Bass Fishing Tips on 10 to 1 Reel Speed

10 to 1 Reel Speeds

With all the talk this year at the 2019 I-Cast on 10 to 1 reels and how your fishing will improve I thought I would give you my thoughts on how reel speed really affects you in bass fishing; is a reel gathering 42 inches of line in one turn of the handle really a benefit or not? To clarify first what reel speed means on a 10 to 1 reel is easy. Every time you turn the handle once the spool rotates 10 times gathering about 42 inches of line in one turn. That is lightning speed when gathering line. 

Problems with Reel Speed 10 t o1

The problem is, do you really need this type of speed and if so when is it beneficial for you to have a reel this fast on your boat? It also should be noted that reel speed has a lot to do with how much line you have on your set up. If the spool is not full, it affects the reel speed so understanding whether your fully lined is important. 

Benefits of Reel Speed

Let’s start with the benefit of this 10 to 1 speed, if you’re in a situation that you must gather up your line fast, like a bass coming at you with your worm in its mouth the speed is important, the quicker you can get your bait caught up to the fish coming at you the better chance you have of caching it. A frog bite that explodes up through grass and forces you to set the hook quickly may not be as important or could hurt your catching ability when frog fishing, as speed could cause you to pull the bait out of the mouth of the fish. Let’s explain. Many times a fish will hit a worm or swim bait coming at you and you won’t feel the bite, this forces you to gather line quickly to catch the fish; on the other hand a frog explosion requires some patience and a quick hook set because of a high speed reel may cause you to lose the fish by pulling before the bass has actually inhaled the bait deep enough to hook him. 

Picking the Proper Reel

Picking the proper reel speed for the bait and presentation your trying to accomplish is as important a task as anything you do; your bait must match the presentation and if its too fast then you’re not getting bites. The opposite is also true. If it's to slow then the bait may not be performing as its was intended hence reducing the bites you get. Some examples of this can easily be proved in a rattle bait. Its intended to get a reaction bite. However, some rattle baits run very high in the water column when reeled to fast. Some turn side ways and others work just fine. In this case, not only do you have to pick the correct speed of reel but the correct rattle bait when using a fast reel set-up. The mental part of fast reels can also change how you fish. For example, baits that need speed are easily fished using a fast reel, but those that require you to slow down a fast reel requires you to put some mental thought into what you doing with the bait. Although a good fisherman always is in mental charge of their bait, many inexperienced fishermen are not, and putting a fast reel in a inexperienced fisherman may really hurt their ability to catch a fish. 

How Much Line on the Spool

It’s also true that if your spool is lined only about half-way full then you are reducing the speed of the line being gathered by the one turn of the handle. This is especially noticeabe with spinning reels. The truth is the fully lined spool is wider and has more line to gather so its speed is more definable. Where a spool that is not spooled completely, the reel slows down considerable and changes how you need to fish when this is the case. Reel speed can hurt you or not, so you have-to be the judge and pick what serves you the best and fits your style of fishing! 

Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service 

www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com

Email:bassguide@comcast.net

Call: 256 759 2270 

Capt. Mike Gerry 

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