Slower Gear Ratio 2024
Netfish and Chill reply :
Lemme pick y'all's brains about something really quickly. So in the past decade (-ish), I've noticed gear ratios getting higher and higher. I'm a simple man. I like dark haired women, food, and slow gear ratios, and these faster and faster gear ratios are a bit confusing. I'm not talking about the 7:1 or 8:1 ratios because I understand their purpose in flipping and pitching or frogging. I'm talking about the 6.4:1 and higher for crankbaits. I'm not bagging on anyone who does this I'm simply looming for an explanation. Are the fish getting faster paced and more aggressive? I'm on my way to get the Lew's BB1Z: a nice 5.1:1 gear ratio. Maybe it's my style, but I'm just wondering if the higher speed is a trend or if it's based off of new bass behavior. If any of you guys have any books or sites that explain this, please holler at me. Again, I want to reitterate that I have no prejudice against people who use these higher speend ratios, I'm just wondering what the cause of this trend is. I just find this slower ratio is easier to handle the fish with. Ahhh maybe it's just preference, but nevertheless I find it interesting!
Tight Lines Brothers,
~ Mr. Netfish and Chill 
HookdUP reply :
I catch way more and way bigger fish burning crankbaits .. Especially square bills ... I just cannot fish a reel that slow anymore ... Not even for swimbaits ... But the reason I sped up was because I heard Aaron and Tak and Brent all say they did it .
Catt reply :
Mark Davis, David Fritts, & Paul Elias all use 5.1:1!
Works for me! 
bigturtle reply :
i use 7.3:1 and 9.1:1 for everything.
2oz+ swimabits, 15ft+ deep diving cranks, 1oz colorado spinnerbaits, it all goes on the 7.3:1, simply because they can't be fished fast, whether its ineffective, or the bait just dont run properly at high speeds.
Everything else goes on the 9.1:1. A lot of people I fish with say that high gear ratio dont have any power or torque for baits like spinners, cranks or swimbaits, but I honestly dont notice too much lacking in power compared to my 7:1.
I will never buy a reel slower than 7:1, simply because I have no need for it. Its always easier for me to slow down a 7:1/9:1 to match the speed of a 6:1/5:1, but I can never speed up a 5:1/6:1 to match a 7:1/9:1. I also dont need crazy amount of power/torque for baits that resist HUGE amounts of water, like extra deep cranks and big colorado spinners, because I dont fish them at all, or not often enough to warrant another reel.
Fishin' Fool reply :
I have nothing to add to the conversation. Clever screen name though. Good luck with the information you seek
WRB reply :
I have a few Shimano older reels Calcutta 250 with 5:8-1 ratio used for swimbaits and started using one of them crankbait fishing a few years ago and good reel for that application.
Also have several Daiwa Tatula 8:1 size 100 reels that are used for both jigs and worms and good reels for those applications.
Pick a reel you like and use it.
Tom
0119 reply :
All this stuff is trends, thats all. They have to sell more so things are made either more expense and or with planned obsolescence. Rods made with techniques written on them and marketers telling gullible consumers that they need several to do what one or two used to do. Reels in different gears for the same reason. Grandpa with his metal 4ft. rod and wood one colored plug never really caught fish.......absolutely never big ones or world records! Nobody believes George Perry could have caught the record without a sub 5oz. 12 b.b. reel made out of unobtanium on a 7ft.3 and 3/16th.'s inch long rod in matching colors. 6 years from now when they need to make even more money they will tell their "pro's" to start using 5'6" pistol grip rods and proclaim them essential for skipping spybait worm hybrid lures with blue hooks.
cottny27 reply :
I bought a 5.4 reel last year for cranks and big spinnerbaits. It just feels like you're doing less work than the higher ratio reels imo. Gears feel smoother and I can feel the bait more with less resistance. It's what I've noticed anyway.
burrows reply :
I like 541 even for square bills.
tander reply :
I like 5.1:1 for crankbaits, always have. Anything else is 6.8:1, then again I like 6'6" rods.
fishballer06 reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 4:49 AM, Netfish and Chill said:I'm a simple man. I like dark haired women, food, and slow gear ratios
One of the better posts I've seen on here in a while!
On 3/21/2016 at 5:42 AM, bigturtle said:Everything else goes on the 9.1:1. A lot of people I fish with say that high gear ratio dont have any power or torque for baits like spinners, cranks or swimbaits, but I honestly dont notice too much lacking in power compared to my 7:1.
