What is the best gear ratio for crankbaits?

Low gear ratio reel | 5.1:1 thru 5.4:1

A lower fishing gear ratio reel is ideal for big baits that pull a lot, such as deep crankbaits. 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.

What is a good gear ratio for crankbaits?

Crankbait specialists like the power of a low-speed reel such as a 5.0:1 model for winching deep-diving crankbaits to their maximum depths. Whereas guys who like to rip lipless crankbaits through vegetation or keep a buzz bait skittering across the surface prefer reels with 7.1:1 or higher gear ratios.

What is the best gear ratio for Baitcasters?

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. For instance, burning a spinnerbait or buzzbait is best done with a 7.1:1 reel.

What is a 6.3 1 gear ratio good for?

Spinnerbaits: For spinnerbaits, a moderate retrieve reel of around 6.3:1 ratio will perform adequately. This speed allows for power to move larger bladed baits through the water, but also has the speed to burn in baits when need be.

What reel is best for crankbaits?

7 Best Crankbait Reels

Shimano SLX DC.
Lew Tournament MP Speed Spool.
Daiwa Tatula Crankbait Reel.
Abu Garcia Revo Toro Beast.
Kastking Royale Legend Low Profile.
Piscifun Torrent 18LB.
Abu Garcia REVO S.

32 related questions found

What makes a good crankbait rod?

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 reel does KVD use for crankbaits?

The Strike King Hybrid Hunter Crankbait or KVD Squarebill Crankbait is used if you're fishing around a lot of shallow targets. This is the setup that gives you a ton of control. I match mine with my KVD cranking reel. This reel has a 6.2:1 gear ratio which brings in 25 inches per turn.

How fast should I reel in a crankbait?

The correct speed of any crankbait reel is 21 inches of line pick-up per turn of the reel handle.

What gear ratio is best for topwater?

The Best Gear Ratio for Topwater Fishing is a 7:1 or Higher.

What is the best gear ratio for bass fishing?

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 a 7.5 1 gear ratio good for?

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.

What does a 7.5 1 gear ratio mean?

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.

How do I choose the right gear ratio?

TRACK-OUT GEARING

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 gear ratio is best for Chatterbaits?

Jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits and topwater can all be effectively fished on a 7-speed gear ratio. These speed demons are made for applications when quickly picking up line is critical in order to set the hook.

What gear ratio is best for flipping?

By today's standards 9.1:1 is worth consideration and there are several new reels with ratios above 10:1. Good Luck and Good Fishing!

What is a lipless crankbait?

Lipless crankbaits, or “rattle baits”, are flat-sided lures that “wobble” and vibrate when retrieved. Most have a split ring on the front of the bait for tying to your line, along with two treble hooks that dangle freely in the water.

What is the best gear ratio for frog fishing?

The best gear ratio for frog fishing is 7.5:1 to 8.0:1. It's important to get a reel with a high speed retrieve rate, since you need to pick up your slack as fast as possible when a bass grabs your lure, so you can set the hook. A high speed reel will help you to do this fast enough to set the hook effectively.

What is a 7.3 1 gear ratio good for?

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.

How do I become a better crankbait fisherman?

The key to fishing a crankbait is if you know where the fish are; figure out what the fish want. Anytime you move your rod, change the speed of your retrieve or the way you are winding, your crankbait is doing something a little bit different that could trigger a strike.

Do you put a weight on a crankbait?

There is no need to use a weight or anything else with a crankbait. Just tie it on to the end of your line and you're good to go!

What size rod is best for crankbaits?

Crankbait Rod Length

A 7 to 8-foot cranking rod will cast the bigger medium and deep-diving crankbaits much better than a 6'-6” rod will. The longer length allows energy to load up into the rod, making long casts easier. On the other hand, a 6'-6” cranking rod will be a better choice when fishing smaller crankbaits.

Are glass rods better for crankbaits?

Since the glass rod is more flexible, it naturally gives causing the fish to get the bait in his mouth instead of ripping the hooks out. They also improve casting distance due to their slingshot like ability. This allows for further casts and is crucial when throwing larger crankbaits.

Is a heavy rod good for crankbaits?

Rod Action and Rod Power

Medium to Medium-Heavy power rods are the best for crankbait fishing and they should have a moderate action, which helps you to control the crankbait while bouncing it off the structure or the bottom, while avoiding ripping the lure out of a fish's mouth on the hookset.

What does 4.88 gear ratio mean?

Short (low) gears have HIGHER numerical numbers, such as 4.11, 4.30, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, 5.36, etc. In simple terms, the numbers mean how many turns of the drive shaft to one turn of the rear wheel.