Hey i am new to baitcaster reels.  I am ready to dive in and buy one but i'm not sure what all the gear ratios mean.  I think it has to do with the speed of intake but not sure.  i want to use the reel for crankbaits for bass fishing primarily, what is a good gear ration i should be looking at?  thanks for the help

Well kwright3, the gear ratio is not as hard to understand as you might think. Take a 7:1 ratio for example...that merely means the spool turns 7 times per 1 turn of the handle. For crankbait fishing, most guys prefer a 5.4:1 ratio, for added cranking power. Since this is your first baitcaster, I would suggest a middle of the road gear ratio...like 6:1...that way you can still comfortably burn a buzzbait across the top...just in case they ain't hittin' those cranks!
                                                                   

Just want to add one bit to mo's comment. I learned to think of gear ratios like a transmissions on a car. The higher the gear ratio the faster the acceleration, but less torque (power) for pulling such as larger or more powerful fish, and vice versa the lower the gear ratio the more torque or power you gain, but less acceleration. Mo is right, start in the middle of the road something in the 6.x:1 ratio and figure out what you like or what you need from there. Just a personal rule of thumb later on for you if you're in open water a higher speed gear ratio is probably better option, then flipping/pitching a lower speed gear ratio to pull out around heavy cover is better.

And gear ratio's are not specific to baitcaster reels, I just have not found them as widely printed on spinning outfits. Check out the other forums, there has been lots of questions on baitcasters over time. I got into and learned a lot from the folks on the forums on baitcasters and there's a lot of good info out there. Might just have do some digging over time but it's there.

PS if you're new to baitcasters, practice, practice, practice. Best of luck.

Mo and Armstrong have given you good advice. I have baitcast reels  in 5.4, 6.2. and 7.1 ratios. I use the lower ratio reels most.
I spent most of my life fishing with spinning reels. Over the last 5 years I've taken up baitcast and fly cast fishing and now I prefer those over spinning. The key to baitcast and fly cast fishing is as Armstrong said.......PRACTICE!!!!!
Be patient, practice, persevere, you'll get it.

I would go with something in the 6:1 range. It will be a good all around reel. I would also buy a reel on the higher end of your price range than a cheapo. If you are new to baitcasters it will be easier to learn on a good reel. A cheap reel may leave you frustrated. If you can swing something in the $100 range (or better) I think you'll be happier in the long run than if you spend $40

I'll have to second Hoss' comment. It is similar to learning an instrument, a person new to the game does not need to fight both the learning curve and the instrument (tackle). There seems to be a big improvement in quality that starts at about $80 or so just like in rods. Before you buy, see if you can fish a couple different reels as centrifugal and magnetic cast controls are somewhat different in feel and it becomes a matter of preference.

These guys are right on target kwright3...the more you spend on that first reel...the quicker your "learning experience" will go. But, I fully understand about the price of those reels. Just buy the most reel you can get for your money...if you need suggestions...pop in here and ask. Also after the purchase...If you find yourself pulling your hair out(ha ha)...just shoot us a line again...we'll walk you through it. It's not nearly as tough to learn as some people think.
                                                                              

A very nice reel for the money is the Bass Pro Shops Extreme. It comes in many gear ratios, is machined of aluminum, and fishes and casts well. I have one and would readily buy another. List price $79.99.

Most of the house brand reels are made by one of the major manufacturers. Diawa and Okuma build a lot of private label stuff. Count on a private label reel to "fish" about the same as a name brand that is 10-15% higher in price. Unless you are throwing a lot of large musky baits, a 6.1 ratio is probably the best all around choice for someone with only 1 reel. If you are throwing large baits, a 5.0 ratio or thereabouts might be a better choice.

The one thing to consider is the line retrieval rate of inches per turn. Gear ratio and spool size (line on spool) makies all the difference. For example a reel with a 7:1 gear ratio with a smaller spool may have the same IPT as a reel with a 6:1 gear ratio with a slightly larger spool. Often time the informaition for the IPT is not readily available on the package and often times it's exaggerated to only a fully lined spool. So in real world, you will often come up an inch or two less than package lableled.

When it comes to reel winching power. Gear ratio is only one thing to consider. Gear size and handle lengths can change all of that. You want more power in a reel, get a longer handle (power handle). Furthermore two reels from different manufacture can have similar gear ratios, but different gear sizes. The reel with the larger gear size, will always have more winching power because there's less torsion stress on the larger gears.

An interesting note on baitcaster gear ratios...when I was a kid in the '70's...a fast retrieve was 5:1...now that is considered a slow cranking speed!