Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe--Which Reel Do I Really Need/Want?

That's a question most fishermen ask themselves one time or another. And when you don't know for certain, where do you turn? To the Internet, of course. Now you've just exposed yourself to a whole new dilemma.

I've always understood that opinions are much like belly buttons: Everybody has one. Got no problem with that concept.

What I do have a problem with, though, is when I have a question about a topic in which most or sometimes all the acknowledged experts are saying something different. Thus, you can imagine the misgivings I had when I recently went online, researching opinions of the experts about what gear-ratio of reel to use for different kinds of baits.

I found a little agreement between the chosen two but once again had to face disparity in the answers they afforded. Those two authorities I used for the sake of this particular discussion are Wired2Fish and Bassmaster. Let me say now that it soon became evident I would have to list the recommendations of one group (Wired2Fish) and include "notes" containing the suggested differences of the other group (Bassmaster).

Here's the gist of my research:

(Slow Reels, 5.1:1 thru 5.4:1 and Lower)
Deep-diving crankbaits
Big swimbaits
Deep-water spinnerbaits
(Note: Bassmaster differed in that they recommended use of these reels with ALL crankbaits.)

(Medium Reels, 6.1:1 thru 6.4:1)
Squarebill crankbaits
Medium-depth crankbaits
Shallow spinnerbaits
(Note: Bassmaster differed in that they recommended use of these reels with all spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, swimming jigs, and topwaters.)

(Fast Reels, 7.1:1 thru 8.1:1)
Jigs and big worms
Shaky heads
Texas rigs
Carolina rigs
Topwaters
Jerkbaits
Lipless crankbaits
(Note: Bassmaster differed in that they recommended use of these reels for flipping, pitching and worming applications, as well as anytime you're working a bait for a short stretch, then hurrying the retrieve to make another cast.)

It bears mentioning that there is no requirement to have an assortment of all the reels discussed here. As noted by Bassmaster, "Reels with a gear ratio in the neighborhood of 6:1 are your workhorses. They get the bulk of the duty with most bass-fishing applications, and in a pinch, you could do all the things best served by slower or faster reels just by cranking slower or faster."

Those are the facts of the matter. What, if anything, you do with 'em is your business.