Gear ratios

[Loudsplashbassn_]

What would everyone like to say is good gear ratio for both hard and soft baits ?

[chefchris]

I loved my Calcutta 400B for everything 5.0:1 

I fish my hard baits (mostly wakes and crank downs slow) and same thing with the soft baits 

only really had an issue when trying to fish a bait like a punker or walking bait 

I now use a designated soft bait reel (daiwa zillion tw1520 with a slow retrieve) 

[StriperAddict]

I generally look to IPT rather than ratio to determine if a reel will work for a certain application.

I like more IPT for glides and less for most everything else.

[chevro1et]

 

1 hour ago, StriperAddict said:

I generally look to IPT rather than ratio to determine if a reel will work for a certain application.

I like more IPT for glides and less for most everything else.

I've come to the same conclusions, especially on IPT. Gear ratio and IPT relationships are not standardized, and differ from model to model, let alone brand to brand.

[Unclefish4life]

1 hour ago, StriperAddict said:

I generally look to IPT rather than ratio to determine if a reel will work for a certain application.

I like more IPT for glides and less for most everything else.

Def agree about the faster ratio/IPT for glides, charging fish can really knock a bunch of slack in the line and helps to catch up quickly and get them headed to you. Depends if you have dedicated set ups for each technique or more do it all set ups. A lot varying opinions tho from what I've seen in previous posts.

[Mossyback Angler]

I'm a simple man with a simple budget for my swimbait setups: Shimano Cardiff 301A with a 5.8:1 ratio, which translates to 24 inches per turn. Its my workhorse reels these days. 

While I agree about fish rushing toward you on a strike / hookset could be an issue, I have been fortunate to not have that been a problem for me so far. (Knock on wood)

[SVT THUNDER]

All my Swimbait/ Glide Bait setups are Revo Toro Beasts at 31 IPT with the exception of one that has my old Lexa 300 on it. Honestly can’t remember the IPT on that one. But it holds so little 20# test that I literally have to start out burning the reel at the start of every cast because so much line is off the spool. Then I have to slow my reeling speed down as the lure gets closer and closer. But it was my first dedicated Swimbait reel. Would have gone with the 400 to begin with if I’d thought about it. But it’s landed some big ones. No real complaints other than line capacity and it’s noisy. 

[Loudsplashbassn_]

Thanks for all input now im really on the fence on what to get lol was looking around for another reel but just stuck at what ratio I'd like . Currently  have a tranx 300 7.8 was really thinking about the curado 300 in a 6.6 i believe it is . 

[119bowhunter]

28 minutes ago, Loudsplashbassn_ said:

Thanks for all input now im really on the fence on what to get lol was looking around for another reel but just stuck at what ratio I'd like . Currently  have a tranx 300 7.8 was really thinking about the curado 300 in a 6.6 i believe it is . 

I have 2 of the Curado K 300s in the 6.6 gear ratio, I fish everything including glides, triple trout, top water-wakes and also slow roll hudds with them...I prefer to slow down a faster reel than to try and speed up a slower reel...most of my conventional reels are Curado K 200s in the 8:1 gear ratio version, just seems to work for me

[fishratt]

So much of it depends on what line you're using. I used to fish 20 lb mono and with that you needed a faster 7.3 gear ratio, especially with glides. They would take up so much line and stretch that you couldn't keep up with anything less. 

Now that I've switched to full flouro I prefer the 5.8 gear ratio on the tranx much more. Since it doesn't stretch I don't have to worry about picking up the stretch in the line, meaning smaller handle turns for each glide out. 

For softbaits it's hard to beat that lower gear ratio. Maybe it's just a personal preference thing but I always felt like I got so much more feel and power with the lower gear ratios. When you're using a 7.3 gear ratio and you stick a 8 lber, it's hard to get the handle turning because each crank takes in so much more line (lost a couple fish that way). Lower gear ratios also allow you to really feel the bait as its swimming. The downside is that if you go too low it becomes hard to keep tension with the fish as it swims towards the boat, at least that's what I felt with the 5.0 gear ratios on the calcuttas. Especially with no drag and swimbaits, they swim towards you more often then not. Best to be able to catch up to them when they do, but also have to power to get them in if they don't. 

