TackleTour

Hi, so I enjoy my 6-7:1 gear ratio reels for covering a wide variety of fishing styles . I feel like this is the most versatile gear ratio but I'm seeing that there is a lot of popularity for the 8+:1 gear ratios. What type of fishing is important to have that really high gear ratio?

I like it for presentations where I want my gears to go buzzy as quickly as possible. Honestly I'm not sure where I NEED an 8:1 ratio. I am naturally a slower reeler so 8:1 are almost mandatory for my to throw buzzbaits but that's about it. One of my most used reels is an 8:1 and I often struggle to slow down to the point of wanting to gear swap it to a 7 ratio or slower. I have 4. A Tatula Type R, Tatula CT SV, SS SV105 and Steez LTD 105. I'll probably swap both Tatulas to 7:1 because they both became buzzy quickly with the Tatula Type R after 2 years and the Tatula CT SV instantly. I will keep the SS SV105 an 8:1 because it will be going onto a dedicated MH to pick apart cover and want to burn the bait in and send it out again quickly to a new target and I float by a target rich environment.

I edited your title... there have been 2 speed reels with two actual separate retrieve ratios. Otherwise all reels are one speed. Your question is about the gear ratio not different number of speeds in one reel.

I'm really enjoying the Daiwa Zillion 10 for buzz bait, buzz toad, larger walking baits, skipping and pitching jigs/plastics. As a huge fan of buzz bait fishing for a long time, this reel is an absolute joy to fish. I don't care if it isn't as silky smooth as my Steez family or Zillion G's nor do I expect it to be...

Yes, some of the faster ratio gears may not be as durable, but it is really all about fishing more efficiently and being able to make more casts in an outing. You are at a disadvantage with slower ratio reels if you are not fishing your lure all the way back to the boat. I get very frustrated when fishing plastics with slower ratio reels because I waste so much time throughout the outing while trying to quickly reel in to make another cast. I don't usually drag plastics all the way back to the boat.

Some people are just geared slower and prefer slower reels for all applications. This is fine if you aren't in a hurry, but you are at a disadvantage in a tournament situation where more casts means more opportunities.

I really like the ratio's between 6-7 for most reaction baits and the 8+ for anything on the bottom.

I think an 8 speed (around 31-34 inches per turn) is great for bottom techniques, and burning techniques like buzzbaits, topwaters, jerkbaits, traps, anything where you need to recover quickly. A 7 speed or a faster 6 (26 to 31 inches per turn) handles resistance baits fine for me, bladed jigs, cranks, spinnerbaits, etc. You can specialize and go slower or faster, but that is up to the angler. For me I would build a 5 gear (under 26 IPT) for a DEEP crank rod. I only own 7 and 8 ratios, and only 2 of those are 8s. I had the 9.1 Zillion TWS but bought gears from TackleTrap to make it a 7.3, the 9.1 felt rough and labored on retrieve with anything above 3/8. The 7.3 Zillion TWS has been a monster though and excels with deep, large cranks and chatterbaits.

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

SSS wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

Have you tried the faster stuff? I thought that I would never need anything faster than 7.3, but it's hard to go back.

toddmc wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 11:40 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

Have you tried the faster stuff? I thought that I would never need anything faster than 7.3, but it's hard to go back.

Tried 8.1 for a short duration. Meh. For frogging and flipping, i can see it being great, but i don't want my gears to go buzzy buzzy mode in half a season.

I have yet to figure out if I need the 8 gear ratio for ice fishing. Will find out sometimes this winter on how it works out. Have yet to put that Curado BFS to work.

I have a naturally fast reeling speed, so I tend to be a bit specific depending on presentation. 5 speed for deep diving cranks. 6 or 7 speed for square bills, chatter baits, or spinnerbaits. 8 speed for bottom contact,jerkbaits, and topwater.

SSS wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:58 pm

toddmc wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 11:40 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

Have you tried the faster stuff? I thought that I would never need anything faster than 7.3, but it's hard to go back.

Tried 8.1 for a short duration. Meh. For frogging and flipping, i can see it being great, but i don't want my gears to go buzzy buzzy mode in half a season.

The high speed reels really get buzzy that quickly?

SSS wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:58 pm

toddmc wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 11:40 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

Have you tried the faster stuff? I thought that I would never need anything faster than 7.3, but it's hard to go back.

Tried 8.1 for a short duration. Meh. For frogging and flipping, i can see it being great, but i don't want my gears to go buzzy buzzy mode in half a season.

My SV103XS reels haven’t been a problem. It is important to go with a proven durable reel for these techniques. All gears are not created equal. I use my 7.3 OG Zillions a lot. They are hard to hurt and fast enough because of the 36 mm spool. We need to have a thread for proven durable extra high speed gears

toddmc wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 24, 2021 11:59 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 4:58 pm

toddmc wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 22, 2021 11:40 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:11 pm

Don't have anything faster than a 7.2 and don't feel like i need anything.

Have you tried the faster stuff? I thought that I would never need anything faster than 7.3, but it's hard to go back.

Tried 8.1 for a short duration. Meh. For frogging and flipping, i can see it being great, but i don't want my gears to go buzzy buzzy mode in half a season.

My SV103XS reels haven’t been a problem. It is important to go with a proven durable reel for these techniques. All gears are not created equal. I use my 7.3 OG Zillions a lot. They are hard to hurt and fast enough because of the 36 mm spool. We need to have a thread for proven durable extra high speed gears

TD Zillions have great gearing but even my IP68 with the stock gears and heavy use frogging was way smoother than my IP79 with similar use. 7.3 gears seem to be a nice compromise.

I've only ever liked 8 gears for frogs. I've grown to tolerate it for when I'm throwing a texas rig, but the only time I feel like that kind of speed (at the sacrifice of winching power) works for me is with a frog.

I know tons of guys love it for flipping though. I just like a 7 gear in those techniques since my rods tend to need to do more than just flip and pitch.