Can someone explain the advantage of using a lower gear ratio for crankbaits? I have never used one so I don't know what you gain.

Torque

Torque

And that accomplishes what?

It's useful to pull fish in when you have to use the reel as a winch, or to make a crankbait dive deeper since it stays in the water longer due to the slower reel speed and has more time to dive downward.  Sometimes a crankbait doesn't achieve it's maximum depth due to the fact that it gets cranked back too quickly.  And then sometimes you just want to slow the bait down, such as slowrolling a spinnerbait on the bottom.  To me this is easier accomplished by using a slower reel so I don't have to concentrate as much to make myself slow down.  I can still reel at a comfortable pace while knowing my bait isn't going faster than I want it to.  Those are the uses I see for slower speed reels.

Torque

And that accomplishes what?

It is much easier to crank, especially important with the deep divers.............Al

Its overrated.  I use 5.8:1 reels with divers with no issue.  I used to use 6.3:1.  Long before that, I had 5:1 reels.  I definitely do not like a burner reel, and the super slow reels, like Zillion Crazy Cranker are too slow for me.

The slowest reels I own are three 5.8:1 Millionaires.

I put up with the slow retrieve because I really like those little round reels. If I could get higher speed gears to fit in those, I'd do it tomorrow.

I bought two 4.4:1 Energy PT's about three years ago, buying into this idea that I needed slow reels for cranking. I used them once before ordering 6.3:1 gears for both.

You do not need more torque for "winching" in the fish. That is pure, unadulterated marketing BS. You play the fish with the rod, not the reel.

If I get to the point where I can't crank a DD22 with one of my higher speed reels, I'll give up this sport, and take up something less strenuous, like needlepoint.

.ghoti is right. lol.... but i have to admit.. when youre crankin a ledge 20 feet down for 6 hours in 100 degree heat.... your arm gets really tired on a 6.1 or higher.

i think im only into the low gear idea for ease of reeling in bigger lures with more resistance.

just like a bike with 10 speeds.... can you get up the hill in the big speed gear? of course.... but its a hell of alot easier three speeds down. 

I have a Chronarch, 5:1 I can use it for cranks, but I'd rather use a 6.2:1..the 5:1 is great for swimbaits, which is that reels primary use..

.ghoti is right. lol.... but i have to admit.. when youre crankin a ledge 20 feet down for 6 hours in 100 degree heat.... your arm gets really tired on a 6.1 or higher.

i think im only into the low gear idea for ease of reeling in bigger lures with more resistance.

just like a bike with 10 speeds.... can you get up the hill in the big speed gear? of course.... but its a hell of alot easier three speeds down.

The thought of spending 6 hrs cranking a 20' ledge in 70 degree weather, let alone 100 degree, is enough to make me take up needlepoint. ;D ;D Course I ain't riding a bike up any hills either. :

Everyone seems stuck on gear ratio when it is inches-per-turn that is the true measure of a reel's speed.

For instance, the 5.8:1 Daiwa Sol cranks in 23.6 inches per turn.  The S L O W Daiwa Zillion High Power (Crazy Cranker) pulls in 22 inches per turn. Not a heck of a lot of difference.

In fact, the Crazy Cranker at 4.9:1 is faster than the Revo Winch at 5.4:1.  The Revo pulls in 20.6 inches per turn.

Don't get hung up on gear ratio.

I use a 7.1 at 34" per turn( that rating is with full spool BTW), took a little getting used to, but I prefer them now. Just slow it down a bit, works fine for me.

G

I like my Curado E5 for deep cranks and my Sol for shallow cranks, mostly because they match the rods they are on quiet well  ;D I've cranked with a high speed before and it feels a little too stressfull on myself and my gear, but I guess it's all in getting used to it.  The slower reels don't bother me so I find no real need to change

.ghoti is right. lol.... but i have to admit.. when youre crankin a ledge 20 feet down for 6 hours in 100 degree heat.... your arm gets really tired on a 6.1 or higher.

i think im only into the low gear idea for ease of reeling in bigger lures with more resistance.

just like a bike with 10 speeds.... can you get up the hill in the big speed gear? of course.... but its a hell of alot easier three speeds down.

The thought of spending 6 hrs cranking a 20' ledge in 70 degree weather, let alone 100 degree, is enough to make me take up needlepoint. ;D ;D Course I ain't riding a bike up any hills either. :

We all tend to think and respond to questions/statements based on our  style of fishing. I am a tournament fisherman and if I need to deep crank for 8 hrs in a tournament on my knees with the rod 4 ft into the water to gain 4 ft more lure run depth I want a reel that cranks easier. And in the area I live if you want to win any money in the warmer months you must deep crank. But to a totally pleasure fisherman it probably doesn't matter, whatever trips your trigger..............Al

.ghoti is right. lol.... but i have to admit.. when youre crankin a ledge 20 feet down for 6 hours in 100 degree heat.... your arm gets really tired on a 6.1 or higher.

i think im only into the low gear idea for ease of reeling in bigger lures with more resistance.

just like a bike with 10 speeds.... can you get up the hill in the big speed gear? of course.... but its a hell of alot easier three speeds down.

