Can someone here explain reel gear ratio questions

[Hoffer]

So, I went out to the Rogers super store this evening. As I was talking to the guys in the reel department they were just putting up a sign for the Quantum KT100 hpt baitcaster for sale. It was half price - so I bit on one.

The gear ratio is 7:1

I take it that means it reels in 7 feet of line with every turn of the handle?

My question is why is it important to have a higher or lower gear ratio. In otherwords, if I went with a 7:1 rather than a lower gear ratio and dont want to reel in more line (in otherwords, I guess keep the bait in the strike zone longer) can;t I just reel a little slower - and effectively turn the 7:1 into a lower gear ratio?

My last question is - does anyone have or have used this reel?

What are your thoughts? For the price I couldnt turn it down.

[wmw]

7:1 should mean 7 rotations of the spool for 1 turn of the handle. I like a faster retrieve reel for crank baits. for fighting larger fish you might want to have something like a 5:1 to handle the larger load. Most open faces don't go much higher than 5:1, a zebco 33 is around 3:1 the plastic gears couldn't handle much more than that. hope this helps.

[dan z]

My take on high geared reels

there like a Corvette high hp and hardly any torque... yes there fast but try pulling something with it. Yes you can for a while those gears aren't made for that type if work, yes you can get high geared saltwater baitcasters to pull a load. But there pretty spendy

Low geared reel take.

great for pulling a load. like blades, cranks, heavy baits.... but on the flip side you gave a hard time keeping up with surface baits...I like medium to slow geared reels as i don't do much bucket mouth fishing.

[Deitz Dittrich]

like mwm states, 7:1 is seven rotations of the spool per one rotation of the reels handle. This can be a bit confusing, as the amount of line actually taken in can be quite a bit different depending on which reel. A larger spool will take in more line than a smaller spool, and then a reels power will also change depending on how large a main gear is used in the reel.

That said... faster reels are better for moving faster baits and or taking in slack line after a lure is moved by the rod. Slower reels usually have more power and are better for lures that are hard to move(large spinnerbaits, deep crankbaits.)

yes, like you state, you can slow down the reel handle(which will not slow down its actual reel per handle turn rating) but it will slow down the lure. Yet if you try and do deep cranks and or large spinners you may find that the reel is hard to turn as its a speed reel vs a power reel.

[Hoffer]

Ok that makes good sense!

So is the 7:1 on this reel considered REAL fast?

My intended uses are:

Throwing smaller baits like smaller spinners, jigs, rattlin raps etc for bass. I was also planning on putting it on a 8 foot 6 inch rod for fast trolling for walleyes. Obviously for the speed trolling the reel is very important until you actually get a fish on. Would this 7:1 be too light for that? In otherwords, lack "cranking" power to bring a bigger fish in?

[Deitz Dittrich]

7:1 is the fastest that most reel companies are making at this point., So yes, your reel is considered fast. nots sure you would notice or not, but yes, it will not be as powerful on bigger fish, then again, if you have a monster on, your adrenaline will kick in and you will have beastly powers you never knew you had.

[CAMAN]

Another thing to keep in mind is the Inches Per Handle Turn(IPT). Reels can all be geared exactly the same, but manufacturers can vary the spool diameter to achieve a faster or slower reel.

For instance, compare "burner" reels made by Shimano, Quantum, and Diawa.

Shimano Curado 7.1:1 - 30 IPT

Quantum Smoke 7.0:1 - 28 IPT

Quantum Smoke 7.3:1 - 34 IPT

Diawa Zillion 7.1:1 - 31.6 IPT

1 inch difference per handle turn may not seem like a lot, but when you think about how many times you turn that handle in one cast, the lure speed can vary greatly between two almost similar reels, if you don't change your retrieve speed.

[Hoffer]

I am starting to understand.

The more I think about it - if this is a "fast" reel it might be exactly what I need for when speed trolling for walleyes. I troll fast, with quite a bit of line out to get the lure down deep. Sometimes after a hit, its hard to keep up with the slack in the line...reeling like crazy at first with that much line out to make sure I dont give the fish slack - plus I am using mono and there is a lot of stretch as well with that much line out. So, maybe this is right up my alley for speed trolling? It would help me to get the slack line in faster. Of course that is if everything else is equal. It sounds like the may not be great for "torque" when using heavier lures or bringing in heavier fish? But I am going to give it a try and see how it works