I'm calling BS on this one. Go throw a DT14/DD22 for an hour on your 7:1, and then go put a 5:1 on that same rod and throw those same baits for an hour. I'd bet the farm that you will be able to tell a world of difference.
I can't even stand to throw a DT10 on a 6:1 because of the lack of power and the strain it puts on me, and I use all high end Shimano/Diawa reels, so it's not a matter of reel quality.
bigturtle reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 10:43 AM, fishballer06 said:I'm calling BS on this one. Go throw a DT14/DD22 for an hour on your 7:1, and then go put a 5:1 on that same rod and throw those same baits for an hour. I'd bet the farm that you will be able to tell a world of difference.
I can't even stand to throw a DT10 on a 6:1 because of the lack of power and the strain it puts on me, and I use all high end Shimano/Diawa reels, so it's not a matter of reel quality.
Just because you cant do it doesnt mean others cant. As far as me not using a 5:1, go read the last part of my post you seem to have missed.
Cam Steele reply :
In all honesty, you should fish with whatever gear ratio your comfortable with. That being said, as far as my understanding is concerned, you want a 6:4:1 gear ratio for square bill crankbaits, because you want the extra speed to burn them back to the boat. Conversely so, you want a slower, 5:3:1 gear ratio for deep cranking, because your want more torque and power, opposed to speed. If your like me, and don't have unlimited money to buy three different cranking setups. I would recommend going with the 5:3:1 gear ratio. It will work good for all your square bills, and great for all your deep divers. I hope this helps,
Cam
Netfish and Chill reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 11:34 AM, Cam Steele said:In all honesty, you should fish with whatever gear ratio your comfortable with.
Completely agreed! I simply think it's interesting to hear the preferences of other fishermen and compare my opinion to theirs. In the end no one is right or wrong, it's just preference and what's easier for that person.
~ Mr. Netfish and Chill
tbone1993 reply :
I'm somewhat of a purist for gear ratios. I like to have each reel for a specific purpose. That being said I'm not opposed to bumping up to a 7.1 to fish a squarebill. There isn't enough bill to necessitate a low gear ratio. I like being able to keep my crankbaits in the strike zone longer churning the bottom and if that means going with a 5:4.1 with less IPT then that is what I do. I have nothing but good things to say about my bb1pro ps1 and the same with my gen 2 revo winch. If you can find an old gen 2 revo scoop it up and replace the bearings. I'm changing mine if I ever take the time to buy the spool tool.
Netfish and Chill reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 12:38 PM, tbone1993 said:I'm somewhat of a purist for gear ratios. I like to have each reel for a specific purpose.
I 100% agree. I don't want you guys to think I'm taking my Lew's frog fishing with me! If I'm pitching, flipping, or frogging, I'm speeding up big time. But like you said, I like to keep my crankbaits in the strike zone for as long as possible and I feel that a lower gear ratio is best at doing that. I'm a very in-depth person and I think that by going in and dissecting an area, you can catch far more bass in one slew than quickly covering water and jumping around from one to another. To each his own. I just found this topic very interesting.
It really does seem like the ratio-norm is getting higher though doesn't it?
~ Mr. Netfish and Chill
Bluebasser86 reply :
I have different reel speeds for different baits, but I really prefer the faster speeds if I can get away with them since it's easier for me to speed up than it is to slow down. I have reels down to a 4.9:1 (deep cranking), up to an 8.2:1 on my finesse jig rod and 8.1 on my frog rod.
That doesn't mean you can't use slower reels if they work for you. I had an old 3.8:1 Lew's (it was even touted as being high speed on the side of the reel). I caught a lot of fish on a T rig with that reel. I can also remember cranking like a mad man and still having a huge bow in my line when a fish decided to swim straight at me.
If it works for you and you're happy with the results, roll with it.
roadwarrior reply :
Fast reels for most applications, but if you do a lot of deep cranking you REALLY need a slow reel with lots of torque.
Silas reply :
Sometimes we pay too much attention to what others think. We seem to be losing the art of thinking for ourselves.
You are a unique individual and therefore your capabilities and skills differ from everyone else.
Consider making your own conclusions more often than accepting others.
In the end you will become wiser and be able to make better decisions.
consider and weigh others thoughts; but make your own decisions .
