Slower Gear Ratio = Better Bass Fishing 2025
primetime reply :
I recently purchased a 4:9 Gear Ratio Round casting reel & about 2 weeks ago I stopped at a River and it was the only Baitcaster I had with me. I usually catch a few bass in this spot each time & rarely catch any Bass over 2-3lb since its a small creek.
I started fishing a Swimbait & had the best day I ever had in this spot. I also hooked into 2 fish that were 17-18". I have gone back during lunch each day since, and I loaded up my truck with 7/1-8/1 baitcasters for pitching,frogs etc. On the 3rd/4th trip I was catching some bass & after having line issues from snagging branches, I had to grab my 4/9. I tied on the same Swimbait, same line, I started catching fish in the exact water I had fished 2x & better quality. I finally made the connection with the slower reel & realized the slower presentation was more productive & I have replicated the success on other water. I always thought I was Fishing slow, but apparently not slow enough.
I started pitching with an old Calcutta round reel which I purchased years ago specifically for pitching/Flipping since Torque was once the way to go in heavy
cover. I understand the theory behind faster gear ratio's, However, I have had Fish swim directly at me & Hook sets are not a problem. I have never had a problem with 5/1 spinning reels regarding slack or not getting enough casts in a day.
I know companies have 9/1 & faster, but isn't this overkill? Fishing slowly with fast reels is something you have to focus on, and it is easy to think you are fishing slow with a Jig,Fluke, Swimbait etc. but in reality you are going pretty fast. I get that Bass react to fast presentations at times, but I think it is easier to manually reel faster vs slow. You can burn any lure with any gear ratio. Maybe 20 extra casts per day is not worth it?
The Finesse trend is using spinning reels for smaller lures, but many people fish weightless plastics and lighter lures on both spinning/Casting rods. I am starting to think one reason fishing a spinning reel is often better for tough bites etc. is the slower speed. I would agree lighter line makes a
difference, but I have been noticing when I fish a weightless fluke/Worm or 1/16-1/8 bullet weight on a spinning reel, it seems to get more strikes. Picking up line with a 2500 size reel has never been an issue since you miss fish on any speed reel with hook sets for many reasons.
Does anyone still Pitch with low speed reels, or fish a swim jig/Spinnerbait on slower reels instead of the new trend? Looking back, I feel as if it was only 10 years ago when 5/1 was considered "High Speed".
Curious to hear any thoughts on gear ratio for techniques/Presentations? Going slow on an 8/1-9/1 reel is Painful. Hard to do that for long periods of time without reeling faster as you anticipate your next cast.
I also find it odd that in Saltwater, Low Gear Ratios are still considered the way to go. Big Snook swim plenty fast when they pick up a bait, head for cover just like a bass. When I was looking at new saltwater reels I noticed the NEW 7/1 versions were selling cheaper than slower models. I know drag power is often a marketing technique, but is 22lbs of drag on a 2000 spinning reel/200 casting reel necessary? You can only spool so much line, good luck landing a Big Fish without getting spooled or broken off.
Why is it low gear ratio is only for "Cranking"?
A-Jay reply :
I use 5.7:1 for almost every moving bait I throw except topwater & jerkbaits.
5.3:1 for super big deep divers and 6.6:1 for everything else. (bottom baits)
Have a couple of 7.3:1's hardly ever use them any more.
A-Jay
Catt reply :
@A-Jay son ya gotta fish fast & cover a lot water to be effective!
That's why my Calcutta's are 5.0:1 & 5.8:1 ?
A-Jay reply :
On 9/16/2017 at 11:14 PM, Catt said:@A-Jay son ya gotta fish fast & cover a lot water to be effective!
That's why my Calcutta's are 5.0:1 & 5.8:1 ?
Sage Advice my friend ~ I'll try and keep that in mind.
So it may not be how fast you cover this water, but how effectively you do it . . .
A-Jay
primetime reply :
On 9/16/2017 at 11:14 PM, Catt said:@A-Jay son ya gotta fish fast & cover a lot water to be effective!
That's why my Calcutta's are 5.0:1 & 5.8:1 ?
