Gear ratios, Is it easier to speed up your retrieve or slow down

[retiredbosn]

With the faster gear ratios being all the rage right now, it is getting a little more difficult to find a reel with a lower gear ratio.  Some reels aren't even offered in anything but a 6:2.1, which although has its applications, I don't feel as though it is the ideal all around gear ratio.  I can work a buzz bait on a 5:4 reel just fine, but I can't work a crank on a 6:2 reel as efficiently.  I find it easier to speedup my revolutions on a reel rather than to try and slow it down.  Seems that when I try to slow my retrieve down that it becomes jerky.  What is your experience with this?  Is it easier for you to speed up your retrieve or slow it down?  I'm not asking what the ideal gear ratio is, but rather what you find it easier to do.  I have reels in 6:5 down to 4:7 and would take a 3:8 if I could find one, in saying that however I would never try to work a high speed bait on the 4:1, there are limits.

[5bass]

  I find it easier to speedup my revolutions on a reel rather than to try and slow it down.

Same here. I have a habit of just flat out reeling fast. Why? Don't know, it just happens like that. I'd like to see more reels made in the 5._:1 ratio, and even a few in the 4's.

[fathom]

depends on the lure, imo.

having to speed up a 5:1 reel feels just as awkward to me as having to slow down a 7:1.

[Jake.]

For me it is much easier to speed up my retrieve instead of slowing down a higher speed reel. Especially for lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

[hercdoc]

I bet if someone wins the Bassmaster Classic this year slow crankin on a 4.7:1 name brand reel, and consumers start screaming for this particular reel, then you'll see more companies producing lower speed reels.  I would like to see a company produce a reel with exchangeable gears so you can speed up or slow down your favorite reel.

[mattm]

Its much easier to speed up.  For this reason I avoid 7:1 reels like the plague.  I have one or two but they are on t-rig reels where I move bait with the rod, and then burn the empty back bait as quickly as possible.  I hate trying to fish a moving bait with a 7:1 reel.

[Lucky Craft Man]

For me it is much easier to speed up my retrieve instead of slowing down a higher speed reel. Especially for lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

It's funny you should say that, because I was just thinking about a reel they made I would say about 15 years ago that actually had a small lever on the side of the reel which allowed you to change the ratio of the reel just by moving the lever.  Too bad they haven't brought that concept back with a little better design on one of these high end reels.

[LAO162]

I often wonder about this.  The classic Stradic 2500 FH retrieves about 31" pt and the new 2500 FI turns 34" pt and I have not heard concerns that they are too fast.  I frequently use my 2500 FH for cranks and have no problems slowing down.

7.X baitcast reels seem to be about 30" to 31" pt, so they do not seem all that fast to me based on my use with spinning gear.  Also, because I'm used to spinning handles, I find it awkward to speed up my retrieve with paddle style handles.

As I become more comfortable with casting gear, it is very possible my perspective will change

[firefightn15]

I'd rather reel faster with a slower ratio.  I also had a burner and got rid of it.  I had to concentrate to hard to slow down when the need arose.

[21farms]

i'm with most people here that find it easier to speed up a slow reel than to slow down with a high-speed reel. this is interesting because most of what i read on other boards is just the opposite. still, i've been around long enough to see fads come and go...not saying that burner reels are a fad (yet) but we'll see.

[BARON49_Northern NY]

Glad to see I am not the only one dealing with this problem.  I have used Abu Garica round reels for many years and their 5.3 was the standard.  After switching to the Revos the 6.4 seems a bit fast for big crank baits.  I picked up a pair of Revo Winchs, but have not had a chance to try them.  Hopefully these will take care of the problem.

I do have a backup plan and that is I have one Quantum 4.4 that I used to use for fishing deep divers like DD22's and will get that back out and cleaned up is I need too.

[Daniel My Brother]

I agree with the consensus here.

Mentally it's a heck of a lot harder to make yourself slow down than it is to speed up.

[Sam]

According to Kevin VanDam, in his book Secrets of a Champion, here is a capsule of what he has to say about reel ratios.

4:1 up to 6:1 can be used for 90% of applications.

A 5:1 is in the middle.

If you use a lower ratio reel and reel fast, you will put additional stress on the reel and your arms.  You will get tired.

5:1 reels are good for crankbaits, spinnerbaits; 6:1 and 7:1 reels are good for plastics, Carolina rigs and treble hook baits.

Faster reel ratios allow you to reel in faster so you can cast faster.

If you use a short rod, a faster reel ratio will help your hook-up ratio due to the short range you need to sweep the rod to set the hook.

If your reel is underpowered then you can have problems landing the larger bass.

Spool size can also make a difference. A small spool will not take in as much line per turn as a larger spool.

