I'm currently looking at a few baitcasters, and gear ratio is the one factor keeping me from finalizing my setup. I'm building out a large pike setup and will primarily be throwing swimbaits in the 2–7 oz range. I plan to use 80 lb braid to support the heavy lures, especially since I'll be fishing in thick weeds.

I'm currently leaning toward the Shimano Tranx series due to its superior line capacity—I'm not sure the Curado can hold enough 80 lb braid. That said, I'm torn between two gear ratios in the Tranx lineup: one seems really fast, and the other might be too slow.

Here’s what I’m comparing:

• Shimano Tranx 400 – considering either the 7.6:1 (39 IPT) or 5.8:1 (29 IPT)

• Shimano Curado 300K – 6.6:1 (35 IPT)

Is 7.6:1 too fast for such large swimbaits? My thinking is that I can always speed up the retrieve with the 5.8:1 Tranx without sacrificing torque, but I’m unsure if 29 IPT is too slow for the type of fishing I’ll be doing.

A 7 speed is perfect for glides.   To me that 5 speed is much better for big soft swimbaits that are just steadily reeled.

 

You want the higher IPT in order to work the bait with reel chops and combat cranks.   Too slow and you just can't bring in enough slack to do that.   

Gear ratio matters less than inches of line per turn of the handle.

I have a big Abu Garcia with a 6.3:1 ratio that picks up line faster than a smaller Shimano with a 7.1:1 ratio.