Quick Tip - Narrowing Down Gear Ratios

Baitcast reels are designed to provide either power or speed. Since we face multiple scenarios throughout a day of fishing, uncovering the facts on gears can make our life on the water much easier and more productive. An example of a gear ratio is 6.4:1. The last number represents one complete turn of the reel handle - the first describes how many times the spool rotates. In this case, 6.4 spool revolutions for each crank of the handle. High gear ratios (7.1:1) are built for speed. Line can be retrieved quickly and efficiently. A reel of this style works best for fast presentations, such as burning spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits, or when working areas that require quick pitches or flips to specific spots, like docks, cane, or weed clumps. Low gear ratios (5.4:1) signify power. Effort and line retrieval is greatly reduced when reeling, making it a good choice when tossing high resistance lures, namely deep diving crankbaits or oversized spinnerbaits. Swimbaits are another application that can be worked more effectively with a lower gear ratio reel. A baitcast reel sporting a ratio of 6.4.1 is your best bet for reaping the rewards of both power and speed. It's the "all purpose model in the baitcast world.