6.2 gear ratio or 7.1 metanium mgl 2020

[Nathan]

I have been trying to make this decision for days now and I’ve watched almost every video there is on gear ratios. All my reels are 6.2 and I’ve never found a need for a faster reel and I’m a bank angler. I tend to reel fairly fast so I fear the 7.1 is too fast but some people swear by higher gear ratios. My 16 metanium is a 6.2 and I absolutely love it. I plan on using this reel for anything and everything. I’m spending $300 on a reel I want to be able to pick it up and use it in any scenario I may be in. So I need some help deciding, should I get the same 6.2 gear ratio or try out the high gear ratio 7.1?

[bulldog1935]

If you find you don't like the higher speed gears, you can slow it down with tuning parts.  

A longer-pitch handle has the same effect as slower gears, both for slowing down retrieve, and increasing your cranking power through the faster gears.  

This is an 8.3-geared reel that I slowed down by increasing the handle pitch from 48 mm on the stock handle to 60 mm.  It gives me both the retrieve I like, and the power to crank against slot redfish.  

It's a simple ratio - this makes it behave like 6.5 gearing.  

 

[scbassin]

I use that speed for bottom fishing, Buzzbaits, Frogs & topwater baits.  The 6.2 speed I use for crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Swimbaits, & most moving baits.

[jbsoonerfan]

I opt for higher speed reels in every situation outside of cranking med divers or swim baits and A rigs. I actually prefer 8 to 1 on most situations.

[FishTank]

I would go with the 7.1.  You can just slow down the retrieve if you need to. 

[LCG]

I have the curado k and slx mgl in the HG gear ration 7:1. I debated the gear ratio thing for awhile. End of the day it really has to do with ipt. Your looking at 5 inches difference really. My Curado reels in 31" ipt, the slx mgl is 28", by comparison my stradic FL (spinning reel) is 36" ipt. That's full spool, minus a 40yd cast and the ipt changes. Spool size, line choice, and retrieval speed all come into play. 

 

I went with the middle ground of the HG because I can slow down or speed up as needed. And 5 inches either way isn't that huge of a difference to me in reality. 

[mcipinkie]

If you look at Shimano's web page the 6 to one retrieves 26 IPT.  50' cast = 23.1 turns

                                                         The 7 to one retrieves 30 IPT 50' cast = 20 turns.

                                                         The 8 to one retrieves 34 IPT 50' cast = 17.6 turns.

 

Three turns of the reel handle assuming reel is full capacity.  Can you feel it?  I can't going from 6 to 7.  I can going from 6 to 8. 

 

Of course I'm an old man.  I remember when 5 to 1 was a fast ree.

 

[Hammer 4]

Us older guys fished with slower reels for many years before the high speed reels came out. IMHO, it's easier to speed up your cranking than it is to slow down. 

I would opt for the 6 speed for general purpose fishing.

[CFDoc]

I have both ratios.

 

The 7.1 is definitely the better choice for all around IMO.

 

I crank and flip with the 6.2. I do a lot of stuff with the 7.1.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

5 hours ago, Nathan said:

I have been trying to make this decision for days now and I’ve watched almost every video there is on gear ratios. All my reels are 6.2 and I’ve never found a need for a faster reel and I’m a bank angler. I tend to reel fairly fast so I fear the 7.1 is too fast but some people swear by higher gear ratios. My 16 metanium is a 6.2 and I absolutely love it. I plan on using this reel for anything and everything. I’m spending $300 on a reel I want to be able to pick it up and use it in any scenario I may be in. So I need some help deciding, should I get the same 6.2 gear ratio or try out the high gear ratio 7.1?

I had the same reservations before I bought my first Met B.  I like a slower reel as well for any moving baits.  Yes, you can change the handle length and pitch to make it feel like its slower, but unless you change the gear set you wont get the cranking power from a higher ratio reel that you would from a lower ratio.  

