All fishing reels have a gear ratio that will help determine the type of fishing you will be doing. Gear Ratio can be a bit of a mystery but is important in the function of a fishing reel. There are some differences in speed, and torque for all fishing reels, and choosing the correct gear ratio for your fishing reel will go a long way to help you catch more fish. What are the best Gear Ratios for fishing reels?
Gear Ratio for fishing reels are broken down into 3 classes: Slow (5:1 or lower) for Spinning reels heavy lures-live bait-crankbait & swimbait Medium-(6:1 & higher) most common for topwater & uses most baits Fast (7:1 & higher) for Baitcasters-pitching bass in close quarters, with rapid line recovery
All fishing reels no matter what type comes with a specific Gear Ratio which is a three-digit number that describes how many times its spool rotates every time you turn the handle once. Whether you’re fly fishing, slinging a bait caster, or casting a spinning reel, the Gear Ratio applies to each one.
How Does Gear Ratio Work
Gear ratio refers to the ratio of output torque to the ratio of input torque. Gear reduction reduces speed and increases torque. Fishing reels have these gears the pinion gear and the main gear that work together inside affecting torque and speed depending on the type of fishing you are doing and what performance you desire in the reel.
Higher Ratio means more speed and a Lower Ratio means more Torque. The first number in the Ratio Gear results in the small Pinion Gear-The higher that number the faster it retrieves the line.
The Pinion Gear-This smaller gear comes into contact with the spool and turns it. The pinion gear has teeth-like grooves that link into the main gear.
The Main Gear-The main gear has grooves that link up with the pinion gear. As the main gear turns, it causes the pinion gear to rotate the spool and pull the bait. Each gear has teeth-like grooves which allow them to connect to each other to rotate the spool.
The numerical “gear ratio” of any fishing reel is determined by the number of teeth on each gear. Take the number of teeth on the larger drive gear and divide it by the number of teeth on the smaller pinion gear and you get that reel’s gear ratio. For example, a 72-tooth main gear and a 12-tooth pinion gear produce a 6:1 ratio.
Best Gear Ratio For Baitcaster
Baitcasters are as the name indicates, these reels designed for casting baits. They give better accuracy in casting but not as much distance. If you are going to be fishing with swimbaits, spinnerbaits, jerk baits, topwater lures over seabeds, and structures that you need to retrieve extremely quickly then you will want to increase this to a 7.1:1 gear ratio for some extra speed sometimes at the cost of losing some torque.
There are a few factors that determine the Gear Ratio on a fishing reel and what the anglers need for the type of fishing he/she is doing. Think of the Gear Ratio as a 10-speed bike and how raising and lowering the gears determines how hard you have to peddle the bike to make it move. The larger or higher the gear the easier it is to turn the back tire and the less you have to peddle to make the tire go around one full rotation.
The gear ratio worked like this principle without the advantage of being to change gears on a fishing reel. A gear ratio is a three-digit number that describes how many times its spool rotates every time you turn the handle once. For example, a 7.5:1 gear ratio means that the spool rotates 7.5 times for every single turn of the handle.
So, the higher the gear ratio, the faster the retrieve speed of your reel. In general, Casting reels are faster than Spinning reels, which usually go from 5.1:1 to around 6.5:1, while Baitcaster reels start around 5.5:1, and go all the way up to 9.3:1.
Baitcaster Gear Ratio Chart
The 3main types or categories of casting reel gear ratios are slow, medium, and fast, which together cover all the different fishing tactics and applications.
Gear ratio
Speed category
Retrieve rate
Main applications
5.5:1 to 6.6:1
Slow speed
23″ to 27″
Fishing heavy lures (e.g. big crankbait and swimbait)
Open water fishing, long casting, pitching/flipping, targeting bass close to cover
The most common reel on the market has a 6.4:1 gear ratio. This will allow you to work on both fast-moving presentations as well as slow ones. However, for certain techniques and applications, a very high or low gear ratio will often work best.
For instance, burning a spinnerbaitor buzzbaitis best done with a 7.1:1 reel. Working a crankbait, on the other hand, is more effective with a slower gear ratio, such as 5.4:1. Higher gear ratios are often better when fishing areas of small strike zones, as they allow your bait to get back to the boat in preparation for another cast quickly and effortlessly.
