Highest speed retrieve reels

[livemusic]

What do you guys think about the higher speed reels, how do they help you or improve your fishing?

 

I see a KastKing Speed Demon Elite baitcast reel for $120 and it touts 10.5:1 ratio. And I thought 8.5:1 was super fast! Is this KastKing reel any good, I don't know anything about this brand. That price puts it on the lower-mid range of baitcast reels.

 

Also, are spinning reels slower, in general, or does the larger handle mean they can do about the same feet/sec retrieve vs. baitcast?

[garroyo130]

With spinning reels all that matters is spool size. A Shimano Nasci 5000 does 41 IPT which is only one inch less than the KastKing Speed Demon Elite even though the gear ratio is 6.2:1. Of course, a 5000 reel is bigger than the norm for bass fishing.

 

All said, faster does not equal better though

[Russ E]

My highest speed reels are 8.1 to 1. I have not felt the need to go any faster.

It is a Diawa Tatula sv. I use it for jigs, worms , frogs, etc. It is good at picking up line fairly quick, for hooksets.

I own several 7.1 to 1. They are my work horses.

For most horizontal baits I use 6.3 to 1.

 

I used to own a few kast kings. Now I own none.

Kast king gets wrapped up in promoting speed and flashy names for their equipment. From my own experience quality and longetivity is not their forte. In the $120.00 price range there are much higher quality reels.

[Deleted account]

11 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

All said, faster does not equal better though

 

What? This is America, if some is good, more is better, it's what makes marketing to us so easy, excess to the max baby! Now who needs another $12k road bike? step right up...

[bulldog1935]

all the makers share common manufacturing technologies and design goals, and smokescreen them in silly marketing tradenames - a technique in business marketing classes that's academically called The Snow Job.  

 

To our OP's question, the best way to look at reels is the IPT - inches of line picked up each handle turn.  Spool diameter is part of the formula, if you look at a round Abu with its big spool, 5.3 gears are just as fast pick-up as 7.5 gears on the smaller-spool low-profile bait reel.  Most reels are going to give you a working IPT of 30-40 inches - below that range is slow, and above that range is f'n fast.  

 

As far as spinning reel handle length, think you may be looking at it wrong.  A longer handle lets you put more torque into the reel.  It also has the effect of slowing it down, since you travel farther to complete a handle rotation.  Conversely, a shorter handle has the effect of speeding up any reel, since you can spin it really quickly.  

 

I personally don't like gears past 8.0, on bait reels, and 6.0 on spinning reels, unless I put a longer-pitch handle on them.  

I know we have BFS and offshore spinning reels, but traditionally, bait reels are about power, and spinning reels about finesse.  

[Bird]

Have the speed Demon pro and a spinning reel from Kastking, no complaint. 

The Pro is 9.3:1

 

Been using the Speed Demon on a heavy action rod for frogs and 1oz jigs.

In theory, the faster rate paired with heavy line will muscle fish out of junk. 

[Deplorable Fisherman]

27 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

 

What? This is America, if some is good, more is better, it's what makes marketing to us so easy, excess to the max baby! Now who needs another $12k road bike? step right up...

Yet it was Takahiro Omori who begged Daiwa to make high speed reels...I guess he's spent too much time in Merica! 

 

1 hour ago, livemusic said:

Also, are spinning reels slower, in general, or does the larger handle mean they can do about the same feet/sec retrieve vs. baitcast?

Handle length/size means nothing. It's more for leverage. You're still only making a single rotation no matter how long or short the handle is. If you really want speed, a shorter handle is easiest because you have less of a circumference to make that rotation. 

This  o  has less linear length in circumference than this O

That said, I have a Zillion 10 that I use for heavy cover so I can get the lure in and out quickly to make another cast or get a fish out of that mess quickly. Other than that, most of my reels are in that 6 or 7 speed range.

[new2BC4bass]

Slow that sucker down.  Only fill to an 1/8-3/16 inch  from the bevel.  Want faster?  Fill to the bevel.  More line taken in per turn.  A 10.5:1 ain't going to be 10.5 throughout the whole retrieve.  Want 10.5:1 after a typical 125 yard cast and you might be wishing for a15:1 or faster. 

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, Russ E said:

My highest speed reels are 8.1 to 1. I have not felt the need to go any faster.

It is a Diawa Tatula sv. I use it for jigs, worms , frogs, etc. It is good at picking up line fairly quick, for hooksets.

I have a Daiwa Fuego CT 8:1-1 and that’s what it’s for. Mostly fast retrieves for reeling in slack line quickly for hooksets on soft plastics. Helps prevent a bass taking the hook deep. 

[DomQ]

I had that fancy Karting reel, after it was made available to the public it's like Kastking forgot about it. Not a word mentioned about it since the fundraiser. 