I hear people say "you can always slow down, but you cant speed up" which I agree with to a point.  Its not hard to slow down for a few casts, but on the days when the bite is tough or you go into autopilot its inevitable your going to speed up.

If your planning to buy a JDM Met be aware that the handle is considerably shorter then the USDM handles like the SLX or Curado, so it takes a little time to get used to it.  You can always get an aftermarket handle if you don't like the JDM handle.  

I wouldn't worry about what other people like.  If you like a slower ratio, get the 6.2.  The Met Bs are so nice you may wind up with more then 1 in the near future.  Good Luck

[bulldog1935]

actually Rusty, the cranking power is simple leverage.  

The leverage of the longer handle gives you more cranking power even with faster gears.  

Noted with my 2000 spinning salt UL reels catching doubles last month, the lower-geared Vanquish with shorter handle ran into a cranking wall a couple of times, while the higher-geared Stradic pushed right through with its longer handle.  

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

The longer handle gives you a little more leverage so its easier to turn but I don't see how it can change the amount of torque the gear set generates.  Its like comparing 2 UL power rods, if one is 6' and the other is 7', the 7 has more leverage then the 6 but ultimately its still an UL.  If you want a reel with torque I think your better off going with a low ratio and if you aren't satisfied then putting a longer handle on it.    

[bulldog1935]

Rusty, it changes the amount of torque you put into the gear.  

the trick is having gears that can take the increased contact stress, but when you look at newer Shimano gear design with larger main gears and increased gear contact area, that's not too much concern.  

(believe me, I've brinnelled my share of gears and rotor bushings on offshore fish)

 

My thought was exactly the same as yours, and I have two low-geared JDM reels, Stradic and Vanquish, plus the higher-geared Stradic that matches FL1000 (JDM C2000SHG).    I've adjusted handle pitch on all  3 (I like counter-balanced or double handles especially on UL spinners) - the high-geared reel came out the stoutest, and mostly because of the handle pitch.  It's the reel I chose to go from 6-lb braid to 14-

[WRB]

Gear ratio vs IPT is important to understand.

Your reel with 6.2:1 is 26” IPT, 7.1:1 is 30” full line capacity.

This is based on spool diameter and width. Diameter is circumference (3.14 X D) length of line around the diameter.

IPT changes as the amount of line decreases reducing the spool diameter of line. Width is a constant, the gear ratio is a constant doesn’t change. IPT on today’s modern reels that have small light weight spools the line capacity diameter changes about 40% after casting 90’ or the IPT for 26” drops approx to 15” and 30” drops to 18”. 

My recommendation is go with the 7.1:1 gearing.

Tom

[GetFishorDieTryin]

The longer handle changes the input, but I don't see how it changes the output.  It doesn't matter how much torque you put on a lever its still the same gear.

 

[bulldog1935]

for the same motion of your hand, you're not moving the crank as far with a longer-pitch handle.  

Likewise, you can speed up a reel with a shorter double handle - it doesn't change the output of the gears, but what you put into them.  

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

45 minutes ago, WRB said:

Gear ratio vs IPT is important to understand.

Your reel with 6.2:1 is 26” IPT, 7.1:1 is 30” full line capacity.

This is based on spool diameter and width. Diameter is circumference (3.14 X D) length of line around the diameter.

IPT changes as the amount of line decreases reducing the spool diameter of line. Width is a constant, the gear ratio is a constant doesn’t change. IPT on today’s modern reels that have small light weight spools the line capacity diameter changes about 40% after casting 90’ or the IPT for 26” drops approx to 15” and 30” drops to 18”. 

My recommendation is go with the 7.1:1 gearing.

Tom

Right on, a smaller reel may have a high ratio but because the spool is so small the IPT is relatively low compared to a larger reel with the same ratio.

[bulldog1935]

but the gears don't move themselves - you move them with the handle.  

 

I hope this thing is on.  

[GetFishorDieTryin]

40 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

for the same motion of your hand, you're not moving the crank as far with a longer-pitch handle.  

