Is It Normal To Hear Some Gear Noise On Baitcasters? 2025
Musky_Fever reply :
I hear some, what I assume, to be gear noise on my baitcasters. It's not screeching, grinding or doing anything funky. It just makes noise. Not anything I think is a malfunction. Not anything alarming but in a way, just kind of annoying when you want total silence at the crank of the handle. Is this normal?
Turkey sandwich reply :
It can be.
John G reply :
Yes
FinCulture reply :
probably normal. what type of gears do you have?
tater555 reply :
I wondered the same thing for the longest time. I noticed it was the worst in shimano reels, I had a curado I, citica e, and calcutta and sold all of tyem in like a week because I hated the gear noise. I have found that daiwa is the way to go if you want a silent reel. I have an alphas ito, a pixy, and a couple of tatulas and you can't even tell they have gears! Quantums are actually really smooth as well, I have an older energy and an exo and both are nice and quiet.
gulfcaptain reply :
^^^^^^ Funny you said Daiwa for being quiet. I have two that make noise no matter what I try to do to them. Still function as they should but the squeak does get a little irriating after a bit so they have been retired to the box of extra reels.
tater555 reply :
Yeah I had a lexa that was really geary, I ended up selling it as well. I just can not stand to feel/ hear the gears in my reels.
the reel ess reply :
I've only noticed it on worn out or lower-end reels.
Penguino reply :
try lubing it up.
J Francho reply :
If you're hearing it, then it's probably nothing. Might even NOT be the gears. If you're feeling it, it should be addressed.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
A reel is a mechanical tool with moving parts. Some being more refined, will be quieter but none should be expected to be completely silent, especially if setup for peak performance.
poisonokie reply :
what you think are gears may be spool or level wind bearings, too.
bigbill reply :
I lube it with moly. The gear teeth. I like my reels quiet.
k3bass reply :
On 8/24/2015 at 7:14 PM, tater555 said:I wondered the same thing for the longest time. I noticed it was the worst in shimano reels, I had a curado I, citica e, and calcutta and sold all of tyem in like a week because I hated the gear noise. I have found that daiwa is the way to go if you want a silent reel. I have an alphas ito, a pixy, and a couple of tatulas and you can't even tell they have gears! Quantums are actually really smooth as well, I have an older energy and an exo and both are nice and quiet.
I agree with this 100 percent. Every shimano I've owned after the D series curados developed noisy gears after a few uses. I'm not sure about the cheaper daiwas but my older zillions are super smooth, no gear noise. I just bought a quantum energy a few months ago and it is still super smooth.
A-Jay reply :
Just turn up the radio . . . .
A-Jay
bootytrain reply :
All my high end ABUs have a noisier geary retrieve compared to my other brands.
BassinLou reply :
On 8/24/2015 at 11:30 AM, Musky_Fever said:I hear some, what I assume, to be gear noise on my baitcasters. It's not screeching, grinding or doing anything funky. It just makes noise. Not anything I think is a malfunction. Not anything alarming but in a way, just kind of annoying when you want total silence at the crank of the handle. Is this normal?
This is the exact same reason I got rid of my Revo STX. Reel was perfectly fine, but that dang geary noise was driving me nuts.
bigbill reply :
Gear noise can go down the line into the water like a gutiar string. I'm very worried about making more noise when in stealthy. Shore fishing isn't easy.
Josh Smith reply :
I have never seen a reel of any sort I can't hear. If it's not gears it's bearings. Moving things make nose. Heavier lube can mask it but comes with its own price.
Josh
zachb34 reply :
My curado 200E, after 4 years of heavy use doing paddle tail swimbait duties, is the loudest reel I own.I've used the reel long enough to tear the drag washers apart and have them pretty much stuck on the brass gears. I bought Carbontrex drag washers and It's better than ever. It will throw those swimbaits just as far as any reel Ive owned. I credit it's long casts for a few of my bigger fish when my partner couldn't make the distance casts I could. I'll listen to that geary noise all day long, since the fish don't hear it.
BeardedBassGuy reply :
my bass pro PQ gurgled a couple times after oiling the bearings but it stopped shortly after. that was a irritating sound.
SirSnookalot reply :
Would I accept a new car making noise......No, I would't with a reel either.
GetJigginWithIt reply :
With all of the light weight reels out, most of them have some sort of carbon, plastic side plate. This type of material will not stop the natural sound emitted from gears that are working properly. You are going to hear noise from the gear box. A slight noise is fine but if it is loud, you can feel it in the handle, and it is harder to reel than there is an issue. Otherwise it is just the nature of the beast.
*Hootie reply :
I've seen or heard of a totally silent reel.
Hootie
Preytorien reply :
Even with proper lubing they'll make noise.
I tend to use a bit more/heavier lube on the drive gears to keep the geary noise down, I like it silent, and like mentioned above, that noise actually gets transmitted down the line.
