Lower gear ratio baitcaster - uses?

[jdr99a]

I was given a BPS pro qualifier 2 reel in a 5.6:1 ratio. What are the ideal uses for a reel in this speed? I’ve got several 7+:1 reels but nothing this slow. I am primarily a bank fisherman, so I don’t do any deep diving stuff. 

 

[jimmyjoe]

   Chiefly, those ratios are used for crankbaits. I find, however, that they work extremely well for spinnerbaits and twitching spoons.  I have a Curado 200i PG (5.5 gear ratio) that I love for all 3 of those purposes.       jj

[RoLo]

 

That's an ideal ratio for cranking a Soft Swimbait thru lily pads, maidencane & matted hydrilla.

 

Roger

[greentrout]

30 minutes ago, jdr99a said:

I was given a BPS pro qualifier 2 reel in a 5.6:1 ratio. What are the ideal uses for a reel in this speed? I’ve got several 7+:1 reels but nothing this slow. I am primarily a bank fisherman, so I don’t do any deep diving stuff. 

 

people everyday catch bass using a slow spincast reel with a t rigged worm that brings in 15 to 19 inches per handle turn ... i've got some old bait casters that are slow by today's standards that i caught many a bass with a t rigged plastic worm ...

 

the power with that reel is a plus, too ...

 

good fishing ...

[Hammer 4]

Long time ago, there weren't high speed reels. We had the 5 speed and we caught fish with them. So generally speaking you could use it for most applications, but it shines for deep cranking and big swimbaits.

[RoLo]

2 hours ago, Hammer 4 said:

Long time ago, there weren't high speed reels. We had the 5 speed and we caught fish with them. So generally speaking you could use it for most applications, but it shines for deep cranking a big swimbaits.

 

We didn't have Hi-speed ratios, because we didn't need them and didn't want them.

I'm bewildered by modern man's sudden inability to quickly pickup slack line with a 6:1 gear ratio.

On the bright side, I endorse all things that benefit the U.S. economy   

 

Roger

 

[FishTank]

Anything you want to fish slow.  Crankbaits, ribbon tail worms, and maybe spinnerbaits. But you could really use it for just about anything,  you just real faster.  ?

[jdr99a]

Thanks folks. I’m a big fan of paddletail swimbaits and throw them quite a bit so I’ll probably dedicate this reel to that for the time being. 

[Born 2 fish]

Great reel for slow rolling a Colorado blade spinnerbait and for wake bait’s.

[MickD]

Slow rolling spinnerbaits.

 

[WRB]

I remember when 4.3:1 was high speed!

How much of a hurry can you be fishing from shore?

Use the reel and enjoy the gift.

Tom

 

[Heartland]

Sure makes you wonder if the speed of the reel is more about selling than it is fishing.

 

[Nelson Delaney]

7 hours ago, Heartland said:

Sure makes you wonder if the speed of the reel is more about selling than it is fishing.

 

Of course it’s about selling more reels. Same sort of gimmick as the technique specific rods. 

[Heartland]

2 hours ago, Nelson Delaney said:

Of course it’s about selling more reels. Same sort of gimmick as the technique specific rods. 

Sorry Man I have to ask, What' the gimmick?

[Nelson Delaney]

Technique specific rods.  Meaning they want you to buy a different rod for every technique instead of using the 1 rod for multiple 

[Bankc]

As far as I'm concerned, you can fish anything with that ratio.  In fact, you can pretty much fish anything with just about any ratio.  I use reels from 3.8:1 all the way to 9:1, and I find that I can speed up or slow down to most things on any of those reels, with a few exceptions.  And while there's a pretty large difference between the 3.8:1 and the 9:1, the difference between most of the middle ratios isn't much to me.  I find that on any given day, I may naturally find myself reeling slower than usual, or faster than usual.  So I tend to regulate my speed by singing songs in my head and reeling to the rhythm.  If I need to speed up, I just sing a faster song.  As long as I'm within my upper and lower limits of what's comfortable, I don't feel the need to switch reels.

 

Now, that's not saying that all reels are the same.  Certain speeds are easier to achieve with certain reel ratios.  And there's an upper limit to how fast you can spin a handle, and to get a bait moving faster than that, you'll need to rely on the higher ratio gears to get your there.  But for the most part, I think that reel ratios are kind of overblown.  I mean, the difference between a 7.1:1 reel and a 5.4:1 reel is only about 25-30%.  And I can easily spin my handle 30% faster or slower and still be within my comfort zone, so long as I didn't start off near my limits to begin with.  But if you're reeling something extra fast, or extra slow, then the reel ratio can matter.  Especially over a long day.  I'm just convinced that it's one of those things that's leans more towards marketing hype than real world practicality.  

 

So to answer your question, I'd say anything can be fished with it.  But it would excel at anything that you want to fish slower than usual.  

[Heartland]

2 hours ago, Nelson Delaney said:

Technique specific rods.  Meaning they want you to buy a different rod for every technique instead of using the 1 rod for multiple 

So do you feel like if a rod company sizes a blank in length, power, and action, chooses between the tons of guides, frame and insert options, handle length, material, full grip, split grip, places the hook holder and I am sure a ton of other options that it may make it better suited for one technique over another?