So you have a very simple question but it has a very complex answer.  Hope this info from KVD is helpful.

Do we want to add line size to the equation?????  

[Raul]

If you only have 1 reel then it 's easier to speed up on a slow reel than slow down on a fast reel.

Gear ratios ? gear ratio is not a measure of reel speed the reel speed is in the IPT. If you don 't know the IPT of a reel check at the manufacturers website or check at the BPS website, the IPT is there.

Fast reels are for lures and techniques where you need to pick up line fast like worms, jigs, buzzbaits and most topwaters except wobblers.

[calikid]

I'm going against the grain on this one. I'll take a 7:1 reel over a 5:1 reel. If I am fishing a spinnerbait I just reel slower. If I'm fishing a buzzbait I can reel slowly and it still stays on top, where as with a slower reel you are working harder. When I fish jigs, plastics, etc., I like a fast reel because  I don't usually work my lure all the way to the boat and I can reel in quickly and make another cast.

Swimbaits however I like a 6:2 ratio reel. Works for me!

[retiredbosn]

Gear ratios ? gear ratio is not a measure of reel speed the reel speed is in the IPT. If you don 't know the IPT of a reel check at the manufacturers website or check at the BPS website, the IPT is there.

IPT is related not only to gear ratio but to spool size. That said, you will have a hard time finding a 4:1 that takes up 31' IPT or a 7:1 that only takes up 22 IPT. Although technically true that ratio doesn't equate speed, the gear ratio is related to speed for practical applications.

[islandbass]

I often wonder about this. The classic Stradic 2500 FH retrieves about 31" pt and the new 2500 FI turns 34" pt and I have not heard concerns that they are too fast. I frequently use my 2500 FH for cranks and have no problems slowing down.

7.X baitcast reels seem to be about 30" to 31" pt, so they do not seem all that fast to me based on my use with spinning gear. Also, because I'm used to spinning handles, I find it awkward to speed up my retrieve with paddle style handles.

As I become more comfortable with casting gear, it is very possible my perspective will change

You're exactly right. And this is why to me the IPT inches per turn or line recovery rate is more important to me that the gear ratio will ever be.

To the subject, I fall in the class that feels more comfortable speeding up since I seem to crank faster more often than not out of habit. With that said, I think it would be better for me to go slower with a higher IPT reel than to speed up with a lower IPT reel.

If you think about it, it probably takes more effort and energy to reel quickly than slowly and as a result could incrementally bring on fatigue faster potentially. Just some thinking and I still don't like to reel slowly.

[Bantam1]

Raul hit it right on the head. A lot of factors affect the IPT. Gear ratio is meaningless unless its paired with the right spool dimensions. A tall spool with a low gear ratio will pick up the same amount of line (usually) as a short spool with a high gear ratio. The IPT will also change with a long cast. There is less line on the spool therefore your spool diamter changes which slows the IPT down even further.

Me personally I like a faster reel. I crank with 5.8:1-6.2:1 reels, I fish swimbaits on my Curado 300 which has a 6.2:1 gear ratio. I find it easier to slow down when I'm fishing. I'm in So-Cal so everythng we do is pretty much slow until we get bit. I like being able to catch up to a fish that eats a bait and swims towards me. With a slow reel I feel like I am cranking for my life to catch up.

There is a time and place for slower ratio reels I agree. I just rarely use a slow reel for anything I do.

[.ghoti.]

I find it much easier to slow down with a fast reel. In fact, I swapped out the gears on all of the slower reels I had to speed them up, when possible. The one I couldn't change, I got rid of.

A 4:? reel is just useless to me.

[retiredbosn]

Here is why the spool size does not play that large of a factor in IPT rating of reels. The IPT data is not based on an empty spool, it is based on a half full spool. The IPT rating is based on half spool of line, of .012" diameter. Bigger line and faster the IPT, when the spool is full the IPT is more. Strip some line of your reel, mark it at the lead guide make one turn and measure, you will find different ratings that get smaller the closer you get to the spool. With one turn of line on the spool and the IPT is way off.

The spool only comes into play on a reel that holds a large amount of line. Most LP reels have similar size spools in regards to amount of line they hold, that is why a 5:3 is going to take up 23" of line or so. Saltwater reels on the other hand that hold 400+ yards of line will take up more line per inch as a result of how deep the spool is.

[Micro]

I like a faster reel, too, even for deep crankbaits.  I don't have any problems slowing down a retrieve, and like the versatility of a little extra speed when I need it.  As much as I like the Zillion Crazy Cranker 4.9:1 (22" IPT), I think I'm going to go with another Zillion 100HA 6.3:1 (28" IPT) for my deep crank rod.