All Around gear ratio 6:1 vs 7:1

[lunkerboss923]

A YouTuber was trying to convince us that a 6:1 is the All Around gear ratio.  This obviously will allow you to work both fast moving presentations as well as slow. How. I'm convinced that the 734C in any Dobyns line is the best all around round. I do throw a 6:1 on this rod. I use it exclusively for my skirted lures (chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, buzzbaits). I think he might have not factored in burning moving baits. Why wouldn't a 7:1 be the best choice for an All Around. 

[T-Billy]

7 speed gets my vote. Good speed for most everything but deep cranks.

[VolFan]

Ford…Chevy…Toyota… different things for different people who fish differently 

[LrgmouthShad]

It would be very hard to convince me to throw spinnerbaits or crankbaits on a 7 speed when I had a slower gear ratio available. I only like 7 speeds for bottom bouncing baits or baits where reeling in slack is important. And no faster than that

 

so… 6 speed gets my vote

[Jigfishn10]

I used a 5.?:1 for years on a round bait cast reel. I like reels in the 6's, plenty for me.

 

Now line recovery is a different discussion.

[Phil77]

I like them both but prefer the 6GR for everything but square bills. I like to burn a square bill parallel to the bank with my 7GR. I'll agree with the youtuber that the 6GR is the best all around because you can always reel faster if needed, hard to slow down a moving bait with a 7 or 8 GR.

[Jig Man]

I use 5s for Arigs and 7s and 8s for everything else.  I’d rather slow down than speed up.

[TcRoc]

For me a 7spd is my go to. 

[MN Fisher]

7-speed is my general, all around gear ratio.

[Boogey Man]

To me I'd factor in IPT. I've seen some 6:1's with IPT varrying from 25-28 IPT and 7:1's anywhere from 28-32 IPT. I prefer around 28 IPT regardless of gear ratio. 

[Pogues2300]

I have no trouble slowing down, and the technology now provides plenty of torque even on high speed reels compared to how they used to perform. I use 8 for basically everything. To answer the op question I’d vote 7 over 6

[softwateronly]

Another vote for 7.  I can keep aware enough to reel slow for a bite, but I absolutely hate losing a fish that's rocketing toward me because I can't pick up line fast enough.

 

scott

[Aaron_H]

7:1 is my go-to. I only use a 6:1 on my chatterbait/spinnerbait rod, but find it's harder to really speed up with that than it is to slow down with the 7:1.

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, lunkerboss923 said:

A YouTuber was trying to convince us that a 6:1 is the All Around gear ratio.  This obviously will allow you to work both fast moving presentations as well as slow. How. I'm convinced that the 734C in any Dobyns line is the best all around round. I do throw a 6:1 on this rod. I use it exclusively for my skirted lures (chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, buzzbaits). I think he might have not factored in burning moving baits. Why wouldn't a 7:1 be the best choice for an All Around. 

A 7. something gear ratio in a smaller spool, has a similar enough IPT to a larger one with a 6. something. Either will work ok as an all around, the real difference will be the greater delta along the casting distance. I'm more concerned with the 7'3" rod being anything near all around, that's just silly talk.

1 hour ago, VolFan said:

Ford…Chevy…Toyota… different things for different people who fish differently 

No, that would be like comparing Shimano, Daiwa, and Lews, not gear ratios, more like F150, Explorer, Taurus, ok, maybe not Taurus...  

[EWREX]

i prefer 7 to 8 speed gear ratios. i can always slow down if needed and i don't deep crank at all so i have no need for a 5 speed reel.

[purpurite]

i prefer as fast of a ratio as possible—it's way easier to slow my reel-in than it is to speed up. i want 8 on all of my reels, but 7 is acceptable if it's the fastest of my choices. i don't like anything slower than a 7, personally. i have a 6 on my frog setup and it's my least favorite combo to use.

[Mojo Bass]

Another vote for the 7 speed it’s easier for me to slow down a 7 speed than speed up a 6 that’s just my preference though 

[VolFan]

3 hours ago, Deleted account said:

No, that would be like comparing Shimano, Daiwa, and Lews, not gear ratios, more like F150, Explorer, Taurus, ok, maybe not Taurus...  

I would respectfully disagree with your disagreement and will keep it with the auto analogy ? -6.1 is like saying ‘sedan’. There are many other things that go into performance and comfort, with each manufacturer having their own unique characteristics. Pertinent to this discussion would be spool size and IPT, which would truly give a measure of performance. Some 6.1s are faster than others.

 

But sedans do many things well and nothing great, except for Taurusi. Definitely not a Taurus.

[lunkerboss923]

How about a 6 gear ratio Bantam MGL for an all around moving baits real topwater, chatterbait, spinnerbait, swim jig, buzzbaits, S Waver 120s and traps. This would go on my Sierra 734c. 

[A-Jay]

I have never measured the IPT on my reels.

However my ''not too slow & not too fast" favorites

are between 6.3:1 and 6.6:1. 

I do fish 5.7:1's quite a bit.

7's and above are reserved for just a few specific techniques.

That said, I HATE fighting fish with a fast reel,

Unless I really need to.

And sometimes, I really need to.

#shesrunningrightatme

So there's that.

A-Jay

[Born 2 fish]

6.4 is my preference for a all around reel

[Hammer 4]

6 speed would be my choice.

[ironbjorn]

IPT is more important to me. All around for me would be 28"-30".

[CrashVector]

6.3:1

[Bluebasser86]

I have more 6 ratio reels than faster reels, so I guess I'd vote 6 over 7.