What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear (2024)

The best gear ratio for a fishing reel depends on the type of reel, the style of fishing, and the target species.

Every fishing reel has a gear ratio, and the marketing makes a big deal about it. But what is the best gear ratio, and why does it matter?

Picking the correct gear ratio for your needs will go a long way to help you catch more fish and enjoy your fishing.

Different gear ratios impact the speed of retrieve and the reel’s torque – so you want to have a clear view of what type of fish species you are targeting and what kind of bait/lure you will be using. If you intend to catch multiple species, you may want to consider getting several different reels or selecting a more versatile gear ratio.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

Quick Summary – Best Gear Ratios

Type of ReelBest Gear Ratio
Spinning Reels6.0:1
Baitcasting Reels6.4:1
Conventional Reels5.0:1
Spincast Reel4.0:1
Electric Reel3.0:1
Type of LureBest Gear Ratio
Spinnerbait6.3:1
Crankbait5.0:1
Topwater Lures7.0:1
Jerkbait6.3:1
Plastic Worm6.1:1
Jig4.5:1
Buzzbait7.0:1
Fish SpeciesBest Gear Ratio
Bass6.4:1
Panfish5.2:1
Trout8.0:1
Catfish6.0:1
Redfish6.0:1
Walleye4.5:1
Crappie5.2:1
Tuna6.0:1
Shark4.2:1
Sailfish5.0:1
Marlin3.0:1

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Spinning Reel Sizes – How to Choose the Right Size Spinning Reel [2022 Update]

What is the Gear Ratio of a Fishing Reel?

The gear ratio is used to judge the retrieval rate and how much effort the fisherman needs to turn the handle to retrieve their bait.

For everyone one revolution of the handle, the spool will spin by multiple times. So for a gear ratio of 6.0:1, this means that for one revolution of the handle, the spool will spin six times.

The typical gear ratios for all fishing reels can be split into a few categories:

  • Low Gear Ratio – 4.0:1 to 6.0:1
  • Medium Gear Ratio – 6.0:1 to 8.0:1
  • High Gear Ratio – 8.0:1 to 10.0:1

Low Gear Ratio

You will want a lower gear ratio for slower retrieves like live bait or deep diving crankbaits.

You will also need a lower gear ratio for fishing reels that provide a lot of torque, like a big game fishing conventional reel.

Low gear ratio reels have the most torque and are perfect for slow, heavy baits that require a lot of effort to retrieve.

Medium Gear Ratio

Medium gear ratios are the most common you will find on popular fishing reels. They are the most versatile – you can always slow down or speed up your retrieve to give similar results to the other reels.

They are ideal for medium-depth crankbaits, spinnerbaits with smaller blades, and castable umbrella rigs.

High Gear Ratio

You will want a higher gear ratio when you want a faster retrieve such as a spinnerbait. High-speed reels are also helpful when you need to retrieve your line in a hurry, such as moving over sea beds or low resistance lures.

They are perfect for topwater lures, jigs, and lipless crankbaits. High-speed reels are becoming more and more popular among bass anglers as the technology keeps advancing.

Best Gear Ratio for Spinning Reels

The best gear ratio for spinning reels is 6.0:1.

The best gear ratio for spinning reels is a difficult question to answer – spinning reels are famous for being versatile and are available in almost all gear ratios.

From my point of view, spinning reels are the workhorse of the fishing reel world, and because of this, you should select a gear ratio that is also a workhorse.

This allows you to use this reel in various applications from anything from spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, topwater lures, and even jigging.

If you intend to fish for a very specific species or lure type, you may want to focus more intently on that requirement.

If you ask some anglers they will say that any spinning reel with a gear ratio higher than 7.0:1 will not have enough torque to handle large fish, but this is no longer true with newer technology and designs available. My recommendation for a top-class spinning reel is the Pflueger President.

Best Gear Ratio for Baitcasting Reels

The best gear ratio for baitcasting reels is 6.4:1.

Baitcasting reels tend to have a much higher gear ratio than spinning reels, and there is a simple reason for this – they have a smaller diameter spool. If you consider the difference in diameter spools, you will realize that a single turn of a baitcasting spool will retrieve significantly less fishing line than a spinning reel.

