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Gear ratio too slow for rivers?


Matto

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Yesterday I got out and somehow managed to loose four fish back to back. I was in unusually fast current wading and they darted right at me I couldn't keep up after my hookset as soon as I caught up to them they popped the surface and came off. I'm curious if I was having a bad day or my Lew's Speed Spool LFS in a 6.8 gear ratio that pulls 28 inches per turn was partially at fault?

 

I do a lot of largemouth fishing anyways and was thinking of upping my ratio for my t-rig and jig rod anyways, probably just looking for justification to try out a revo rocket lol.

 

Thanks.

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Any bass can swim faster than you can crank even the fastest reel. Most guys here use spinning gear which can't pick up line as fast as the baitcaster you have and I don't hear of anybody having problems because of it. What kind of line were you using? Were your hooks good and sharp? Using mono or fluorocarbon, the line stretch can reduce your ability to get a good hook set. Sometimes, bass just get off. Smallmouth are pretty good at throwing hooks.

You ALWAYS need another reel so go ahead and get the revo. In my opinion, it probably won't hurt but I don't think it would have made much difference.

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sharp hooks , as little slack as possible at the set, kirbing and opening the gap on hooks and multiple hooksets all can help . If the fish is heading toward you it,s best to reel in slack and then set the hook , otherwise it's wasted energy .

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All above comments make good sense. In my experience my hook-sets with my 5 1/2' ultralight paired with mono result in many more poor sets than my 7' medium light rod paired with mono or braid. Some days they just get away even with a strong set, a long rod, a line with little stretch, and the ability to properly play the fish. If the money is there, buy the rocket. You will be helping the economy, enjoying a new piece of gear, and adding a new weapon to the arsenal.

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Agree with all the above! Also keep in mind that IPT is also related to spool size and the amount of line on the spool.

 

I fish with a 32 IPT spinning reel and it is easier to keep up with the fish if they are running downstream at me.

I also fish with a 23/24 IPT bait caster and it does require more effort to keep up with a bass running towards me.

 

Catch fish equally well on both, just need to make adjustments on my technique.

.

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Thanks for the tips guys, after reading the suggestions I think it may have mainly been a mix of me high sticking them during the fight and poor hook sets because I was wading deeper than usual and a little concerned about stability in the current.

 

Also it's good to hear that making multiple hook sets is beneficial because for some reason I thought that was a bad thing, now I'm just going to do what feels natural and has worked in the past.

 

I didn't even consider it but comparing my previous pack of rugby jigs to the ones I just purchased there does seem to be a small difference in the stickiness of the hook and it's probably time to throw some new power pro on my lews I am starting to get into the spool.

 

Thanks again for the tips.

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