Retrieve Rate or IPT whichstands for inches per turn, how many inches of fishing line are retrieved per turn of the handle. The gear ratio is how many times the spool turns per turn of the reel handle, a 6.4:1 gear ratio means that for every turn of the reel handle the spool turns 6.4 times.
The IPT is based on spool size and gear ratio, so a 6.4:1 reel with a larger diameter spool will have a higher IPT than another 6.4:1 reel with a smaller spool diameter. So it looks like this formula.
IPT = spool circumference X gear ratio
Two reels with the samegear ratio will have differentIPT if thespools are different sizes. Larger (or fuller)spool= higher IPT.
Reels with a Gear Ratio at 7.0 or higher generally can retrieve 28 to 31 inches of fishing line with each complete crank of the reel’s handle. But this speed will sacrifice a loss of power.
Here is an excellent example of a High Gear Ratio Baitcaster for maximum speed available through Amazon called Shimano Chronarch MGL Low Profile Baitcasting Fishing Reels. It’s also available at a higher speed for your critical needs 8.1:1, 7.1:2 gear ratio, or slower gear ratio of 6.2:1, 7.1:1, 8.1:1
How To Set the Drag on a Fishing Reel
Best Gear Ratio for Spinning Reel
Most fishermen believe that the best gear ratio for spinning reels is 6.0:1. This allows you to use this reel in a variety of applications from anything from spinnerbaits, jerk baits, topwater lures, and even jigging. If you are intending on fishing for a very specific species or lure type then you may want to focus more intently on that requirement. Spinning reels are the most versatile and popular type of fishing reel. Because of their ease of operating they normally it your first type of reel.
They can be used for casting from the beach, trolling from a boat, bottom fishing, and casting lures or live bait all in one day. They can cast long distances and the angler can use lighter lines and lightweight baits. Most spinning reels feature a gear ratio of 5.2:1 to 6.2:1 although some manufacturers are now offering models with a 7.0:1 gear ratio for bass anglers who want to quickly retrieve drop shot rigs or tube baits when fishing in deep water. This Penn Chart is a good example of comparing a Spinning reel Size, Retrieve Rate in inches, and Gear Ratio Chart:
Here is an excellent Spinning Reel from Daiwa Certate LT 19, G LT, Spinning Reel,Front Drag that is mid-sized contains a 6.2:1 Gear Ratio made of Aluminum available now through Amazon.
Gear ratio: 6.2:1
yards/diameter millimeters: 164/0.23
Retrieval: 93 centimeters / 36.6 inches
Weight.: 225 grams / 0.50 pounds
Ball Bearings: 10
Hope you learned something! that’s the key to successful days on the water!
The best gear ratio, as agreed upon by most experienced anglers, is 6:0:1. Therefore, for every revolution of the handle, the spool will spin six times, thus improving retrieval speed and the reel's torque. This gear ratio is considered ideal since it is versatile and can tackle spinnerbaits, jigging, and jerk baits.
The best gear ratio, as agreed upon by most experienced anglers, is 6:0:1. Therefore, for every revolution of the handle, the spool will spin six times, thus improving retrieval speed and the reel's torque. This gear ratio is considered ideal since it is versatile and can tackle spinnerbaits, jigging, and jerk baits.
6.2:1 to 6.5:1 – We personally use this speed range anytime we are tossing spinnerbaits, throwing jerkbaits, shallow running and lipless crankbaits, early season swim jigs, vibrating jigs and swimbaits / umbrella rigs.
The low gear ratios like 5.2:1 and 5.3:1 are great for fishing baits that pull hard like deep crankbaits, big swimbaits, and deep water spinnerbaits. The low gear ratio helps you reel the bait slower, keeping it in the strike zone longer when fishing moving baits in the deep water.
The lower the ratio, the less rotations, the higher, the more. To simplify it, if you want to fish slow and deep, go low ratio, and if you want to fish fast and on top, pick a higher ratio.