YOU decide which ratio works best for you
Netfish and Chill reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 10:57 PM, Silas said:Sometimes we pay too much attention to what others think. We seem to be losing the art of thinking for ourselves.
You are a unique individual and therefore your capabilities and skills differ from everyone else.
Consider making your own conclusions more often than accepting others.
In the end you will become wiser and be able to make better decisions.
consider and weigh others thoughts; but make your own decisions .
YOU decide which ratio works best for you
I agree. We make our own choices. I simply find it interesting to see the views of others on ideas where preference and opinion are deciding factors.
tstraub reply :
Just a guess but reel speeds have been getting higher over the years as rod lengths have been getting longer and longer. My thought is that with today's longer rods and longer casts the reel needs to pick up line faster so you can get that lure back in approximately the same amount of time keeping your casts per hour equal.
Either that our the marketing department just likes bigger numbers. And once one brand jumps up a speed or size everybody else has to follow suit.
Tyler
BassWhole! reply :
On 3/21/2016 at 10:57 PM, Silas said:Sometimes we pay too much attention to what others think. We seem to be losing the art of thinking for ourselves.
You are a unique individual and therefore your capabilities and skills differ from everyone else.
Consider making your own conclusions more often than accepting others.
In the end you will become wiser and be able to make better decisions.
consider and weigh others thoughts; but make your own decisions .
YOU decide which ratio works best for you
There's a crazy concept, see what works for you and use that. Silas for president!
OkobojiEagle reply :
Much of this frequent discussion concerning appropriate reel ratios revolves around what is comfortable for the angler instead of what is most applicable to the bait presentation and the bass' state of aggression.
oe
Molay1292 reply :
On 3/22/2016 at 1:27 AM, OkobojiEagle said:Much of this frequent discussion concerning appropriate reel ratios revolves around what is comfortable for the angler instead of what is most applicable to the bait presentation and the bass' state of aggression.
oe
Great observation!
Fishes in trees reply :
In olden times, Shimano marketed a Curado in a 3.8 to 1 gear ratio. They weren't selling at the tackle store I go to and I noticed that they were getting discounted from time to time. When they got down to much less than half the original price, I bought one. I found out that 3.8 to one is too slow - word got out and now wonder that they didn't sell well.
Then I found out during a conversation with an employee at the reel repair show next door to the primary BPS store in Springfield, that the Curado B's were all the same size inside and it was a simple matter of around $20 to switch out the gears from 3.8 to 5 to 1. The next time I was in KC I bought 4 of the lower gear ration Curados and got them all switch over to the slightly higher gear ratio. So I got a whole set of back up reels for less than $75 each.
As I upgrade reels from time to time I find that the 5 to 1 ratio is harder and harder to find. The Curado E and Chronarch 50 size are 6.4 to 1 and I'm ok with that. I recently acquired a new Curado 70 which has a higher gear ratio, but I haven't had a chance to fish with it yet.
Catt reply :
On 3/22/2016 at 1:27 AM, OkobojiEagle said:Much of this frequent discussion concerning appropriate reel ratios revolves around what is comfortable for the angler instead of what is most applicable to the bait presentation and the bass' state of aggression.
oe
These 3 have more experience with crank baits than all of us combined which is why I'm following their advice!
On 3/21/2016 at 5:13 AM, Catt said:Mark Davis, David Fritts, & Paul Elias all use 5.1:1!
Works for me!
tbone1993 reply :
On 3/22/2016 at 1:46 AM, Fishes in trees said:In olden times, Shimano marketed a Curado in a 3.8 to 1 gear ratio. They weren't selling at the tackle store I go to and I noticed that they were getting discounted from time to time. When they got down to much less than half the original price, I bought one. I found out that 3.8 to one is too slow - word got out and now wonder that they didn't sell well.
Then I found out during a conversation with an employee at the reel repair show next door to the primary BPS store in Springfield, that the Curado B's were all the same size inside and it was a simple matter of around $20 to switch out the gears from 3.8 to 5 to 1. The next time I was in KC I bought 4 of the lower gear ration Curados and got them all switch over to the slightly higher gear ratio. So I got a whole set of back up reels for less than $75 each.
