You are examining some kinds of baitcasting reel gear but still, get confused about its gear ratio. Or, you have researched but realized that no Internet-based materials help you get the baitcaster gear ratio explained. If that’s the case, you’re not alone. That’s why we have crafted this article to help clear all your queries with ease. Hesitate no more; read until the end to get the gist of the baitcaster gear ratio.
Baitcaster Gear Ratio Explained: 3 Things To Remember
The term “baitcasting gear ratio” indicates a three-digit number that speaks of its pool’s rotation frequency for the handle’s every single turn. For instance, a baitcasting reel gear has a 6.5:1 ratio. This number indicates that the spool rotates 6.5 times every time you turn the handle once.
So, the gear featuring a higher ratio retrieves a faster speed of its reel. But, overall, spinning reels are not as fast as casting reels, whose gear ratio starts from 5.5:1 up to 9.3:1. Meanwhile, the spinning reel gear usually goes from 5.1:1 to 6.5:1.
We divided the casting reel gear ratio into three main categories: slow speed, medium speed, and high speed – which will be discussed in detail. Generally speaking, each covers a different fishing tactic and application.
Low-Speed Baitcaster
The first category is a low-speed bait caster. This tool has a ratio gear ranging from 5.5:1 to 6.6:1, and its retrieve speed rate is around 23” to 27”. People usually use this caster for fishing heavy lures or high-resistance ones from long distances. Consequently, resistance will happen, such as big swimbaits, large rigs, and deep-diving crankbaits.
The operation of a low-speed baitcasting gear is the same as that of bicycle gear. It usually conducts a lot of torque at every turn of the handle, allowing users to fish big baits in a non-exhausting fashion.
Medium-Speed Baitcaster
The high-speed gear ratio goes from 6.7:1 to 7.9:1, and its retrieve rate falls between 28” to 33”. This good standard reel gear ratio allows baitcasting users to perform various fishing tactics, including shallow diving crankbaits, chatter baits, or spinnerbaits. Using Carolina rigs, jigs, and worms, you can also take advantage of the medium-speed gear ratio for bottom-bouncing applications.
These casting reels at medium speed are suitable for various applications. Especially if you are new to fishing, you can choose baitcasting reels for beginners in this category. Then once you become more experienced in fishing baits, you can try other models exhibiting more specialized tactics and applications.
High-Speed Baitcaster
Now, let’s discuss high-speed reels. Their gear falls in an 8.1:1 or even higher ratio. Some of the reels’ gear ratio reaches 9.3:1, and KastKing Speed Demon is one example of working at this ultra-high speed.
Baitcasting users usually choose a high-speed reel to catch fish close to cover, flip or pitch from their drifting boats, improve Baitcaster distance and retrieve faster, and finally, bait schooling fish in open water.
The first application is fishing bass close to submerged trees or lily pads. In this case, we suggest you use high-speed reels. Because you may face some problems when using a Baitcasting reel, which gets your target snagged in that dangerous zone, a baitcasting reel in this category will come in handy, allowing you to haul the fish from that cover fast as lightning.
While flipping, pitching, or jigging from the floating boat, you can usually get one to two casts in each fishing spot. So, the high-speed ratio gear is an excellent option to choose. These reels help you quickly retrieve the baits to strike another target if you have missed one.
Next, you can consider fast reels for producing long casts and having your lures retrieved through the cover that is far away. Finally, if you prefer reeling around the spot quickly, you can distribute another bait after covering that strike zone using the reels in this high-speed classification.
Lastly, you targeted schooling fish in open water but faced a problem staying on top of them. And right after you cast for a light lure with a Baitcaster, the fish moved to different spots. So then, go for a high-speed reel; it will help retrieve the lure quickly so you can use lures to throw on a Baitcaster again in the new area.
Final Thoughts
By the end of this article, I hope you are all clear and successfully have the baitcaster gear ratio explained. If you have questions about fishing reel, drop a comment in the box below. We are willing to help. Also, don’t forget to come back for more valuable tips and advice.
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