The gear ratio is a parameter that every fishing reel has. So what is gear ratio, how do they affect fishing? 5.0:1 means for every 360-degree turn of the reel handle., the spool will spin 5 times, with a 6.2:1, similarly ratio the spool will spin 6.2 times.
If you want to know how many meters of wire you can get, multiply the number of revolutions by the diameter of the spool to get the length of the pull line.
What is the best ratio for a spinning reel? The answer is that each gear ratio is best for one, or several cases. The most common reel on the market has a 6.4:1 gear ratio. Gear Ratio is quite important, as the speed of pulling the line depends on it. For fishing lures, the choice of rotational speed is very important.
To learn more about gear ratio, you should refer to my article below. Hope it can help you!
What is the gear ratio?
All fishing reels have a gear ratio. It refers to the speed of the reel. Common gear ratios in baitcasting reels are 5.4:1, 6.4:1, and 7.1:1. But what do these numbers mean?
The first set of numbers lists how many revolutions the spool makes for each turn of the reel handle. For example, with a 6.4:1 reel the spool will revolve 6.4 times with one crank of the handle. The higher the number, the more line being pulled in for each turn of the reel handle.
There are 3 common gear types: Normal gear, High gear, and Extra high gear.
For fishing lures, the choice of rotational speed is very important.
What is the best ratio for a spinning reel?
How to choose gear ratio depends not only on the type of lures but also on your fishing style. Everyone has a different fishing style, not everyone is the same, so the choice of gear ratio is also different.
According to theory
For normal gear reels (gear ratio below 6:2:1 and 7:2:1) If you choose this type of reel, what types of bait do they theoretically depend on? First, it is suitable for Square bill Crankbait, Deep Crankbait, Spinnerbait. They all have one thing in common that they are covering-water lures.
Why choose a normal gear ratio for covering water? Because if you choose a High gear ratio reel for this type of water-resistant lures, when you spin your reel, the resistance will be very large resulting in a very uncomfortable and heavy spin feeling.
Next, for High gear reels (gear ratio from 7:2:1 to 8:2:1), High gear reels suitable for Pencil, Lipless Crankbait – Vibration, Jerkbait, Poper, Walking Dog, Mininow, Top Water Frog, Jig Head, Texas Rig, Caroling Rig, Under Spin,…
High gear is a versatile fishing reel that can be used with many different type of lures.
And finally, Extra High Gear (9:2:1- 10:2:1). This type only uses 2 types of bait, Jump Frog, Wood Frog and Buzzbait. Because of these two types of bait, the speed must be fast to make it look like real movement.
According to fishing style
The fishing style here is about the type of fish you want to fish and the terrain where you fish. If you want to fish for snakeheads using High gear, the fish will not be able to catch the lures.
In my experience, if I have to go fishing for snakeheads in a complicated terrain, I will use a high gear fishing reel to carry.
If you are in open terrain then I think normal gear is suitable for you. And if you are in terrain with strong water such as a river or stream, Extra high gear will be more suitable
Conclusion
You already have the answer to the “What is the best ratio for a spinning reel?”. Remember, everything depends on your personal preferences. Any reels are expensive or cheap, it will still be useless if you can’t master them.
I hope this article is helpful to you. Do you have another idea?
Hope you got your questions answered. Good luck!
Further reading:
- Other info about fishing in Fishingandhuntingsports
- Fishing reel Wikipedia
- Which Are The Best Baits For Murky Water & Clear Water?