As I upgrade reels from time to time I find that the 5 to 1 ratio is harder and harder to find. The Curado E and Chronarch 50 size are 6.4 to 1 and I'm ok with that. I recently acquired a new Curado 70 which has a higher gear ratio, but I haven't had a chance to fish with it yet.
How many parts do they need to change to do that?
aprilbass101 reply :
The bottom line comes down to "Personal Preference!" There's no right or wrong on ratios on reels! Honestly, the fish will tell you how fast they want the baits to be presented! IMO....I think the pros use them specifically to cover a lot of water regardless of the bait their throwing minus flipping & pitching! No bites....Slow it down 
BobP reply :
Gear change = pinion and main gears. I think the higher and higher gear ratios came about as they began to engineer reels with larger diameter main gears, the reels that require the side cover on the crank side of the reel to be bumped down and out so it protrudes beneath the reel foot. Once they did that, they could build reels with sufficient cranking power to accommodate 8 and 9:1 gear ratios.
As far as what ratio gears to use for different presentations, It's all about comfort and what works for you. I converted my old ProMax reels from 5.3 to 6:1 ratio gears and haven't had any problems. But I still keep a Shimano 200B5 with 5:1 gears for fishing super deep divers. The 6.2:1 reels are considered moderate speed "do it all" reels nowadays but the ratios keep trending upward. Eventually, we may see reels with right side plates as big as tea saucers to accommodate 20:1 gear boxes. The fish won't care.
Tmmytomato reply :
For squarebills I prefer something between 5.7:1 and 6.4:1. As baits get bigger and bulkier I go to a 5.1:1 to 5.7:1. If you never throw super deep oversized cranks you can speed up but the lower ratio means hours and hours of presenting a bait versus short spurts that put a lot of torque and resistance in your reeling. I have 8.5:1 reels too but save those primarily for jigging, flipping and effortless buzzbaits.
Catt reply :
Those who have studied the effects of speed on crankbait depth have discovered that when a billed crankbait begins to dig into the water, it creates turbulence. But excessive speed creates so much turbulence that it begins to decrease the bait’s efficiency to move through the water, reducing its depth. This is usually just the opposite of what the average angler expects. Paul Elias
By Chuck Bailey
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Not trying to be know it all but squarebills are made for slow retrieves.i mean yes you can burn them but if im burnin most likly im burning a lipless.i use squarebills as a wake bait .now if its a diver down to say 5ft il burn that ..i use abus with 3.8 5.1 and 6.3 for all my crank task .im gonna be trying out some lews i bought also a ss1s in 5.4 and 2 lews tourney mb one in 6.3 and the 8.1..stay tuned yall i may have 3 brand new lews for sale.i didnt buy them to replace my abus just to see how well the.hype is lol .
On 3/22/2016 at 10:01 AM, Catt said:Those who have studied the effects of speed on crankbait depth have discovered that when a billed crankbait begins to dig into the water, it creates turbulence. But excessive speed creates so much turbulence that it begins to decrease the bait’s efficiency to move through the water, reducing its depth. This is usually just the opposite of what the average angler expects. Paul Elias
By Chuck Bailey
Exactly the only way a crank can be stable at high speeds is more resistance.bigger. bill ..its a easy test take a rapala floater and burn it as fast as can it leaves a bubble.trail and stays maybe 3" s below surface pureeeee crankin no rod swiping
Netfish and Chill reply :
On 3/22/2016 at 1:46 AM, Fishes in trees said:I find that the 5 to 1 ratio is harder and harder to find.
Amen to that! I drove 2 hours to the nearest BPS and 2 hours back for that Lew's this weekend. They're really becoming a thing of the past it seems.
~ Mr. Netfish and Chill
tbone1993 reply :
On 3/22/2016 at 11:03 AM, Netfish and Chill said:Amen to that! I drove 2 hours to the nearest BPS and 2 hours back for that Lew's this weekend. They're really becoming a thing of the past it seems.
~ Mr. Netfish and Chill
Had my boss stock a bb1 for this very reason. You always see the 6:4 and up reels in small shops but just a few slow gear ratios. You might as well stick the one reel that was known for it.
finesse68 reply :
Nothing but preference, if you're fishing a square bill a 6 ratio works fine. I'd rather speed up than slow down, so I'd prefer a 5 ratio. If you're cranking deep divers, it's a no go for the higher ratios. I've yet to see a high ratio that will pull a deep diver without struggling horribly, and wearing you out at the same time.
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