Gear ratio
How many times the spool rotates per handle turn, written as something like 6.2:1. Higher reels faster, lower cranks harder.
A 6.2:1 reel turns the spool 6.2 times for every full turn of the handle. That number alone does not tell you retrieve speed, because a bigger spool moves more line per rotation, which is what IPT exists to fix. But within a family of reels it is the quick comparison.
Speed and power trade against each other, exactly like gears on a bike. A high ratio, roughly 7:1 and up, picks up slack fast and is what you want for flipping, frogs and burning a bait back for another cast. A low ratio around 5:1 gives you cranking torque, and deep crankbait and big swimbait anglers use it for that. Pulling a bait that digs ten feet down on a 7:1 reel is a forearm workout.
If you are buying one reel, something in the low 6s does both jobs acceptably.
One reel, buy 6.2:1. Two reels, add a 5.4:1 for deep crankbaits or a 7.5:1 for frogs and flipping.
Common questions
What gear ratio is best for beginners?
Something in the low 6s, around 6.2:1. It picks up slack quickly enough for most baits and still has enough torque that a diving crankbait is not exhausting to fish.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use gear ratio and show it on real gear.
Gear ratio is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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