I am currently on a Calcutta buying spree bidding on everything I see on Ebay. I can't get over how light they are compared to every other round casting reel(Even low profile reels) and pound for pound I am starting to think it is the best casting reel you can buy & fish it anywhere. Shimano hit a Home run with that reel.
Its amazing how well Shimano reels like the Calcutta and Curado hold their value even the really old ones. People pay good money for the used models, they are actually a good investment.
Catt reply :
@primetime Calcutta: solid as an anvil, versatile as a pair of Channellocks®, & dependable as a 30/30!
WRB reply :
Reel gear ratio has nothing to do with how fast or slow you fish bottom contact lures, casting distance does. Like Catt says you can change how fast you turn the reel handle.
If you think reel gear ratio is the reason you are catching or not catching bass, your barking up the wrong tree.
Tom
scaleface reply :
Until the last few years I was using the 4.6 to 1 Abus on everything . I have a 7 to 1 ratio that I use for the slowest fishing , worm and jig .
Catt reply :
On 9/17/2017 at 12:27 AM, WRB said:Reel gear ratio has nothing to do with how fast or slow you fish bottom contact lures, casting distance does. Like Catt says you can change how fast you turn the reel handle.
If you think reel gear ratio is the reason you are catching or not catching bass, your barking up the wrong tree.
Tom
It's called cadence: the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion
Establishing "cadence" is a huge part of establishing a pattern!
But Catt if ya fishing a spinnerbait on a 5.0:1 gear ratio how can you wake it under the surface?
How my rod tip at 11-12 o'clock & turn the handle a little faster!
A-Jay reply :
On 9/17/2017 at 1:07 AM, Catt said:
It's called cadence: the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion
Establishing "cadence" is a huge part of establishing a pattern!
But Catt if ya fishing a spinnerbait on a 5.0:1 gear ratio how can you wake it under the surface?
How my rod tip at 11-12 o'clock & turn the handle a little faster!
Cadence can not be over stated IMO.
It has been a huge part (and the real secret) to much of my recent success.
A-Jay
Catt reply :
On 9/17/2017 at 3:45 AM, A-Jay said:Cadence can not be over stated IMO.
It has been a huge part (and the real secret) to much of my recent success.
A-Jay
Cadence is also how ya wiggle your worm ?
MassYak85 reply :
I fish with reels as high speed as I can get away with. For some baits that's a 5 speed reel because it pains me to go slower on a higher speed reel. But for example, just today I was fishing a worm on a 6 speed reel, I usually use an 8. I made a long cast and about as soon as it hit the water I see a blowup...in the opposite direction. So I start reeling as fast as I can to get it back in, and even using the 6 speed it felt slow getting it in to make that next cast. By the time I got it in I was just barely still within casting distance, and I did catch the fish. I probably wouldn't have made that same cast using a 5 speed. But it all depends. If the fish are lethargic and it helps you to slow down then by all means a slower speed reel can be a life saver.
bigbill reply :
I always say I reel just slow enough to make the blades just spin on my spinnerbaits. As said above it's watching and adjusting the line/lure speed not the gear ratio. I bit and got reeled in on the 7.3 ratio reels too. Cranking a 7.3 wore me out for one trip. I have arms like popeye from cutting trees and it whooped me. Back to the 5.3 ratio I went, I think the 7.3 ratio is for the pros to get the bait back to the boat for another quick cast after a strike and a miss. Time is money in pro bass fishing.
3crows reply :
The 7+ is for flipping, pitching Texas rigging. The 6 speed is for everything and the less than 6 speed is for cranking spinner baits and swim baits and all that sort of thing. Right? How can you tire your arms with a 7 speed ratio on a Texas rig?
portiabrat reply :
On 9/16/2017 at 10:57 PM, primetime said:The Finesse trend is using spinning reels for smaller lures, but many people fish weightless plastics and lighter lures on both spinning/Casting rods. I am starting to think one reason fishing a spinning reel is often better for tough bites etc. is the slower speed. I would agree lighter line makes a
difference, but I have been noticing when I fish a weightless fluke/Worm or 1/16-1/8 bullet weight on a spinning reel, it seems to get more strikes. Picking up line with a 2500 size reel has never been an issue since you miss fish on any speed reel with hook sets for many reasons.