Likewise, you can speed up a reel with a shorter double handle - it doesn't change the output of the gears, but what you put into them.  

Right but that doesn't give the reel anymore torque, it just gives you move leverage which makes it easier to turn.   

Yes you move the gear, but it doesnt matter how much force it takes to turn the gear, the ratio stays the same.

[bulldog1935]

The gear doesn't have any torque that you don't put into it.  

Gears have ratio = speed.  They also have contact loads that result from what you put into them.  

The lower the speed, the more torque you can deliver through the gears.  but you can accomplish the same thing with more leverage on the handle.  

If you hit a wall on what you're able to put through the gear, the added leverage of longer handle pitch lets you put more into the gear, increase gear contact loads, and get  more out of the gear - it has the exact same result as slowing down the gear (swapping gears) without changing the handle pitch. 

With a longer-pitch handle, you're moving your hand farther to complete a revolution.  That distance is also pi-times-diameter.  

When you change the handle pitch, you change the rotation itself.  

The other thing you increase with a longer handle is the contact stress on the gear teeth, and the gears need to be strong enough to take that.  

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Maybe I just don't understand it

What does a pic of a red have to do with anything?

 

Actually now that I look at the fish a second time I completely understand. 

[TimTheGearNerd]

My favorite type of topic. Thanks 

@Nathan it appears the conversation got heated so I’ll try to bring it back and give a different perspective. 
 

I have banked for a long time and now I’m on a yak. Bank fishing is very different. In addition, I current own the 6:1 Met B and a bunch of other reels including multiple 6:1 7:1 & 8:1 so I’ll try to answer if I were in your shoes. I use the Met B for crank bait and moving since it cast so far and retrieve is smooth. 

 

For your situation, 

-bank

-you like 6:1 ratio

-want an all round 

-Met B is a $300 reel, why risk getting something you don’t like. 

 

I recommend going with the 6:1. It’s safe and you’ll be happy. 
 

Here are a few reasons why you might change your decision and go up to 7:1

 

If you are just curious, and want to try 7:1, I say go for it as long as you feel like you don’t mind spending $300 to satisfy a curiosity. 

I would also go up 1 speed to 7:1 if you’re doing bottom contact more often, like @scbassin said. This is because you’re moving the bait using your rod and dragging so the reel speed matters less. Given, you already have 6:1, you might start to designate reels for different things. 
 

Ultimately, since you’re on the bank, you likely won’t notice much difference. Both speeds will be good all round with slight advantage for one application or another. 
 

I would recommend your decision come down to, 

-the value you put on curiosity

-what application you’ll likely use the reel for most often 

-what is the worst that could happen if you make the “wrong” decision. Hint: there is no wrong decision  here haha 

Here is my last perspective. If I only had 1 reel, I’d get the 7:1 because I catch more fish with senko and 7:1 helps me fish a senko better. But since I have multiple reels already and I have several 7:1 I already like, what I did when I got my Met B was get a 6:1 for crank baits because the MET B will excel for that specific purpose. It casts far and retrieves smooth. 
 

good luck! I’ve been there with choosing fishing gear, I hope you found some useful info in this thread. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

4 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

The lower the speed, the more torque you can deliver through the gears.  but you can accomplish the same thing with more leverage on the handle.  

The longer handle just requires less exertion to turn then a shorter handle under load.  If there is a direct connection from the handle to the spool, then yes a longer lever would make a difference.  The longer handle doesn't create a larger contact surface between the main and the pinion.  The distance your hand travels has nothing to do with IPT or output of the gear when there is a mechanical advantage. 

 

 

[5by3]

In the wise words of Gerald swindle, we’re bass fishing not drag racing. Sounds like you already answers your own question in your original post ?.

[newapti5]

I agree with what others said here; it depends on what you'll use it mostly for. I just want to add one more reason to the 7:1 ratio choice: When you are experiencing a smallie charging at you with full speed after hookset, you'll really appreciate the advantage of a fast gear ratio.