I probably don't know what I'm talking about in regards to the lower gear ratios not being able to catch up to fish when they swim towards the boat. Tons of guys use the 5.0's and love them. Not trying to pretend like that's the only way to approach things though. Obviously it's all up to personal preference. 

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by fishratt

[Dirty Diesel]

30 IPT has been my favorite all around 

[brootalititties]

26 minutes ago, fishratt said:

So much of it depends on what line you're using. I used to fish 20 lb mono and with that you needed a faster 7.3 gear ratio, especially with glides. They would take up so much line and stretch that you couldn't keep up with anything less. 

Now that I've switched to full flouro I prefer the 5.8 gear ratio on the tranx much more. Since it doesn't stretch I don't have to worry about picking up the stretch in the line, meaning smaller handle turns for each glide out. 

For softbaits it's hard to beat that lower gear ratio. Maybe it's just a personal preference thing but I always felt like I got so much more feel and power with the lower gear ratios. When you're using a 7.3 gear ratio and you stick a 8 lber, it's hard to get the handle turning because each crank takes in so much more line (lost a couple fish that way). Lower gear ratios also allow you to really feel the bait as its swimming. The downside is that if you go too low it becomes hard to keep tension with the fish as it swims towards the boat, at least that's what I felt with the 5.0 gear ratios on the calcuttas. Especially with no drag and swimbaits, they swim towards you more often then not. Best to be able to catch up to them when they do, but also have to power to get them in if they don't. 

I probably don't know what I'm talking about in regards to the lower gear ratios not being able to catch up to fish when they swim towards the boat. Tons of guys use the 5.0's and love them. Not trying to pretend like that's the only way to approach things though. Obviously it's all up to personal preference. 

 

Pretty much nailed it IMO. Another thing I’d like to add which is again my opinion, a lot of baits simply work better on a lower gear ratio reel. The action on a lot of billed baits and swimmers for instance  is better on a low gear ration reel. My theory on this is it’s like starting a car in a higher gear, there a lot more jerking and jolting as opposed to the smooth acceleration that can be achieved in a lower gear. I find on higher gear ratio reels if I try to give the bait a quick burn or chop on the reel the bait will sometime blow out or it’s just harder to control whereas on the lower reels it tends to be a smoother transition and the bait swims a little more true although you do have to work it a little more aggressively. All opinion and preference like you said but the theory is sound if you ask me. Also as far as inches per turn I like 30” per turn best, which is the tranx 400 5.8 or the Calcutta conquest 6.2? Like previously stated it’s a perfect combo of torque and line take up for me. But if I’m fishing slow presentations I will go as low as 25” per turn for like wake baits or crawlers because it makes it easier to maintain that dead slow methodical retrieve. I go with 32-36 on soft plastics so I can reel down better for hookset and because 9/10 times I’m just steady winding so not much speed change

[DrewManFishing]

From soft baits to glides I will always fish with a 300 sized Cardiff which is a 5.2:1. I think it keeps you at a good disciplined speed

[Loudsplashbassn_]

Said screw it and pulled the trigger on the 6.6 curado K . now just waiting for the rod i want to pair it with it to drop . oh and side note tackle warehouse is back to there speedy service lol placed order Wednesday received Thursday 

[charlie.m.jr]

I throw all of mine on the same gear ratio/ IPT. I have several Lew's superduty wide spools and all of them are in the 6.4 ratio. Per Lew's that equates to 28 IPT. I personally feel like that's a very happy medium for me. I can slow it down or speed it up with not much thought.........at least on the speed up part. LOL. I do have to remind myself when the water is cold to slow down, but I can live with that. I did buy one a couple of months ago in the 5.4 ratio to throw big crankbaits on and I will play with it for hudds once it cools off to see if I can tell any difference.