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Posts: 2686
Location: Hayward, WI | Alright, this question is different than most about the BIG high speed saltwater reels people are using for double 10's and 13's. I'm really not even that interested in getting one...
I'm just wondering WHY they make reeling those big bucktails in as easy as people say they do. Is it just that the handle on them is longer and has a bigger grip, paired with a high gear ratio?
Traditionally, high gear ratios were a big no-no for hard pulling baits because they wore you out so much. These saltwater reels all seem to boast having BIG gears, but my understanding was that a 6.4:1 ratio (for example) is a 6.4:1 ratio, no matter how big or small the gears are. So, in my mind the only thing that would make turning the handle easier is a long handle with a big grip. Sure, the high gear ratio/high line pickup means you don't have to turn the handle as fast, but aren't you also feeling a lot of resistence?
There's probably more to it than that - can anybody fill me in on some of the physics at play here? I guess my main question is: is the key to these reels actually the HANDLE that is being put on them, combined with a high rate of line pickup, or is there actually something inside the reel that somehow makes it more efficient than other reels?
curleytail
Edited by curleytail 3/17/2010 5:49 PM
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| All things equal, a higher gear ratio will make it harder to retrieve a lure, as will a bigger spool. The problem is all things are almost never equal, since reel models almost always differ in both gear ratio and spool size. Aside from a small bit of friction in a reel, ALL of the resistance you feel is a function of how far the lure moves in the water, so it's best to throw out gear ratio and spool size as a means of comparing reels.
If you simply consider inches of line retrieved, that will tell you the relative amount of "work" (in the physics sense) that you are going to have to provide per crank. So you are right, simply increasing the gear ratio is going to result in being harder to crank, but you are getting more distance per crank. Here is where the "all things equal" provision rears it's ugly head: the additional resistance MAY or MAY NOT reduce the crank rpm's by enough to negate the added distance per crank. I'm convinced that this is why some people will crank faster w/ a trinidad, while others will crank faster w/ a 7000. Do you like to crank fast w/ less resistance, or crank slower w/ more resistance. We're all different and it comes down to personal preference. With one caveat, there is no free lunch... all of the energy required to pull a given lure a certain distance is provided by your hands and arms, the reel simply transmits the energy. The caveat is handle length (w/in reason). A handle is a lever, and a small increase in lever length can have a dramatic effect. Granted, your hand will now need to trace a larger circle as it cranks, but if kept a reasonable length we seem to adapt well to it.
That said, I think the best thing you can do is try a number of different reels to see what works best for you.
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Posts: 8865
| Guests long winded explanation boils down to this:
Higher gear ratio = potential for faster retrieve speeds = more effort required. This can be offset somewhat by using a larger handle, which provides more leverage. The reason it seems easier with a larger handle is that you can use different muscle groups turning a big handle as opposed to a small one.
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Posts: 2686
Location: Hayward, WI | So it must be pretty much like I thought - that these big reels must have longer power handles (and maybe bigger grips) than what you would find on a more standard "power handle."
So really, on pretty much ANY reel, the length and style of the handle is about the only difference in perceived ease (or lack of) retrieval when comparing similar line pickup rates. I say pickup rates because in my opinion, THAT is more comparable than just gear ratio when talking about how much "work" it takes to reel something in.
Ok, I just had to make sure there wasn't some weird type of efficiency/physics thing going on inside these reels.
curleytail
Edited by curleytail 3/18/2010 1:03 PM
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Posts: 229
| Its not just the handle, the spool size/diameter plays a role too.
John |
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Posts: 547
Location: Oshkosh | One of the things to consider as stated above is the amount of line per crank. Some of the common reels are a 7000 has 23.6" per crank, Toro 60 5.4:1 is 25" per crank, 400B is 24" per crank, 400te is 25" per crank where a Trinidad is 47" per crank so you basically have to make 2 complete reel crank to one to bring in the same amount of line. I couldn't find the amount of like that an Okuma brings in but I would guess its about the same as the rest.
Peter |
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Posts: 2686
Location: Hayward, WI | Wimuskyfisherman - 3/18/2010 2:06 PM
Its not just the handle, the spool size/diameter plays a role too.
John
Well, the spool diameter along with the gear ratio make up the line per handle revolution, which I think is what is important to compare. In essence, the spool diameter and gear ratio are what makes up what I suppose we could call the effective ratio. I think the line pickup is what needs to be compared. When comparing that, it kind of sounds like the handle is about the ony variable in felt resistence. That's just my take on it!
curleytail |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I imagine the gears & bearings are designed to take more force. |
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