When using a baitcaster for 3.5" and 4" swimbaits do you prefer a high gear ratio or a lower one?

Don't care.  Sometimes I fish those slow, sometimes I fish them fast.  Somewhere in the middle is probably best, but I don't have issues slowing down or speeding up to get the retrieve speed I need.  So just about any reel will work for me.  If you don't like to speed up or slow down, then you might want a faster or slower reel to help with whichever extreme makes you uncomfortable.  

 

And this is how I feel about most baits.  The only two lures where gear ratio is really important to me is buzz baits and deep diving cranks.  It'll wear me out trying to retrieve a SK 10XD on an 8:1 reel or trying to retrieve buzz baits on a 5.4:1 reel.  Other than that, I typically find something in the 6-7 ratio as a good all-around that can get me through year-round with just about whatever I have tied on.  

I use a mid 6 something. 
It’s a good compromise for the way I like to do it.
If I need to slow down its a lot easier, If I feel the need to speed up its doesn’t take much. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

13 minutes ago, Mike L said:

I use a mid 6 something. 
It’s a good compromise for the way I like to do it.
If I need to slow down its a lot easier, If I feel the need to speed up its doesn’t take much. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

Same for me. If I fish a reel faster than a 6 for moving baits it's harder for me to keep it as slow as I need to go. Speeding up is easy, slowing down is tougher for me.

 

I do fish 7's and 8's for bottom contact baits, pitching, frogs, etc.

I hate cranking a handle as fast as I can go.  I had it last night when I fished a toad on a heavier than needed swimbait hook.  I had to mega crank to keep it on top.  That was a special case, but most of my rods do multiple duty so I want a faster rather than slower retrieve.  I start at 7:1 (30") and go up to 8:1 (33").  Only exception is my chatterbait or crankbait rod.  I have one that I've currently dedicated to it since I fish one so much.  I've got a 6.6:1(29") on that one and I was fishing a 6:1 (27") on it before.

 

For keitechs on a jighead I fish them on a 7 because that's the rod they are on.  For fishing the susky I'd even consider an 8 to pick up slack on a cast faster.  Tons of rocks to get snagged in if you cast shallow and aren't reeling right away.

Zelmo,

     Mike L. and Bankc, IMHO have it spot on. Retrieving large deep diving crank baits, slow rolling a 1 oz spinner bait and high water resistance lures. Having a lower gear ratio reel makes life much easier on you.

  Where you'd like a higher ratio reel is (again IMHO) is bottom contact baits like jigs, T or C rigged worms.  High speed baits , burning a buzz bait or spinner bait on the surface, ripping traps. Maybe even Senkos or weightless soft plastics where the resistance is low and your fishing it very slow. Once it is out of the strike zone/sweet spot you want to retrieve quickly and cast again. It also helps for quickly taking up slack or catching up to a moving fish to set the hook solidly.

FM

 

I find I can tune my baitcaster gear ratio to the right retrieve with handle length. 

Longer handle on higher gears, shorter handle on lower gears. 

With a longer handle, you use a little more arm, with shorter handle you use more wrist and can spin faster. 

30" IPT is my favourite, even for moving baits. 

I like a lower gear ratio.  I use a Shimano Conquest 100 because of that.

Something in the middle, 6. or 7. something.

36 minutes ago, A kid from Canada said:

30" IPT is my favourite, even for moving baits. 

Good point to think about IPT in addition to gear ratio.  
 

Thanks for all the replies.  Fishing the Susquehanna does mean snags.  Anything to cut down on them is a good idea.