This is why baitcasting reels can have such high gear ratios.

A 6.4:1 baitcaster is the most common gear ratio available on the market, and as with above, it gives you the most versatility in lure types and presentation options. My recommendation for a baitcaster is the Shimano Curado – which I have personally owned and used for over a decade.

Best Gear Ratio for Conventional Reels

From my point of view, the best gear ratio for a conventional reel is 5.0:1, with a two-speed gearing option if you are hunting gamefish.

I personally use conventional reels most often when I have to target big game fish such as sailfish or marlin. This requires a very large and specialized reel.

These types of reels have a very large diameter spool and can retrieve a lot of fishing line in a single revolution. This means that they can have lower gear ratios while still maintaining high retrieve rates.

Big game specialist reels like a Shimano Tyrnos often come with a two-speed gearing system with a 5.0:1 for general retrieval and a high power 2.0:1 for when you are fighting monsters.

If you are chasing smaller but still speedy saltwater species like mackerel or barracuda, you will want a much higher gear ratio like 7.0:1.

What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear (1)

Best Gear Ratio for Bass

The best gear ratio for bass is 6.4:1, particularly for baitcasting reels which have become the primary fishing reel among bass anglers.

If you are fishing with buzzbait or over seabeds and structure that you need to retrieve exceptionally quickly, you will want to increase this to a 7.1:1 gear ratio.

There are even newer bass reels on the market with gear ratios over 9.0:1. My personal recommendation for a baitcasting reel for bass is the KastKing Royale Legend II and a spinning reel for bass is the Abu Garcia Revo SX.

Best Gear Ratio for Trout

The best gear ratio for trout is 8.0:1.

This gives you a lot more control during your retrieve. If you are using a topwater lure and need to retrieve the slack between rod twitches quickly, then the high-speed gear ratio is a big advantage.

For other lure retrieval speeds, you may also want to take a more workhorse all-purpose gear ratio in the 6:1 to 7:1 range.

I would recommend a Daiwa BG as a top-quality Trout spinning reel.

Best Gear Ratio for Redfish

The best gear ratio for redfish is 6.0:1.

This gives the most versatility and widest range in lure options.

If you are going to be jigging or sight fishing for red drum, then this reel gear ratio will be ideal.

You could consider a higher range gear ratio, but this will prevent you from using too many deep-diving crankbait or large blade spinnerbaits. I suggest you pick a Penn Battle II spinning reel for redfish.

What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear (2)

Best Gear Ratio for Walleye

The best gear ratio for walleye is 4.5:1. A lower gear ratio is preferable if you are jigging for walleye.

Walleye can be timid so you don’t need to be retrieving a super fast buzzbait past them.

For walleye, the drag and the anti-reversing features are more important than the gear ratio, so I wouldn’t spend too much time focusing on this as long as you are in the general ball park range.

My recommendation for a walleye reel is the Penn Pursuit.

Best Gear Ratio for Crappie

The best gear ratio for crappie fishing is 5.2:1.

Crappie fishing uses very light fishing line, similar to other panfish. This often means that the reels are extremely small in size, resulting in smaller internal gearing. This reduces the complexity that is an option within a small reel body and normally comes with lower gear ratios.

A gear ratio of mid 5:1 is more than enough to handle anything a crappie can throw at you, so I wouldn’t hesitate to select this specification.

Best Gear Ratio for Spinnerbaits

The best gear ratio for spinnerbaits is 6.3:1.

This allows for both small and large blades to be retrieved without needing to speed up or slow down too significantly.

There is a wide range of spinnerbaits available, all of which come with different water resistance and target retrieval speeds, so please use your judgment about what is right for your own needs.

Best Gear Ratio for Crankbaits

The best gear ratio for crankbaits is 5.0:1.

This is a lower speed gear ratio than a lot of other applications.

Deep diving crankbaits have very large nose lips to get the lure down far enough – this lip also put a lot of water resistance against the lure during the retrieve.

You will need to retrieve the lure more slowly and have a reel with more torque through a lower gear ratio.