 

I sold the reel, did not need something that fast and the pinion in it was a tooth pick. I'll stick to my 7 speed reels.

[Deleted account]

I'm surprised no one has come out with custom gear ratio gear sets for the more popular $$$ reels, I'm thinking some ultra hardened treated proprietary alloy spidered on a carbon fiber hub...

Down Bulldog, down....  

[bulldog1935]

stainless doesn't wear, it just work-hardens.  

UK custom machines 6.3 gears for round Abu (that's like 9.3 gears on LP bait).  

These are 5.3 stainless gears.  

[Deplorable Fisherman]

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

Want 10.5:1 after a typical 125 yard cast and you might be wishing for a15:1 or faster. 

Typical 125 yard cast? What? ???

[garroyo130]

18 minutes ago, Deplorable Fisherman said:

Typical 125 yard cast? What? ???

 

I understood that to mean that he's lost some swimbaits too

[Deplorable Fisherman]

3 minutes ago, garroyo130 said:

I understood that to mean that he's lost some swimbaits too

Snap! Zing! ?

[BBuck]

IMO the highest gear ratio worth using would be in the 7:X:X range. It seems like you lose power the higher ratio you go. Most of my reels are 6:4:1 but I have one that is 5:4:1 for deep cranking and a couple 7:3:1 reels for flipping and topwater.

[RDB]

A lot of folks use these super high speed reels when pitching/close quarters.  When pitching, most typically only work the bait for the first few feet.  The higher speed allows you to get the lure back in and out more quickly.  More pitches over time.

[WRB]

The average size 100/200  bait casting reel with 6.3:1 gear ratio the IPT is 26” full of line. The average size 2500 spinning reel with 5.3:1 gear ratio the IPT is 32” full of the line.

Reel handle length does’s change gear ratio or IPT, longer handle adds leverage.

Stainless Steel comes in a wide range of classes and tends to gull. Precipitating hardening SST like 15-5 PH or 17-4 PH is good for gears, 300 & 400 series are poor choices. Engineering matters copies usually over look details.

 When you buy something is customer service and parts supply are important. Today people tend to look at price As a driver in lieu of the O.E.M. It’s become a throw a way economy and after market the go to for repairs.

I will get off my high horse. 

I can’t see any practical use for 100-200 sizes bait casting reel with higher gear ratio then 8:1. or IPT over 34” full of line for bass fishing.

Tom

 

 

[bulldog1935]

pretty d**n tall horse indeed

 

Have you thought about speaking for yourself rather than simply contradicting others who are trying to help the OP, or engaged in a conversation with other members?  

[Deplorable Fisherman]

24 minutes ago, WRB said:

can’t see any practical use for 100-200 sizes bait casting reel with higher gear ratio then 8:1. or IPT over 34” full of line for bass fishing.

Well I've not been to Cali fishing, but I did look at images of your favorite lakes...didn't find Castiac but I did find Castaic ? and I didn't see a single piece of wood in those lakes...didn't see much for vegetation at all really. Spend 30 years on the upper Mississippi river with massive laydowns surrounded by grass in current and you'll find a need for a high speed reel, I assure you.

[GreenPig]

12 hours ago, Deplorable Fisherman said:

Typical 125 yard cast? What? ???

125 yards? That's just a short pitch with a finesse jig. That does include the last 20 yards of skipping under the dock walkway. ?

[WRB]

10 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

pretty d**n tall horse indeed

 

Have you thought about speaking for yourself rather than simply contradicting others who are trying to help the OP, or engaged in a conversation with other members?  

Being a engineer sometimes means speaking factually, non contradiction interested. Far beyond worrying about what others think.

Tom

[NittyGrittyBoy]

11 hours ago, RDB said:

A lot of folks use these super high speed reels when pitching/close quarters.  When pitching, most typically only work the bait for the first few feet.  The higher speed allows you to get the lure back in and out more quickly.  More pitches over time.

I'm one. Majority of my fishing is flipping, 8.1 is perfect. You summed it up perfectly. 

[MN Fisher]

10 hours ago, WRB said:

I can’t see any practical use for 100-200 sizes bait casting reel with higher gear ratio then 8:1. or IPT over 34” full of line for bass fishing.

I have to agree - my Fuego 8.1 at 33.9IPT is plenty fast enough for the 'short time' pitches I toss into the mess of weeds we have here.

[Shimano_1]

I've used several in the 8 ratio and still have 2. I've settled on the 7 ratio with ipt around 30-31 inches being thr sweet spot for me. Seems the higher speed reels don't have the torque and seem more susceptible to geary sounding. I now flip, jerkbait,  topwater, etc with the 7 ratio. I personally wouldn't want anything faster than 35 ipt. Had a revo rocket and found it basically useless for me. Even flippin it seemed too fast for my taste.