Spinning reels are actually blazing fast. Most 2500 sized spinning reels (at least the ones I use) are just a bit slower than a revo rocket or metanium xg. A stradic 2500 is about 34 IPT, and a rocket is about 37 IPT.
Bluebasser86 reply :
My worm fishing reel used to be a blazing fast 3.8:1 old school Lew's 
Had a hook set button that locked the spool in place, it was a gem. How I ever landed a fish with it is a mystery.
r83srock reply :
I get your way of thinking. First and foremost, gear ratio is mostly personal preference. 2nd, it's about efficiency. With bass, I don't believe power is going to be much of an issue with the modern day high speed reel, considering modern gear designs. That said, I think there is a point of diminished return on a super high or super slow reel, unless of course you dedicate that item to something super specific. I don't own a reel over 6.5:1, about 28 in/crank. I just haven't found a benefit, for me. I have a Curado 200b 3.8:1, it was my first Curado and is a tank, big spool, can cast a mile. I use that reel on a rod that can pick up a lot of slack, fishing jigs extremely slow. There is nothing wrong with a slow reel, they caught fish for years. That Calcutta is a tank btw!
38 Super Fan reply :
I like the fast retrieve stuff myself. Let's say you're pitching around a massive grass bed, or hundreds of yards of flooded Willows, it's a huge benefit to have that quick retrieve. I like them for all topwaters (especially buzzbaits) and jerkbaits too.
There's still certainly a place for the slow gear ratio though.
Jelvas reply :
With the passing of the years i have found myself gravitating towards the two oposite sides of the spectrum! For all the baits that i work/retrieve with the reel i really like a slow ratio/low ipt reel because i have a natural tendencie for speeding my retrieve to much, so, a slow reel helps me keeping my pace. For the baits that i work/retrieve with the rod i really like super fast ratios because the reel is only there to pick up the line and retrieve the fish, and for that a fast reel makes all sense to me.
Due to this, despite everyone saying that a 6.1 reel is the most all around suited ratio, and i agree with that, only one of my reels is a 6.1, all the other are 5.1´s or even slower or 7.1´s or even faster. This may not be the most correct way of doing things butt it works for me, and, at the end of the day... thats all that matters!
Further North reply :
Gear ratio is personal preference, established around how you fish. I catch buckets of fish all year long with 7:1 reels...I can recall one trip to Lake of the Woods where fish with teeth wanted a certain spoon run at the speed a 7:1 reel moved it at a moderate cadence. Faster or slower reduced the number fish fast.
Generally speaking (and I learned this here): If you move the bait with the reel, tend towards slower reels; if you move the bat with the rod, tend towards faster reels...within your own range.
You can adjust up or down, but it takes some disipline.
NHBull reply :
This is a timely thread as I need to pick up 2 more reels. One will be for a worm/ jig bottom contact rod where long cast are involved. For this I am thinking an 8. The other will be for a multi purpose rod and I am thinking 7. I fish on the slow side, so 6 is as slow as I go and that's for CB. The funny thing is that I know you can fish to fast, but I don't think you can slow to slow. If I had to recommend 1 speed for everything, it would be a 6.
On a side note, the length of a handle can really change your cadence.
Boomstick reply :
I think it's already been said but the gear ratio is just a preference. For spinnerbaits I like my 6.3:1, and while it works with crankbaits, I like something ever so slightly slower like 5.8:1 although 6.31 is fine, but if I have to fish them on my 7.3:1, I can make do. But if I'm trying to burn baits back on a slower reel, my arm will get tired from cranking as fast as I can after a while too.
Logan S reply :
On 9/16/2017 at 10:57 PM, primetime said:The Finesse trend is using spinning reels for smaller lures, but many people fish weightless plastics and lighter lures on both spinning/Casting rods. I am starting to think one reason fishing a spinning reel is often better for tough bites etc. is the slower speed. I would agree lighter line makes a
difference, but I have been noticing when I fish a weightless fluke/Worm or 1/16-1/8 bullet weight on a spinning reel, it seems to get more strikes. Picking up line with a 2500 size reel has never been an issue since you miss fish on any speed reel with hook sets for many reasons.