What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear (3)

Gear Ratio Video

Bass Resource has put together this informative video explaining gear ratios:

Conclusion

Gear ratios may seem confusing, but they don’t have to be. You can always speed up and slow down your retrieve slightly depending on what lure you are retrieving. I hope we have helped to explain what gear ratio you may be interested in buying.

If you want some more information, Wired2Fish also have a good article for anglers.

If you have any thoughts of your own or questions to share, then please leave a comment below.

Happy fishing!

Read More

  1. 10 Best Spincast Reels + Buying Guide [2022 Update]
  2. 10 Best Fishing Reels for Walleye + Buying Guide [2022 Update]
What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear (2024)

FAQs

What Gear Ratio For Fishing Reels And Lures? [2022 Update] – All Fishing Gear? ›

Primarily, a low gear ratio falls between 4:1 and 5.4:1. The most common option on the market is 5:1, but some anglers prefer the edge that a 5.4:1 model offers. If you're looking for an "all-around" gear ratio that allows for different lure use and fishing techniques, many avid fishermen suggest opting for 4.9:1.

What is the best gear ratio for lure fishing? ›

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.

What is the gear ratio for fishing reels? ›

Anglers typically divide gear ratios into three categories: slow, medium and fast. Roughly speaking, "slow" reels have ratios below 6:1; medium reels are 6 to just under 7:1 and fast reels are 7:1 or faster.

What is a good gear ratio for walleye fishing? ›

Spinning reels with 5.2:1 gear ratios are recommended for most ice fishing presentations. Even though the reel might be filled with lighter line of 2- to 4-pound test, the power provided by the low-speed reel will allow you to fight and pull a heavyweight walleye or northern pike through the ice.

What is a 7.0 1 gear ratio good for? ›

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.

What is the best gear ratio for glide baits? ›

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.

What is a 6.5 1 gear ratio good for? ›

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.

How do I choose the right gear ratio? ›

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.

What is a 5.2 1 gear ratio good for? ›

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.

What is a 6.3 1 gear ratio good for? ›

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.

What is the best lure weight for walleye? ›

Whether casting or vertically jigging, it's key to get the bait vibrating on the lift. Snapping a 1/2- and 3/4-ounce blade can trigger vicious strikes, but walleye can also be fooled with a subtle jigging approach with smaller, 1/4- or 3/8-ounce versions.

What is the best reel ratio for crankbaits? ›

A slow reel is the ideal choice for most crankbaiting. A reel with about a 5:1 gear ratio is going to help you get your baits to their maximum depth and also give you superior feel, so you know exactly what's going on with your lure.

Is higher or lower gear ratio better for fishing? ›

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.

What is a 8.1 1 reel good for? ›

High gear ratio reel | 7.1:1 thru 8.1:1

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.

What is the most effective gear ratio? ›

A gearing ratio between 25% and 50% is typically considered optimal or normal for well-established companies. A gearing ratio lower than 25% is typically considered low-risk by both investors and lenders.

What is the most common gear ratio? ›

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.

What time of year are Glide baits best? ›

Fall is a prime time to fish Glide baits. For the most part, anglers have learned that these lures produce best in the late pre-spawn, and mid to late fall. Fishing Glide baits requires a shift in perspective and expectations.

What is the best gear ratio for large swimbaits? ›

In nearly all cases I like to use a 5:1 gear ratio reel for swimbaits. This slow retrieve reel enables me to have a slow, subtle and realistic movement with these lifelike lures.

What is a 6.6 1 gear ratio good for? ›

If you plan to fish primarily with soft plastics, we recommend using a medium to fast gear ratio around 6:1 or faster. Soft plastics, especially plastic worms, are great for working around heavy cover and places you're likely to snag. In these scenarios, try to bring the fish out of the cover as fast as possible.

What is a good 1st gear ratio? ›

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.

What is the best gear ratio for bass fishing? ›

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.

What gear ratio for trout? ›

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.

Is 5.2 1 gear ratio reel good? ›

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.