The thought of spending 6 hrs cranking a 20' ledge in 70 degree weather, let alone 100 degree, is enough to make me take up needlepoint. ;D ;D Course I ain't riding a bike up any hills either. :

We all tend to think and respond to questions/statements based on our style of fishing. I am a tournament fisherman and if I need to deep crank for 8 hrs in a tournament on my knees with the rod 4 ft into the water to gain 4 ft more lure run depth I want a reel that cranks easier. And in the area I live if you want to win any money in the warmer months you must deep crank. But to a totally pleasure fisherman it probably doesn't matter, whatever trips your trigger..............Al

Al you make a great point. 8-) My response really didn't address the question posed. If I fished for real money, and cranking deep is what it took to win, I would definitely use a slower speed reel.

The slowest reels I own are three 5.8:1 Millionaires.

I put up with the slow retrieve because I really like those little round reels. If I could get higher speed gears to fit in those, I'd do it tomorrow.

I bought two 4.4:1 Energy PT's about three years ago, buying into this idea that I needed slow reels for cranking. I used them once before ordering 6.3:1 gears for both.

You do not need more torque for "winching" in the fish. That is pure, unadulterated marketing BS. You play the fish with the rod, not the reel.

If I get to the point where I can't crank a DD22 with one of my higher speed reels, I'll give up this sport, and take up something less strenuous, like needlepoint.

so true , so true !!! i actually use my REVO SX 7.1:1 reel for deep-diving crankbaits and have no problems whatsoever , if i want to slow it down some , i just crank slower

.ghoti is right. lol.... but i have to admit.. when youre crankin a ledge 20 feet down for 6 hours in 100 degree heat.... your arm gets really tired on a 6.1 or higher.

i think im only into the low gear idea for ease of reeling in bigger lures with more resistance.

just like a bike with 10 speeds.... can you get up the hill in the big speed gear? of course.... but its a hell of alot easier three speeds down.

The thought of spending 6 hrs cranking a 20' ledge in 70 degree weather, let alone 100 degree, is enough to make me take up needlepoint. ;D ;D Course I ain't riding a bike up any hills either. :

hahhaha.... welcome to lake talquin...tallahassee florida.

The 7.1 reels have to give up quite a bit in torque to the 6.3 reels. Maybe not enough that it bothers everyone. I don't know I've never used a 7.1 reel with crankbaits.

If you want a super graphic demonstration of reel torque, throw a deep diving musky crankbait with a high speed reel, and then a slow speed reel. 

A reel has no torque.  Torque is supplied by the user.  All things equal, a higher ratio reel requires more torque to move a bait.  Whether that is actually too much is a comfort/preference issue, as shown above.  Either you like it or you don't.

Everyone seems stuck on gear ratio when it is inches-per-turn that is the true measure of a reel's speed.

For instance, the 5.8:1 Daiwa Sol cranks in 23.6 inches per turn. The S L O W Daiwa Zillion High Power (Crazy Cranker) pulls in 22 inches per turn. Not a heck of a lot of difference.

In fact, the Crazy Cranker at 4.9:1 is faster than the Revo Winch at 5.4:1. The Revo pulls in 20.6 inches per turn.

Don't get hung up on gear ratio.

   Micro hit it right on the nose.

Also re the whole torque deal, torque might be  irrelevant as your drag setting would come into play before you had to worry about torque. ???

Do my test with musky lures. If you can't tell any difference I'll send you $100.

Here is just an opinion but I think many will agree.Whatever bait or style you fish buy the tackle which best fits your needs.If you can fish a faster reel with a technique such as cranking and not "over rev the lure"my term for fishing a deep diver too fast thus not getting it to run like it should as long as should.then it may work for you.I own several different speed reels and I actually am starting to like the faster reels for most anything.I'm not as experienced as many of these anglers on here(I'm learning a lot from these fine folks)but I think fish what is comfortable and what works for the fish.

FYI

Paul Elias: 5:1 gear ratio 

David Fritts: 5.2:1 gear ratio

Mark Davis: 5.2:1 gear ratio

FYI

Paul Elias: 5:1 gear ratio

David Fritts: 5.2:1 gear ratio

Mark Davis: 5.2:1 gear ratio

FYI

Kevin VanDam 6.3.1

I think we know how KVD stacks up to those guys.

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