retreive deep divers, otherwise it's your choice, most bait casting reels will work.

If diving lures are your choice I would seriously consider Berkley Dreager series 10.5 and 14.5 that are similar to Bomber 6A and 7A, Norman DD15 except dives deeper with less resistance and your rod can handle these lures.

Tom

 

and maybe that's the thing.  I don't throw great big cranks and I'm not throwing much below 15 ft or so and don't really foresee a time when I would.

 

7 minutes ago, Catt said:

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

 

Works for me!

 

 

Good answer....lol

I suspect I see a new PQ in my future to pair up with it.  As I don't throw a huge number of cranks the $50 PQ at the classic will do just fine.  MIGHT go 5.4:1 but I will probably do 6.3:1.  That doesn't mean I'm not interested in other opinions...you guys that throw big cranks...do you use a lower geared reel?  Obviously Catt does.

[riverbasser]

I do as well. And I'm using a 5.2.1 pro qualifier

[blckshirt98]

The difference might be slight and not very noticeable unless you go into the extremes and do something like try to crank a 10XD on a Revo Rocket.

[WRB]

I have used several different reels for various crankbaits that range from 4.3:1 to 7.1:1 over the years. Gear ratio isn't the major factor, IPT at the casting distance you make is more important. My old Lews RB3 is 6.4:1 and works good using DD22's without any retrieving issues at 40+ yard casts, wouldn't suggest trying that with your med-mod rod however.

Tom

[fissure_man]

1 hour ago, Jaderose said:

 

 

But I have to wonder if that only applies to older reels.  I have no problem ( at least I haven't so far) throwing a crank with a faster reel

 

 

 

Besides.....define "power".  That is what I always hear but it doesn't really mean anything without an explanation.  I'm actually not trying to be obnoxious.......I just want real some explanations and not hear..."more power"

 

All else equal, to maintain a given retrieve:

 

High gear ratio = turn the handle a little bit slower, with a little more force

 

Low gear ratio = turn the handle a little bit faster, with a little less force

 

It makes sense that as lure resistance increases, people are going to start to favor lower gear ratios to avoid having to apply an ‘uncomfortably’ high level of force to the handle all day.  But where you draw that line comes down to personal preference (and there are other factors to consider, like keeping up with a hot fish).

 

I’m with you 100% that most “power” claims related to fishing reels are confusing.  It takes a certain (definable) amount of power to reel a crankbait at a certain speed, regardless of gear ratio.  The real question is: how much effort does it take to deliver that power with different gear ratios? – or – which gear ratio lets me deliver that power most comfortably?

 

For a lengthy and unnecessary discussion about gear ratios, power, and effort (that still won’t tell you which reel to buy), check out the last several posts in this thread

 

 

 

[Airman4754]

A 5 ratio for magnum cranks for fatigue reasons. 

 

Anything else is preference.

[MickD]

The only technique that I feel makes a low ratio better than a fast one is slow rolling spinnerbaits.  I just find it hard to slow down enough with a high ratio reel.  So I use my old 5.2 Calcutta for that.

[RoLo]

 

Big bass bury in nasty cover.

When you're winding a subsurface swimbait thru cow lilies all day,

you appreciate the power of a 5:1 reel for bulling thru heavy cover to keep the lure coming.

 

Rather than think in terms of Fast and Slow,

I think in terms of Power and Weakness (the greater the speed, the lower the power).

 

Roger

 

[Jaderose]

3 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

I think in terms of Power and Weakness (the Faster your reel, the Weaker your reel).

 

Roger

 

 

 

and this is what I'm not wrapping my head around.  I'm not saying you guys are wrong...I'm just saying I don't understand.  It isn't like a "faster" reel is just going to stop working or become too hard to turn the handle.

[Darren.]

2 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

and this is what I'm not wrapping my head around.  I'm not saying you guys are wrong...I'm just saying I don't understand.  It isn't like a "faster" reel is just going to stop working or become too hard to turn the handle.

 

Maybe think of it in terms of the gearing on a mountain bike.

The rear cog, specifically. The smaller the cog the faster you

will go...but trying to muscle up hill?

 

The larger ring the slower you go, but you have power to 

muscle up a hill more easily than the smaller ring...

 

Oh darn it all. I think I'm not helping here...

 

I'll see myself out.

[Airman4754]

7 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

 

 

and this is what I'm not wrapping my head around.  I'm not saying you guys are wrong...I'm just saying I don't understand.  It isn't like a "faster" reel is just going to stop working or become too hard to turn the handle.

 

Thinl of it like riding a bicycle from a stop. In first gear the sprocket is much bigger and much easier to turn because it doesn't turn very much. Now think about that bike in tenth gear. It's way harder to get going because the sprocket is much smaller and turns way more.

 

[RoLo]

2 hours ago, Jaderose said:

 

 

and this is what I'm not wrapping my head around.  I'm not saying you guys are wrong...I'm just saying I don't understand.  It isn't like a "faster" reel is just going to stop working or become too hard to turn the handle.

 

If you wind a big weedless swimbait thru cow lilies all day using a 7.5:1 reel,

there'll be dozens of times when the cover abruptly stops the reel handle (a rude interference)

 

The low gear on a car (first gear) has more crankshaft revolutions behind each rotation of the tire,

the result of which is more power & less speed. The high gear (3rd gear) on a car has fewer rotations

per wheel rotation, so there's less power but more speed. It's just like a seesaw:

as the end representing 'speed' rises, the opposite end representing 'power' falls, and vice versa.

 

Roger

[bagofdonuts]

I use a lews 5.4 for cranking and like it. Mostly just personal preference. I like to just toss it out and crank it pretty fast and just can't slow down enough with a fast reel. Had to get use to hook set though, got to reel until the rod loads or you won't catch up. I did like it for slow rolling spinner baits but my hook ups were much better barely reeling a faster reel. On the spinner bait bite they'll knock slack in the line and I missed a couple pigs before switching to a 6.4. 

[sgibby88]

Think of it as torque and acceleration. The slower ratio has the torque where the higher ratio has the accerlation. In other words the more torque you have the easier it'll be. So that torque will make it easier to keep that deep diver in the desired depth longer and slower where that high ratio will burn right through. all comes down to the what technique your using. Everything has its purpose. Easiest way I can think of on how to explain it

[bagofdonuts]

I actually found a old Abu c4 wench in 3.8 when I was going thru some storage boxes the other day. I traded for it 20 years ago and have never used it. Can't wait to break it out this summer deep crankin.