What is a 6.8 1 reel good for? ›

6.8:1 Reel - I like to fish all my treble hooks on a 6.8:1 gear-ratio reel. I not only use that reel for my crankbaits, but also for top-water lures, swimbaits and hair jigs. I think I have more of a feel for the lure as I'm retrieving it with a slower gear-ratio reel.

What color lure do walleye like best? ›

In clear water, the study found, walleye will strike white lures or almost any color. When the water is clouded by sediment, they are more likely to go for yellow or gold, and in green algae-laden waters, walleye eyes are best at seeing black.

What ounce of jig is best for walleye? ›

The 1/4-ounce jig caught the most walleyes and saugers in most comparisons, although 1/8- and 3/8-ounce jigs also became important in certain situations. For example, the 1/8-ounce performed well in water less than 20 feet, while the 3/8-ounce became more effective in deeper water.

What color baits do walleye like best? ›

In turbid water, gold worked best. In water green with algae, black was the walleyes' preference. When no special water condition was noted, the gold-colored spinner produced the most fish among the casters, Gray and the team found. Walleye in inland waters are likely to respond similarly to colors, Gray said.

What is the favorite line for crankbaits? ›

12-pound fluorocarbon is a great line for cranking. This gives the crankbait plenty of action because it is not too big. 12-pound test is also thin enough to get the maximum depth out of a crankbait.

What is the best rod action for crankbaits? ›

A good crankbait rod should have a relatively slow action. In other words, the rod should start to bend down about half way down when moderate pressure is applied to the top section. Fast action means that just the top third will bend with the same pressure.

What is the 8.1 gear ratio reel used for? ›

Reels with a fast or high reel gear ratio, between 7.1:1 and 8.1:1 are generally best for more experienced anglers because they are typically used with fast moving lures like lipless crankbaits or buzzbaits. Soft plastic baits and flipping jigs can be the exception to this rule.

What is the most popular reel size? ›

There is the KastKing-Shimano-Daiwa-PENN system that classifies reels into 1000s. The smallest sizes start with 1000 and go up to 6000, except for game reels that can even go up to 30,000. This also happens to be the most popular sizing system, which is why we will be talking about reel sizes in 1000s.

What is the hardest gear ratio? ›

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.

What gear ratio for long distance? ›

High Gear Ratios

That's a gear ratio of 4.17:1, so a highest gear ratio of around 4:1 should be sufficient for ultra-distance cycling.

What size rod is best for lure fishing? ›

The best length lure rod for bass fishing is 7-10ft

Bass rods can be between 7-10ft and cast between 21-50g, or just under one to two ounce. In calm conditions where you can get close to the water, shorter and lighter rods are ideal.

What size reel for lure fishing? ›

2500. Just like the 1000 sized reel, the 2500 size is ideal for light lure fishing tactics such as spinning, drop shotting of even jigging.

What is a 6.4 1 reel good for? ›

The most common reel on the market has a 6.4:1 gear ratio. This will allow you to work both fast moving presentations as well as slow. However, for certain techniques and applications, a very high or low gear ratio will often work best.

What does 5.2 1 mean on a fishing reel? ›

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.

What size lure is best for pike? ›

The 1 oz. 3-5/8″ Dardevle spoon has been a staple for pike fishermen. The classic red and white or yellow five of diamonds color scheme are proven to be the best pike color combination for Canada pike fishing. Best pike lure colors: Red/White, Yellow/Red.

What size leader for lures? ›

In general fishing, a leader is usually between 30cm and 2m in length, although you can have it as long or short as you like.

What happens if lure is too heavy for rod? ›

If you have too light of a lure, the rod will not load properly and result in a shorter cast. If you've got too heavy of a weight, the rod will load too much and have a sluggish cast. If you have the right weighted lure on, the rod will load properly and achieve optimal casting distance.

What kind of reel do you use for lure fishing? ›

Fixed spool reels, otherwise known as spinning reels, are perfect for lure fishing for pike, perch and other predators. They offer trouble free casting and retrieval with minimal tangles. Smaller reels in the 1000-2500 size are suited to fishing smaller lures and lighter weights for species such as perch.

What is the best reel ratio for bass fishing? ›

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.

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