This winter I bought a Denali Jadewood custom crankbait rod and paired it with a lews speed spool 5:4:1 gear ratio(23 ipt). I was going to use this set up as my all around crankbait setup. I've been doing some reading and read people like to use 6:1 or higher gear ratio reels with lipless crankbaits. do i need to get a seperate set up for lipless cranks or will my 5:4:1 work?

It will work

I'm not one for having a different rod for every type of bait I use, but I like to be able to rip lipless baits pretty fast especially when fishing over the tops of weeds. For me, a high speed reel is a necessity. My hand would get pretty tired burning baits on a 5.4:1 reel. A 7:1 speed works better for me.

I'm with Scott F, when I fish lipless I like using a 6.3:1 or higher and in the warm water period I'll use 7.1:1 for them. What you have will work for open water, but the rod might be a little soft if you plan on ripping a lipless crank off of grass or weeds, in that case you'll need a rod with more backbone but really any spinnerbait set up will work for that. The best way to see if it works is to try it out, you'll know if the reel is too slow after a few cast but it should be fine for everything except ripping the bait free from grass.

Lipless cranks sink pretty fast. I like using a 7' fast-ish action rod with a 7.x:1 reel to pick up slack.

Also, you realize your asking crack addicts if they think you should have multiple pipes, right?

Both of my crankbait rods have a 5:4:1 ratio and I've never had a problem. But that being said I do not like reeling slow, so burning baits is really no issue and I also don't get tired very easily but thats just me.  Also I think I can speak for a lot of people here, If I could have a rod and reel for every possible bait, I'd be all over it. 

7' Med Hvy / modFst action with a 7.1:1 with 12# flouro (berkley Trilene 100% pro grade)- I use it for both lipless and swimbait.  Swimbaits just get a really hard side hook set, lipless just get a really fast reel hook set...

Just keep your rod tip up and you will be fine.

Personally I think its to slow. I think that reel picks up around 22 inches per turn. If you want to speed that bait up, which you will, you're gonna be winding like heck no matter what your rod position is.

Don't worry about getting a new combo, the current crankbait combo you described will work quite nicely with lipless crankbaits.

The rod I throw lipless on is the same rod I throw buzzbaits on  7'MH/F with a 7:1 ratio, it seems to work well i like the heavier action to rip it out of the grass. that being said I have a lipless tied on less than 5% of the time. 

 

Mitch

Perhaps your final decision of whether you should have a separate rig for lipless baits will ultimately depend on how and where you plan on fishing them.

 

If you're working the bait around, over and eventually through grass and using the standard technique of snapping or ripping the bait up and out of the grass, a moderate action rod ( I actually use a glass stick) when paired with a 6.6:1 reel and braided line works for me.

 

 A-Jay