7.? Reels

[*Hootie]

How many 7.? reels do you own.

This is my second post concerning high speed reels. I just purchased two 7.1 Lews Tournament Speed Spool reels.

Now I am wondering if I can use two, or should I exchange one. By the way, I already have two 6.4's. So, I am just looking for opinions, should I exchange one, or keep them both.

Thanks, Hootie

[Ima Bass Ninja]

I have 2. Both Rick Clunn PQ's. One's the old blue one and the other the purple version. The purple one does my topwater duties and the other is currently on my Bama rig setup.

[flippin and pitchin]

I depends on the techniques you plan to apply and the rods you match them with. If you have need to get a lure back quickly as in pitchin, that's one. If you plan on burnin a spinnerbait or buzzbait, that's two and so on. Do you have a 5.4 to 1 to crank with ? If not, maybe consider that ratio.

[*Hootie]

Yes, I do have a 5.4, but I have found that most of the time I am using the 6.4 to toss crankbaits also.

[Catt]

This is my personal opinion on high speed reels

Lew's Speed Spool Tournament Pro

7.1:1 - line retrieval 31"

6.4:1 - line retrieval 28"

By having a 7.1:1 you are gaining just 3" of line retrieval, if you turn the handle of the 6.4:1 1/4 of a turn more you have retrieved 3.5".

Have really gained anything with the 7.1:1?

[*Hootie]

Maybe 3" away from a limb that big ol' bass was about to hang up on?

Hootie

This is my personal opinion on high speed reels

Lew's Speed Spool Tournament Pro

7.1:1 - line retrieval 31"

6.4:1 - line retrieval 28"

By having a 7.1:1 you are gaining just 3" of line retrieval, if you turn the handle of the 6.4:1 1/4 of a turn more you have retrieved 3.5".

Have really gained anything with the 7.1:1?

Maybe 3" away from a limb that big ol' bass was about to hang up on?

Hootie

[new2BC4bass]

As flipin and pitchin said, it all depends on the techniques you use, and IMO what you feel comfortable using. Just one of my reels is 7 or higher. I will say I need a couple more in that range, but thankfully my wife doesn't use a computer to see this comment. According to her I already have more than I need, but since when has 'need' had anything to do with 'want'?

[Goose52]

This is my personal opinion on high speed reels

Lew's Speed Spool Tournament Pro

7.1:1 - line retrieval 31"

6.4:1 - line retrieval 28"

By having a 7.1:1 you are gaining just 3" of line retrieval, if you turn the handle of the 6.4:1 1/4 of a turn more you have retrieved 3.5".

Have really gained anything with the 7.1:1?

Catt - is your math off? Aren't you going to get that 3.5" with just 1/8 turn of the handle?

Anyway - I'm with Catt. There is a slight mathematical advantage of the higher IPT reels. But a practical advantage...I'm not so sure. For instance - using the IPTs quoted by Catt - on a 100ft cast, you would need to crank 38.7 times to retrieve the bait with the 7.1:1, and 42.8 cranks on the 6.4:1. FOUR cranks difference - so you get your bait back about 1 to 1.5 seconds sooner with the faster reel. Important for a recreational angler - no. Important for a tournament angler...........maybe - it gives you a few more casts per hour I guess.

Right now, I have 24 BC reels - 3 are 7.1, 3 are 5.2 or lower, the rest are all in the 6.3/6.4 range.

BUT use what floats your boat. The reason many of us have so much tackle is because of minor, sometimes only theoretical differences in equipment that make them more suited for one presentation or the other. I'm not sure that it all results in added fishing success, but it's fun to analyze those minor differences and develop excuses to buy more tackle...

[00 mod]

I have (5) 7.1 reels. But then again I have alot of reels!

Jeff

[J Francho]

I've developed a dislike for 30+ IPT reels for spinnerbaiting. Sure, I could just slow down, but it doesn't jibe with me. Twenty-three other guys will come and post that you MUST use a fast reel to spinnerbait effectively. They're probably right too. It's just a preference thing. I have eight reels (I just had to count them out, LOL) that are 30+ IPT. I have even more that aren't. They all work for what I like them to work for. Fish your reels. Only after time on the water will develop a preference yourself. The cool thing, if you take care of your stuff, you get a good percentage of what you put into your gear back if decide it's not for you by selling online.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

This is my personal opinion on high speed reels

Lew's Speed Spool Tournament Pro

7.1:1 - line retrieval 31"

6.4:1 - line retrieval 28"

By having a 7.1:1 you are gaining just 3" of line retrieval, if you turn the handle of the 6.4:1 1/4 of a turn more you have retrieved 3.5".

