Gear Ratio Help

[Millerst12]

Hello SU, 

Is a 5:6:1 too slow for a workhorse and sly guy shiner? 23” per turn. I don’t mind to work the bait super slow. Does the gear ratio mainly depend on the weight of the bait? 

Thanks! 

[bassbass]

You should be able to work any bait slow to med with any gear ratio reel. Sometimes the issue is carching up to the fiah when they hit the bait and or when,you are fighting them.

[bigpoppabass]

If spool stays mostly full you should be good. 5:6 is not that slow if I remember correctly and faster than 5:1.  Finding the right reel (need a super smooth one) is key to enjoyable gliding, because the best glides  are worked from the reel handle imo. 

[ewillsd]

I've noticed that you only need a high gear ratio for giant baits like the mother, gancraft 303, and so on.

[Csweitzer]

I throw the Revo Toro Rocket and have had fish hit slack in the line. I had one spotted bass over 8lbs hit my glide 4 feet forward and I totally whiffed the hook set. You can always reel slower with a fast gear ratio. 

[MA Frog Man]

Speed isnt necessarily dependent on gear ratio but it all works in union with the size of the spool. Really nothing to do with the weight of the bait. Guys do tend to fish bigger baits on round reels for the higher line capacity. Keep in mind that the ipt will be 23" on a full spool. When you cast half the line off the spool the ipt will be considerably lower because the arbor of the spool is smaller with less line. So you might be reeling in 14" of line compared to 23" closer to the boat. Low profile have a much more drastic change in ipt that round reels with wider spools.

[Mossypumpkin]

5.4 or less for me for everything. Big fish like a slow moving bait. The amount of torque is amazing. 

[urbanhick]

I use the winch at 4.5:1 for big lipped crank down baits to reduce fatigue 6.5:1  and 5.5:1 for soft plastic baits and wakers and 7:1 for glides.