Think about it, we're using the most sensitive rods, reels, and lines on the planet. You can feel a 3 inch grub tick a pebble from 50 feet away with a line that's several human hairs thick.....you're silly not to think that the same vibrations we want to feel can't also be felt/heard in the water from our reels. Can you catch fish with a geary reel? Yes, but in finesse applications I'm sure a silent reel is just one more thing to your advantage.
bigbill reply :
Moly will quiet them. Just a little will do. It may feel a tad tighter but after some spinning it will freely up.
Moly
Eliminates all wear
Reduces friction.
Prevents galling.
Oil your bearings
Moly the teeth on your gears
Don't get any moly on your friction drag plates.
Silence is golden. When I'm fishing new unfished places anything is to my advantage. Total stealth is the key.
Area 51 bass fishing.
That sunfish listening to were my line entered the water wasn't listening to Elvis. My old worn out reel had bad gear noise. He listened to gear slamming trucker grinding music. Even the fish can teach us. I was fishing off a ledge high above the water I can see all the action.
Number one fishing tool polarized sun glasses.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Where's the study claiming reel noise is transmitted to the water via line? Even if it did it wouldn't come near what a crank bait puts out not to mention trolling motors, radios, impact with structure etc. not that a level of stealth isn't prudent, but we're way over thinking this one.
tater555 reply :
Long story short; noise=friction and friction= no good
Musky_Fever reply :
On 8/24/2015 at 7:14 PM, tater555 said:I wondered the same thing for the longest time. I noticed it was the worst in shimano reels, I had a curado I, citica e, and calcutta and sold all of tyem in like a week because I hated the gear noise. I have found that daiwa is the way to go if you want a silent reel. I have an alphas ito, a pixy, and a couple of tatulas and you can't even tell they have gears! Quantums are actually really smooth as well, I have an older energy and an exo and both are nice and quiet.
Yeap. The reel I'm talking about is a Shimano Cardiff 300.
I too have an old, old Quantum Energy which has been neglected in the garage and yesterday, I picked it up and it was silent and still very smooth.
bigbill reply :
Well at a unfished place deep in the woods that's very quiet strange noises can be heard that's not natural to there environment. I made a long cast with a spinner I noticed a sunfish at the point were my line entered the water. He's sideways like he's listening at my point of entry of my line. This tells me he's hearing my worn out reel.On 8/25/2015 at 11:16 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Where's the study claiming reel noise is transmitted to the water via line? Even if it did it wouldn't come near what a crank bait puts out not to mention trolling motors, radios, impact with structure etc. not that a level of stealth isn't prudent, but we're way over thinking this one.
I don't think I'm over thinking it but wanting to be stealthy and quiet in the dark everything matters noise wise.
poisonokie reply :
At an unfished place deep in the woods you should be able to catch every fish in there on practically any bait or presentation on neon green mono.
Choporoz reply :
On 8/26/2015 at 2:07 AM, poisonokie said:At an unfished place deep in the woods you should be able to catch every fish in there on practically any bait or presentation on neon green mono.
Not neon green fishing line!
SirSnookalot reply :
With some species that "run", a fish a cast is quite possible, those runs don't last all day. I don't beleive LMB are one of those species.
Catt reply :
On 8/26/2015 at 12:58 AM, bigbill said:Well at a unfished place deep in the woods that's very quiet strange noises can be heard that's not natural to there environment. I made a long cast with a spinner I noticed a sunfish at the point were my line entered the water. He's sideways like he's listening at my point of entry of my line. This tells me he's hearing my worn out reel.
I don't think I'm over thinking it but wanting to be stealthy and quiet in the dark everything matters noise wise.
Yelp! That's what he was doing, that & counting every turn of the gears while warning the bass!
singlecoil reply :
Seems to me a sonar unit makes a whole lot more noise than the gears from my reel.
GetJigginWithIt reply :
On 8/26/2015 at 12:58 AM, bigbill said:Well at a unfished place deep in the woods that's very quiet strange noises can be heard that's not natural to there environment. I made a long cast with a spinner I noticed a sunfish at the point were my line entered the water. He's sideways like he's listening at my point of entry of my line. This tells me he's hearing my worn out reel.
I don't think I'm over thinking it but wanting to be stealthy and quiet in the dark everything matters noise wise.
Is this sunfish hearing the worn out reel or the vibrations of the spinner bait? Or is this sunfish just wondering what is breaking the surface of the water. If stealth is the key then forget casting anything into the water because that will make more noise than anything entering the water. 
Big Bait Fishing reply :
i don't hear any noise from my gears in my reel , but i can hear the level wind , it makes some sound as it works ..
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
An episode of Hook N Look showed bass having little or no response to a trolling motor but scattered at the sight of the boat. I'm not about to advocate making unnecessary noise, just offering another perspective on stealth.
J Francho reply :
You're required to post video of doing the the Hook and Look dance before citing them as a source. It's in the EULA, lol.
bigbill reply :
One spot deep in the woods the fish are very easily spooked. I can stand on a ledge above the water and see the whole pond.
The black lines moving in the water are big bass on the other side. I can't walk that far with my back right now.
I need to post pics and explain the places I fish at.
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