Gearing

I'm in the market to buy a couple new baitcast reels soon and need to learn more about gearing first.

I know higher gears are for fast moving baits but what works good for deep divers that won't wear me out so much I can't paddle in?

If you were starting out and buying two reels, what would you get? Not looking for brands or models here, just gearing.

Thanks for the help!

If I were using only 2 gear speeds, I'd be sure to have one that could handle the deep crankers, and then one high-speed reel for everything else. I am not shy about huge lipped divers, so I need a 5.x:1 reel for divers so I can manage those brutes. With that out of the way, I could then manage everything else on a single high speed. In my case that choice would be as high as I could go on the budget I have, with my preference at 8:1. Those cost a bit more, so a 7.3:1 would work as well, just not my preference.

Why my preference for high speed?
1) Once a lure has fished the best stretch of water, I can hurry it back to the boat faster for the next cast.
2) I can take up slack faster if a fish is running toward me.
3) In making it through a day of fishing, my wrist makes fewer reel handle rotations, so my wrist stamina is sufficient.

So higher speed and reel slower for middle speed presentations and a 5 something to one for the big baits.

I’ve noticed the options are fewer for left retrieve reels. Especially low gears.

Thanks Flippin!

The options are fewer for left hand reels because a number of the parts are mirror images of the popular right-retrieve reels, and making those unique parts is expensive when volumes are lower. A lot of reel parts require expensive machine tooling for manufacture. Those tools wear as parts are produced, so they must be replaced even at that, and their cost can be expensive. The tooling to stamp or mold a sideplate could easily be $20,000. That's only the start of what it costs to start making a left hand reel. Those reels are lower volume, so it gets expensive to spread the tooling over each reel when the consumer expects left and right to have the same price....

All of my reels are 7:1. Best all around in my opinion.. But for cranking, 8:1 or 9:1

Ummm, have you been fishing long there, dk? Are you going to honestly tell me that an 8:1 or 9:1 reel should be used for "cranking" (which is slang for fishing with crankbaits, many of which have large bills providing a lot of resistance to the angler when retrieved)? You need to do a little more reading/research to validate your advice. When you do, please pass some sources along; I'd really love to see a reputable source that makes that recommendation. [You've gotten the understanding of reel gearing in reverse in your mind somehow.]

Ha! I've been fishing before you were born son. Guess you missed the part "In my opinion." No where anywhere does it say you are required to have a 5:1 for using divers... Pretty sure it's preference, and mine being a higher gear ratio...

I'm sure I'm the odd one out.. I don't even use cranks much, but when I do, 8:1 Revo ALX. In my OPINION.

Strange that you would think you were fishing before I was born; I'd seriously doubt that. You can drop the "son" thing unless you are Roland Martin. If you want to use an 8:1 for crankbaits that you rarely throw, knock yourself out, but you should probably qualify such a statement with "in my unconventional opinion".

As for gearing in general, I'm curious to hear the accolades for 7:1 if you think 8:1 is great for cranking. Tell me this: If you like 8:1 so much, why not use it for all the other applications as well? For instance, when fishing a worm or Carolina rig, it's not uncommon for fish to come toward the angler, creating a big bow in the line. That slack can be taken up faster with a higher gear ratio - 8:1 vs. 7:1. (32 inch per turn for the ALX vs. 28 for a typical 7:1). Conventional wisdom is that lures with little resistance (like CR & worm) are a good fit for high geared reels, especially given the slack line issue, yet you step yours down to 7:1.

DD crank baits with an 8:1. Must have forearms like Popeye.

I would get the fastest retrieve rate I could find. You can always crank slower.