7.5:1 Reel - With my 7.5:1 gear-ratio reel, I like to use this reel when I'm fishing single-hook lures like a buzzbait, a spinner bait, bladed jigs and a frog.
Reels with a gear ratio in the neighborhood of 6:1 are your workhorses. They get the bulk of the duty with most bass fishing applications, and in a pinch you could do the things best served by slower or faster reels by cranking slower or faster.
Gear ratios vary from reel to reel, but they're all represented in the same manner. Using a gear ratio of 5.2:1, for example, the 1 represents one complete turn, or one revolution (360o) of the handle. For baitcasting reels, the 5.2 represents how many complete times the spool turns with one turn of the handle.
Medium reels are often referred to as the "workhorses" of bass anglers. Ratios of around 6:1 or 6:4 present a wide variety of baits and are often used with shallow spinnerbait presentations, square-billed crankbaits, medium-depth cranks in general, and castable umbrella rigs.
For example, take a reel that is labeled to be a 7.3:1 gear ratio. For each full rotation of the reel handle, the spool will turn 7.3 times. See the breakdown below for important information when considering which reel to use for different applications. These gear ratios are slower and are great for moving baits.
A 6:1 gear ratio is a good medium speed reel for a baitcasting reel and can be used in many different bass fishing scenarios. If your reel says something like 6.3:1 then the spool will rotate 6.3 times for every complete handle turn.
Anything with a ratio below 5:1 I would consider low (like a Catalina 5000 with its 4.9:1 ratio) and 5.2:1 and above being high-speed. Extra high can be over 6:1 with reels like the new 20 Saltiga 14000 XH being a 6.2:1 speed.
These reels have the highest amount of torque, allowing you to put less effort into retrieving the bait and more energy towards finding the fish. These reels are also great for slow rolling big, heavy baits such as spinnerbaits and swimbaits.
For bass fishing, you'll want to stick to reels in the 6000 to 7000 range. These reels are best paired with a line that is 14 pounds to 30 pounds in test strength, and you'll typically want to stay in the teens or twenties with that. These spinning reels hold a ton of line.
Gear ratios on most brands of baitcast reels range from 5.0:1 to 9.1:1. The pros use high speed models (7.1:1 to 9.1:1) for most applications because they know it is easier to slow down a retrieve with a fast reel than it is to crank faster with a low-speed model.
A good gear ratio for trout fishing is typically somewhere between 5:1 and 6:1. If you're looking for something a little larger like a lake trout, you may want to go as high as a 7:1 gear ratio.
Generally speaking, almost any casting reel with a 6:1 to 7:1 gear ratio or even faster will set you up for success here. Texas rigging doesn't often call for specialized equipment.
The conventional procedure for selecting gear ratios is to pick ratios that run the engine rpm to redline at the end of the medium and longest straights, and pick the lower gear ratios to minimize the rev drop at each shift. This method minimizes the number of shifts per lap.
So, buying a reel with a 7.0:1 gear ratio, which retrieves line pretty quickly, might be good for covering lots of water with a spinnerbait to locate active fish.
It is a reel speed that can really work for just about everything,” he says. While many like to crank with slow retrieves, a 6.6:1 and 7.3:1 Revo STX are Card's favorites for cranking. “I burn a squarebill a lot and for that I'll use the 7.3:1. It's also a great choice for ChatterBaits and swimbaits,” he shares.
Gear ratios can be boiled down to a single statement: Higher ratios (with a lower numerical value) give better torque/acceleration and lower ratios allow for higher top speeds and better fuel economy. Higher ratios mean the engine has to run faster to achieve a given speed.
Is it better to have a higher or lower gear ratio? A higher gear ratio is good when you need more acceleration to cruise your vehicle, whereas a lower gear ratio provides more torque to get the vehicle moving from a resting position.
A reel with a retrieve ratio of 6:1 reels in line faster than a reel with a ratio of 5:1. Reeling in large amounts of line and pulling in larger catfish requires a faster retrieve ratio. This is what not only allows you to pull in these large amounts of line quickly but gives you good power to “winch” in big cats.
A 7:1 gear ratio will pick up line efficiently, and allow you to reel the lure quickly and erratically. The speedier gear ratio helps you impart the proper action with small handle turns, making the lure turn and dart to trigger bites.
