Gear ratio

Gear ratio is how many times the spool (baitcaster) or rotor (spinning reel) revolves for one full turn of the handle. A 6.4:1 reel spins the spool 6.4 times per crank. It is a gearbox spec, and it trades the same two things every gearbox trades: speed against torque.

The ratio lies a little

Two reels with the same ratio can retrieve different amounts of line, because line pickup depends on spool diameter as well as revolutions, and the effective diameter shrinks as line pays out. The honest number is inches per turn (IPT), which most makers now print next to the ratio. Around 26 to 28 inches per turn is a middle-of-the-road baitcaster; past 30 is fast; low-ratio cranking reels sit near 21 or 22. Compare IPT when cross-shopping brands. Compare ratio only within one reel family.

Speed vs torque

• Low, around 5:1: torque. Deep crankbaits and big swimbaits pull hard for the whole retrieve, and low gearing keeps the effort at the handle sane. The forced-slow retrieve also keeps a deep diver in the strike zone longer.
• Middle, 6:1 to 7:1: the all-around band. Fast enough to catch up to a fish, geared enough to work a moving bait properly.
• High, 7:1 and up: line speed. Picks up slack instantly after a pitch or flip, burns a bait back for the next cast, and turns a fish charging at the boat into a hooked fish instead of a slack-line story.

How to choose

Match the ratio to the lure's job, the same logic as rod power. Techniques that put slack in the line want a high ratio. Lures with heavy, constant resistance want a low one. If one reel has to do everything, take the middle band and let your own cranking speed cover the rest. Gearing decides how fast line comes in under your control; what happens when a fish takes it back out is the drag's department.