What’s your go to gear ratio for for deep cranking? Do you stick with 5:x or low 6:x? 

For deep cranking(meaning 15 ft or deeper)I like 5:5:1 and or 4:9:1,  the deeper I aim to go, the lower the gear ratio I prefer to use.

4 minutes ago, SproDD79 said:

For deep cranking(meaning 15 ft or deeper)I like 5:5:1 and or 4:9:1,  the deeper I aim to go, the lower the gear ratio I prefer to use.

I didn’t even know they still made a 4:x gear ratio reel anymore. 

28 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I didn’t even know they still made a 4:x gear ratio reel anymore. 

I have a few reels with the lower gear ratio. Only the Daiwa Catalina TW is in the upper 4x range. These are the different reels I use for cranking, the Daiwa Catalina TW 100PL-RM - LEFT(4:9:1),Lews BB1L (5:1:1) and the The Curado 201PG(5:0:1), I also like the Bantam PG (5:5:1), I find all of them to be excellent crankbait reels, the low IPT makes it easier to crank all day.

Better to look at IPT rather than gear ratio. 

I like 5.3:1 and 5.7:1 in either 

150 or 200 size reels 

Line capacity figures into this too.  I want more of it.

?

A-Jay

For cranking, except maybe really shallow squarebill (and traps, if you consider that cranking) I use 5:1 reels.  I just feel less worn out after working a piece of structure, etc. and seem to be better at keeping them at the speed the fish want.  For cranking below maybe 15', the kayak pedals are doing the cranking.  I haven't gotten efficient at trolling yet, but I have realized that I'm just not able to get a plug down where I want it 20' below the surface or more.  

I like a 5.x:1 for deep cranks.  I use a Shimano Antares 12 and an Abu Garcia Winch.  For shallow cranks I use 6.x:1 reels > a Shimano Curado K and sometimes a Quantum Smoke. 

I use an old Abu Garcia C4 winch for 10xd’s.   It’s a 3.9:1 ratio