Even though spinning reels traditionally have 'lower' gear ratios their actual speed is usually faster than average casting reels. Example...Stradic Ci4 2500 has a ratio of 6.0 but does 34 IPT, compared to a Metanium XG which had an 8.5 ratio and does 35 IPT - So the standard spinning reel is just as fast as one of the fastest casting reels on the market. Ratio is just a number, IPT is the real metric. But then again, most spinning techniques are moved with the rod and not reel anyway....
I generally user faster reels for most things, but it's really just about function to me...I just like using the best tool for the job. Example...Early in the year I use a 6.2 for chatterbaits on the river becasue the grass is not very thick, however as the year goes on and it gets thicker I swap to a 7.0 because I have to reel too fast with the 6.2 to keep it at the level I want. Is it a requirement? No, but it's a lot easier to control the bait and actually 'fish' when I'm not forced to reel like a mad man to keep the bait where it needs to be.
I don't like limiting the tools available to me, no sense in discounting anything whether it's old school or modern.
primetime reply :
Thanks for all the replies, I understand that Line pick up on many reels makes up for gear ratio's etc. I was not aware about the spinning reel differences, I just assumed that spinning reels picked up less line with slower ratios unless they had a bigger spool, bigger handle etc..I appreciate the knowledge dropped about spinning reels.
Obviously I still use high speed reels, I see the benefits of having a mix of all of them, I just realized that I tend to fish faster than i normally should at times, especially in new places when I am eye balling all the awesome looking spots to cast, so even if a reel helps me slow down just a tad, I think it helps me out.
Fishing Slower usually works better for me, at least most of the time. I will still use all my 7/1 and new 8/1 reels, I like having stuff, but I realized I picked up a bad habit of fishing too fast, and even if it is all in my head, I definitely have noticed that I am doing better these days because I am focused on going slow, and it is easier to fish slow on slower reels.
You can feel the power on certain reels, and most of those reels have bigger spools and handles so in reality I realize you are picking up more line, so gear ratio can be deceiving, but 4/9 vs. 8/1 on a similar sized reel, spool, handle, is almost double. Speed of retrieve is kind of important, it is much easier to fish too fast than too slow. Not sure you can ever fish lures to slow, especially if you add in some cadence.
I have always noticed I catch bigger fish when I concentrate on fishing slow & quiet. I think we would all agree it is hard to concentrate on every cast for 8 hours, and when fishing is tough, run and gun is easy to start doing.
Angealy reply :
I'll have you know, I have now caught a five pound rainbow trout on a 3.8 reel and five pound bass and pickerel on a 5.1
A few nice fish on my bait caster at 6.1 but no five pound fish or anything.
I use just about everything, However going from 5.1 to 6.1 i could tell it was a bit faster but not by much.
Personally gear ratio doesn't matter to me, I do alright with just about anything.
RB 77 reply :
On 9/16/2017 at 11:39 PM, primetime said:I am currently on a Calcutta buying spree bidding on everything I see on Ebay. I can't get over how light they are compared to every other round casting reel(Even low profile reels) and pound for pound I am starting to think it is the best casting reel you can buy & fish it anywhere. Shimano hit a Home run with that reel.
Its amazing how well Shimano reels like the Calcutta and Curado hold their value even the really old ones. People pay good money for the used models, they are actually a good investment.
I own four of them and love them. Think about it, the B series came out over 10 years ago and is still a top seller for Shimano. I believe its the oldest reel in their current line up. That's really saying something for the quality of the build of that reel. BTW, almost all that I fish these days are CU's and CT's.
r83srock reply :
On 9/21/2017 at 7:02 AM, RB 77 said:I own four of them and love them. Think about it, the B series came out over 10 years ago and is still a top seller for Shimano. I believe its the oldest reel in their current line up. That's really saying something for the quality of the build of that reel. BTW, almost all that I fish these days are CU's and CT's.
Yeah the old red "Curados" are like 25 years old.... great quality, stands the test of time!
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