I like the 6.3 for cranks. I use a 5:1 for cranks, and spinnerbaits. Anything faster the light spinnerbaits roll on faster retreives. I also use a 6:3:1 for jigs, worms, and topwaters.
A faster reel like this is used to get that fish to the boat, bank or kayak in a hurry. When frogging or flipping and pitching you need to get the fish out of that spot immediately. Otherwise the fish will run, get you wrapped around structure and break off quickly.
It is commonly used for freshwater salmon when targeting deep and hard-flowing rivers. Big game saltwater tropical species like Mahi Mahi, Giant Trevally, barracuda, and others are also targeted using a 5000 size reel.
#1 – Baitcasting reel. The best and most popular bass fishing reel in the game is the baitcaster. In the grand scheme of fishing, baitcasters are fairly new to the game.
Baitcast reels were not designed for light line, so use 10 pound and above. Larger diameter lines come off the spool easier and are less likely to overrun. For learning purposes, use 17-pound monofilament because it handles so much easier.
Thin diameter line is great for spinning reels, but if you're using baitcasting reels, you don't want to use anything under 20 lb.braid. If the line is really thin, it'll dig into the spool if you have a big fish on or get snagged, which can cause knots and tangles.
Understanding more about gear ratio can give you an advantage in these situations. Lower gear ratios in the 4:1 to 5:1 range are generally best suited to bait fishing since they equate to slower retrieve speeds and more cranking power.
A high gear ratio of 8:1 is usually better suited for topwater lures, where you need to quickly retrieve up slack (since the lure will drift towards you with each twitch). A 5:1 gear ratio is great for slow retrieves, like with a spinnerbait or deep-diving crankbait.
The conventional procedure for selecting gear ratios is to pick ratios that run the engine rpm to redline at the end of the medium and longest straights, and pick the lower gear ratios to minimize the rev drop at each shift. This method minimizes the number of shifts per lap.
Gear ratios can be boiled down to a single statement: Higher ratios (with a lower numerical value) give better torque/acceleration and lower ratios allow for higher top speeds and better fuel economy. Higher ratios mean the engine has to run faster to achieve a given speed.
Generally speaking, almost any casting reel with a 6:1 to 7:1 gear ratio or even faster will set you up for success here. Texas rigging doesn't often call for specialized equipment.
Topwaters, jerkbaits, jigs, plastics and even best lipless crankbaits warrant the use of a high speed reel. These techniques create a lot of slack in your line, and if you get bit 30 yards away from the boat, a high gear ratio comes in handy for getting a solid hookset.
High-speed reels: A gear ratio greater than 6:1 retrieves baits fast. This is best for lighter and faster fish, or ones that yo-yo in their speeds, requiring fast intake and output with your line. Low-speed reels: A gear ratio less than 4:1 allows for more power to fight bigger fish.
For a high-quality, medium-sized, spinning reel, you'll want to get a reel with a 6:1 gear ratio. This will allow you to reel appropriately sized lures very quickly, but it's not so powerful that you'll be zipping fish across the surface like chump change.
How do you calculate gear ratio? You just count the number of teeth in the two gears and divide. So if one gear has 60 teeth and another has 20, the gear ratio when these two gears are connected together is 3:1.
If we have a daily driver, 2.55 to 3.25 gear ratios typically work best, whereas a street/strip application we would usually use a 3.42 to a 3.90 gear ratio, and race applications most commonly use a 4.10 and above gear ratios.
A typical gear ratio when a car is in first gear is 3.166:1. When first gear is engaged, low speed, but high power is delivered. This gear ratio is great for starting your car from a standstill.
The highest gear ratio is 28t with 12t; a ratio of 2.33:1. The result is that, for the sprocket sizes above we have a set of 21 gears ratios which cover a range between 1:1 and 4:1; The highest/hardest gear will result in us travelling four times the distance of the lowest/easiest gear for each pedal revolution.
For a primarily flat-ground high speed highway driven vehicle, the 3.73 or 4.11 might be just fine. For a vehicle that sees a lot of hills and more off road use, 4.56 or even 4.88 might be appropriate.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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