I want to make a straight jig pitching rod. I already have the rod but I'm still on the fence about a 7:1 gear ratio.

For those of you that have the experience between a 6.1 vs a 7.1 for jigs only, could you give me your opinion and push me off the fence one way or the other? Thanks!

I don't have a 7 to 1.  I will say this, if you tend to fish too fast go 6 to 1.   If not, faster is better for what you are doing.  Also, if you might need a more versatile reel, 6 to 1 is better.

 

Otherwise, preference. 

7.1 might not be exactly what you need, but the most IPT is.  Helps take up slack line faster for quicker hooksets!

 

Jeff

inches per turn matter more than ratio

 

my lews are 31" for 7.1:1 and 28" for 6.4:1...... while my shimanos are 27-28" for 7.1:1.

 

that being said most of my reels are labeled 7.1, and mostly the lews 7.1.

7.1 for picking up line quick to set the hook, especially when jig fishing fish hit it on the fall alot.  I have a 7.1 on my pitching rod and like it just fine.

i have a lews 7.1 as well, the speed spool

Also look at inches per turn. You will probably find the difference isn't very much between those ratios.

It's more so about the IPT, don't get as hung up on the gear ratio.

As already mentioned, you can take up line more quickly to set the hook or get your bait back in the strike zone more quickly. It also helps get fish to the surface quickly when you need to get them away from heavy cover. You don't NEED a burner, but they certainly have their benefits.

Faster the reel, the faster you get the fish out of the hole. My hollow frog rig and jig/pitch rigs are 7:1

7.1 & don't leave home without it.

IPT is most important, with that said most of my reels are 7:1.1

Okay, so far I'm about to fall off onto the high speed side. Another question I have is, do you feel like the faster the reel the harder it is to crank?

Excellent responses so far.

Crank? Are you refering to crankbaits?

No, not crankbait. I mean just how hard to turn the reel crank.

No harder than any other ratio in the same reel.

smoothness and ease of winding is the same no matter the ratio of the gears.

 

 

only time you have to "worry" about such things is when cranking on 20+ foot crankbaits.

Fighting a BIG fish on a 7:1 sucks if that is what you are asking.

I personally do not like burner reels, anything over 28 ipt with a 6.5:1 like Abu makes.  In answer to your question about harder to crank, yes.  To achieve the speed you give up torque, just as a car with a 411 rear end makes more torque than one with a 372 rear end.  It has the same horsepower yes, and same torque at the engine, but where the rubber meets the road, no.  I want the torque to move the fish out of cover, others want the speed, and in the fishing world we aren't talking about a huge amount of difference in amount of force required.  Most people think that the reason crankin reels are low geared and have low ipt is to make the deep divers run true, while this is correct to a point it is as much about angler comfort.  If you don't believe this take your crankin set up and a jig set up with a burner to the lake with a DD22, you will exert more force at the handle to crank the DD22 with the high geared reel than you will with a low  gear reel even if you reel slow to offset the ipt.  The low gear reels are made to move baits, fish etc with less force by the angler.  I'm not talking drag, or anything like that, just the amount of force you apply.  You can have a 7.1:1 and a 4.7:1 geared reels that both have the same ipt, it will require less effort to rotate the handle on the low geared than the 7.1:1. The same reason applies with the longer handles, cranking reels typically have a longer handle, again for the torque.  What you can do to offset the torque issue is to add a longer handle to the reel.  There are reels out there that are low geared and take in alot of line, the C3 by Abu has a 5.3:1 gear but takes in 25ipt, the C4 has a 6.4:1 and takes in 30ipt, here you can move both a large amount of line without sacrificing the torque required

When you are pitching, speed is your friend. It's close quarters presentation and normally in or around heavy cover. The bite can come the millisecond the lure hits the water or just as you lift it out for your next pitch. You already know that. Getting your lure in when no bite takes place, faster, allows you to make more presentaions per minute and the more your lure is in the strike zone, the greater chance to get bit. Having the ability to take up line fast after the strike will get a fish moving your way and reduce the chance of getting mired in the cover.

When you are pitching, speed is your friend. It's close quarters presentation and normally in or around heavy cover. The bite can come the millisecond the lure hits the water or just as you lift it out for your next pitch. You already know that. Getting your lure in when no bite takes place, faster, allows you to make more presentaions per minute and the more your lure is in the strike zone, the greater chance to get bit. Having the ability to take up line fast after the strike will get a fish moving your way and reduce the chance of getting mired in the cover.

X2 well said, this is why I use a high speed reel when pitching 

I pitch jigs year round on two separate Lews Tourneys Pros and i have found that i much rather have the 7.1 i can take up slack quickly and as for it being too quick if you swimming it or quickly bouncing it, i havent found that to be the case but the reel operator can always slow down a touch.

Def agree that you should be more intrsted in IPT.

Personally i havent noticed it being a harder fight than my 6.3:1 reels.

With all that said, if you want an all round reel that that you can uuse for most techniques, get a 6.1, but it is my opinon that 7.1 is better for pitching jigs.

LOVE the responses. So I've fallen and hit the groud but waiting for the spring classic sale to start running. Gen 3 revo sx 7.1 here we come.

Thanks a bunch guys!

Ps. I would buy another revo s but they don't come in 7.1

LOVE the responses. So I've fallen and hit the groud but waiting for the spring classic sale to start running. Gen 3 revo sx 7.1 here we come.

Thanks a bunch guys!

Ps. I would buy another revo s but they don't come in 7.1

Psssst:

http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Abu-Garcia-REVO-SX-High-Speed-Baitcasting-Reel&i=401566&aID=504AA2&merchID=4006

Thanks, but I'm looking to get the gen 3. Not only that but I'm returning my carbonlite reel to bass pro and applying the money towards the sx.

Woops. Missed that in your post. Good luck.