This is just an observation but something I noticed as soon as I started back bass fishing this year and after watching a ton of fishing shows and tournaments and doing some reading up on bait caster ratios VS technique. Back in the day before low profile reels and 7:1 to 10:1 ratio reels I fish primarily with reels that were that were 5.4:1 which was the standard for most old school reels. 6.3:1 was considered high speed which is slow these days. I've lost a few fish on combo and lure combinations that normally I never lost fish on, the only difference was the gear ratio in the reel I'm fishing now.. The thing I've noticed when ever I lost a fish is I had the fish traveling back to the boat so fast about half way on the retrieve the fish just comes to the surface and lays on it's side on the surface and quits fighting but some do this and then will flick their head and throw the lure. I've noticed this watching the pros as well. I wish I would have done more studying before I bought reels after reading up on ratios VS technique. What I have read says the slower reels are actually better for things like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and such, where the faster ratios are actually intended for Carolina rigs, worm fishing, etc. the purpose being to keep you in better contact with the lure and tighten up your reaction time. Everything I've bought so far is on the faster side, mainly because they were on sale and I'm not having problems with worms, C-rigs, jigs and such. Opinions???

You can catch fish on the slower retrieves but as reels have progressed over tge tmyears and technology has improved I have found that I do not care for any baitcast reel slower than 6.3:1
Most of my bottom technique stuff I use 8.1, moving baits 6.3 and frogs/bladed jigs etc I use 7.3

I think you are over thinking what you are doing. Just slow down with the faster gear ratio reels if you need to. Personally I don't see a difference in gear ratio vs. hook up ratio.

I have fished Ambassadeur 4500/4600 reels for years and have never had an appreciable problem losing fish. And about half of what I caught were smallmouth. One thing that some fail to realize is that the older reels (Ambassadeur, etc) had a much larger spool diameter than the newer "low profile" reels. That effectively increased the ratio on the old reels, and it slows the ratio on the newer reels.

OK that makes sense. That's the reason you see the inches per turn rating on some of the newer reels.

Exactly and I will add this. I take a lot of folks fishing and 90% of them don't fill their reels past 70%. While you can catch fish with 35 yards of line on your reel, it kills your casting distance.

I never had a problem fishing abu 4500 4600 s think it’s the fisherman not the reel.
J. D

Perhaps. I still have 4500s and Calcutta 250s that are my only casting reels. Tough as nails and plenty fast for my needs.

Not to mention the effectiveness of the drag system.

Heck ..... It screws up everything about the reel.

+1

I’ve seen the opposite of what you have. Keeping tension on that hook is what you want and slow reels just can’t do it like a higher gear ratio. If you ask possibly the best crank bait fisherman alive (Keith Combs) what his keys to success are, he will stress the importance of a 7:1 gear ratio and cranking as fast as possible once you’re hooked up to keep that fish buttoned up.

The beauty of the faster reels are that you can always slow down.