For bass fishing, a higher gear ratio of 7.1:1 to 8.1:1 is usually preferable. This is because jigging is a technique done primarily with the rod itself. When a fish takes your jig, odds are it will be on the fall. If it does, there will probably be slack in the line. A higher gear ratio helps make up the difference. If you’re missing a lot of strikes with your jigs, try switching to a reel with a higher ratio until you start hooking fish.