Have really gained anything with the 7.1:1?

A 30" IPT reel is 11% faster than a 28" IPT. In theory, this could allow you get 10% more casts made in a day of fishing. Those extra casts could get the kicker needed in a tx. That 11% may make the difference in taking up the slack quickly enough to get a hookset on a hawg that swam right at you with a jig in it's mouth. When you look at the cumulative affect over a day of fishing, that 3" could really add up. Whether or not that equates to more fish in the boat or not nobody knows. Either way, the difference isn't big enough to stress over. It comes down to preference.

[smalljaw67]

I own 9 baitcasting reels, 2 are high speed, 1 is a 5.4:1 and the rest oer in that 6.2:1 to 6.4:1 area. I use 1 high speed reel for jigs and worms, and the other for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. The 5.4:1 is my deep cranking reel and the others are all purpose but I use them mostly for jerkbaits, square bills and mid depth cranks.

[J Francho]

A 30" IPT reel is 11% faster than a 28" IPT. In theory, this could allow you get 10% more casts made in a day of fishing.

Sorry Mike, I'm numbers guy, so I have to look at this more closely. The retrieve is a retrieve is a retrieve, regardless of IPT or gear ratio. If you can retrieve a bait at the proper speed with the reel, those specs are irrelevant. Now, if you mean the time it takes for reeling up the last few feet of line before making a subsequent cast, then let's look at that. Probably what, three or four cranks (6-10 feet of line) to do this. So, in theory you might save the time it takes to reel in 4-10" per cast. I'm not buying it at all. two guys fishing the same bait, both adept at casting, one using a 28 IPT reel, the other a 30 IPT reel, no one has an advantage, all "measurebaiting" aside. In fact, I'll go so far to say, that if I am using the slower, more comfortable reel for me, then I catch more fish, simply because I have confidence in my gear, and don't have to think about reeling in.

[Catt]

My confidence is in my abilities to locate bass under any condition, if all you in your arsenal to beat me is 3.5" extra per retrieval or 11% fast...you be in trouble!

Seriously its personal preference only

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Catt, I agree 1000% on the importance of location. Without that bait, color, presentation are all irrelevant. Personal preference is what most of these things come down too really.

JF,

I see your point as well. I wasn't really thinking in terms of working the bait with a faster reel. Where I really like a high speed reel is casting/ pitching to targets, burning it back and hitting the next one. I fish tournies as a co-angler so I have to adjust to the pace of the person on the trolling motor. Sometimes I have to reel like hell to get a shot at a target before it's out of range.lol

[hatrix]

It seems kind of dependent on the person to me. Maybe I reel faster then you on average and could get more cast per hour then you with a slower reel. I guess it probably depends on preference and what you "think" you need or a confidence thing. Slower reels though for cranking actually make a difference at least to me.

[flippin and pitchin]

Now I get it. If I use a 7.1 instead of a 6.4, I will slow the onset of bursitis in my elbow by 11%. I'm sold.

[ROCbass]

Sorry Mike, I'm numbers guy, so I have to look at this more closely. The retrieve is a retrieve is a retrieve, regardless of IPT or gear ratio. If you can retrieve a bait at the proper speed with the reel, those specs are irrelevant. Now, if you mean the time it takes for reeling up the last few feet of line before making a subsequent cast, then let's look at that. Probably what, three or four cranks (6-10 feet of line) to do this. So, in theory you might save the time it takes to reel in 4-10" per cast. I'm not buying it at all. two guys fishing the same bait, both adept at casting, one using a 28 IPT reel, the other a 30 IPT reel, no one has an advantage, all "measurebaiting" aside. In fact, I'll go so far to say, that if I am using the slower, more comfortable reel for me, then I catch more fish, simply because I have confidence in my gear, and don't have to think about reeling in.

This belongs in the malapropisms thread.