You've seen these numbers before: 5:1, 6:1, 7.2:1, and so on. What do they mean, and how do they affect your fishing experience?
What Does a Fishing Reel Gear Ratio Mean?
In the simplest terms, a fishing reel is just a winch. Reels convert a single turn of the handle into multiple turns around the spool. This allows an angler to quickly retrieve casted line in an organized manner.
In mechanical engineering terms, a winch with a ratio less than one (for example, 1:5) will retrieve line very slowly, but it will be able to retrieve a lot of weight relative to the power used to turn the handle.
It's the opposite in the other direction. A winch with a ratio of more than one (for example, 5:1) will retrieve line much faster than the handle is cranked.
How Fishing Reel Gear Ratios Work
Consider a reel with a 1:10 gear ratio. This reel would require 10 turns of the handle for 1 full revolution around the spool. You have experienced this if you've ever winched a boat onto a trailer. You wouldn't want to reel in a fish that slowly, but if you did, you could reel in a very large fish with very little effort.
But fishing reels don't use gear ratios less than one, otherwise we'd spend all day reeling in just one fish. Instead, fishing reels use ratios greater than one because we want to get that fish into the net before it has a chance to throw the hook or break the line.
A fishing reel with a ratio of 7:1 will turn 7 times around the spool for each turn of the handle.
Gear ratio is only one part of choosing the right reel. Spinning reel size also affects line capacity, retrieve rate, and the overall size and weight of the reel.
High vs. Low Gear Ratios
You'll often see higher gear ratios on baitcasting reels, and there's a reason for that. Baitcasters are the preferred reel for ripping large bass out of heavy cover, and many anglers want to do that as fast as possible to minimize the risk of losing the fish.
But a very high gear ratio isn't always the most desirable, because there are situations where a slower retrieve may make for a better lure presentation.
When a Slower Retrieve Makes Sense
Gear ratio is more than just a number on the side of the reel. It changes how quickly the spool retrieves line and can affect how easily you control the speed of your lure.
For example, in cooler weather when fish are lethargic, you may want to try a slow retrieve. A lower gear ratio can make it easier to maintain a slow, consistent presentation when fish aren't very active.
Keep in mind that gear ratio and line retrieve rate are not exactly the same thing. Two reels with the same gear ratio can retrieve different amounts of line per crank if they have different spool sizes. When comparing specific reels, check the manufacturer's listed line retrieve rate in addition to the gear ratio.
Choosing a Gear Ratio
If you have the capability to carry several rods or you just want to look like a professional bass fisherman, it makes sense to have several rods and reels with different gear ratios that work better for different types of lures.
On the other hand, if you can only carry one rod, you may want to choose a reel with a high ratio. After all, it is easier to slow down the crank on a fast reel than it is to speed up the crank of a slow reel.
Once you've narrowed down the gear ratio and reel size, the next step is matching the reel to your rod. Our guide on how to match a spinning reel to a fishing rod explains how reel size, rod power, and fishing technique work together.
For anglers comparing Daiwa reels, the gear ratio is also only one part of the equation. Daiwa uses several proprietary technologies and design terms across its spinning-reel lineup. See our Guide to Daiwa Fishing Reel Features for explanations of terms such as LT, ATD, Airdrive, Tough DigiGear, and ZAION-V.