Gear Ratios for Baitcasters

[Jeffrey Walker]

What gear ratios do you all prefer for specific baits or techniques/applications?

 

Or how else do you think about gear ratios and where/when they are applicable or desirable?

[LonnieP]

I use 7.1 for bottom contact and frogs. 6.3 for everything else

[Bankbeater]

I use 6.3:1 for everything now.  I use to use faster reels, but it didn't make much sense to me to buy a faster reel when I'm barely moving the bait across the bottom.

[Jar11591]

I like 7:1 or 8:1 for most techniques. Working topwater baits and jerkbaits naturally creates a lot of slack, and when they hit it that will also slack your line. I like to be able to erase that slack with a single turn of the handle to stick the fish before it can spit the lure. Same with jigs and Texas rigs, or other non moving baits. I want to be able to get rid of that slack as soon as possible when I feel a hit. High gear ratios help with this. 
 

For moving baits like spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, I use a slower gear ratio; 5:1. Really helps with slow rolling the bait along bottom. Helps keep the blades spinning at slower speeds. 
 

6:1 I prefer for lipless crankbaits. I’m normally yo-yoing them so there is some slack and some tension. I want to be able to move the bait somewhat slow, but also want to be able to reel in slack quickly if it gets hit on the down yo. 6:1 is a good middle ground for this in my opinion. 

[JackstrawIII]

12 minutes ago, LonnieP said:

I use 7.1 for bottom contact and frogs. 6.3 for everything else

Kinda this... except it's 8.1 and 6.8. 

[redmeansdistortion]

I really don't pay much attention as long as it isn't too high of a speed.  It's easier to reel faster if need be, and I appreciate the torque that comes with the middle and lower ratios.  If I wanted to 'speed up' a slower gear, I'd just use a shorter handle to compensate.

[Revival]

6:3 for cranks and glides

8:1 for pitching 

7:1 for everything else

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I can get away with a 6.3 doing almost anything.  The exception would be throwing a frog.

[Mike L]

8 for all bottom contact 

6 or 7 for everything else 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[MN Fisher]

8 for flip/pitch and frogs

6 for cranks

7 for everything else

[newapti5]

I use 5 gear ratio for everything. If there's company who is focusing on 4 or 5 low ratio reels, I will not care about material, weight, brakes, or anything else, not even prices; I'll buy them without any hesitation. 

[Jeffrey Walker]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

8 for flip/pitch and frogs

6 for cranks

7 for everything else

I like this, makes sense. 

[LrgmouthShad]

I’m a 5 on moving bait, 7 on bottom contact or baits with slack uptake kinda guy. 
 

6 on something that does both

 

An exception is swim jigs. I actually like em on my jig setup with a 7 speed

[casts_by_fly]

41 minutes ago, newapti5 said:

I use 5 gear ratio for everything. If there's company who is focusing on 4 or 5 low ratio reels, I will not care about material, weight, brakes, or anything else, not even prices; I'll buy them without any hesitation. 

i assume you’ve seen it but the zillion comes in a 5.5 if that’s close enough for you. 

[Jeffrey Walker]

Anyone use a 10.0?

[MN Fisher]

15 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Anyone use a 10.0?

I see no need for something that fast - my CA-80 is an 8.3:1 and retrieves at 35" per turn of the handle when full or near so (more line that's out, the more the retrieve speed slows)...that's plenty.

 

Bad part of faster reels - less torque to haul a fish out out of the slop...if it wraps the line around lily-pad stems or a clump of milfoil, you want torque to get it out.

[Jeffrey Walker]

So a 10.0 has no torque?

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

So a 10.0 has no torque?

I wouldn't say none - but less than an 8.3 (my flip/pitch reel) or an 8.1 (my frogging reel)

 

It's kind of like a manual transmission on a car - 1st gear has lots of torque (5-speed reel) so you can lay rubber - 5th gear gives you higher speed (10-speed reel) but try to start moving from a dead stop.

[Jeffrey Walker]

Does it depend on the model or is that a fair statement regardless of the specific make and model of the reel?

 

I am considering the Zillion SV 10.0

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

Does it depend on the model or is that a fair statement regardless of the specific make and model of the reel?

 

I am considering the Zillion SV 10.0

Brand, model - doesn't matter.

 

Kind of like a 5-speed on a Chevy truck vs a 5-speed on a Dodge Challenger...no real difference. I owned a 1998 Chevy WT-1500 with a 5-speed - I'd occasionally start in 2nd gear, but never in 5th...in high-school I had a 1973 Plymouth Cuda with a 3-speed, trying to start moving in 3rd would be a good way to burn out the clutch.

[LCG]

I seem to gravitate towards smaller frame reels with similar line retreveal rates. 7:1 ratio with 28" ipt feels right for most things I do. Mostly target casting. I feel I can speed up or slow down as required. 

[Fastbee]

17 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

 

Bad part of faster reels - less torque to haul a fish out out of the slop...if it wraps the line around lily-pad stems or a clump of milfoil, you want torque to get it out.

I guess I've never understood statements like this. I'd never depend on the reel to move a fish out of cover like that, that's what the rod is for.  When in heavy cover my reel is only used to take up line. 

20 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

What gear ratios do you all prefer for specific baits or techniques/applications?

 

Or how else do you think about gear ratios and where/when they are applicable or desirable?

At some point you should really consider your own experiences with your gear and how it fishes. Seems like you are always on here asking what everyone else does (despite claiming to own a bunch of high dollar gear).  Do you never use it?  I'd think by now you would understand what you like and how to determine what works... 

[Jrob78]

15 minutes ago, Fastbee said:

I guess I've never understood statements like this. I'd never depend on the reel to move a fish out of cover like that, that's what the rod is for.  When in heavy cover my reel is only used to take up line. 

I don't notice higher ratio reels causing any issue while fighting fish either but it definitely makes a difference when fishing baits with a lot of drag. I definitely prefer 6 and lower ratios for fishing big spinnerbaits, deep cranks, etc, partially because of the winding power, for lack of a better word. 

[ska4fun]

21 hours ago, Jeffrey Walker said:

What gear ratios do you all prefer for specific baits or techniques/applications?

 

Or how else do you think about gear ratios and where/when they are applicable or desirable?

All-round 6.3:1. 5x:1 for bigbaits. 8:1 for poppers, propellers and most topwater lures and jerkbaits. 

 

But prefer to think in terms of IPT alone. 

[Deleted account]

17 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

It's kind of like a manual transmission on a car - 1st gear has lots of torque (5-speed reel) so you can lay rubber - 5th gear gives you higher speed (10-speed reel) but try to start moving from a dead stop.

I smell clutch...