Most of the round reels are in the 5.x:1 range. I prefer those reels for the gearing, and put less emphasis on the retrieve ratio.

It's also worth noting that the bigger your spool is, the faster you pick up the line. A CTE 400 picks up 25" of line per turn of the handle with a 5.0:1 ratio. A curado with the 5.0:1 ratio only picks up 21" of line per turn. That's something to think on for a while.

The other issue in reels is feel. These new "total efficiency" and 7:1 ratio reels have a different feel than any reels available up until about 3-4 years ago. I don't know if it's some kind of reduction gearing, or better tolerances, but the new reels do not have the same feel as the old reels.

I think this is a case where technical progress overruns the practical aspects of fishing. If you've read my Curado 200DHSV review you know that I loved the reel from a technical standpoint, but was frustrated by the lack of feel. You get "feel" through your reel whether you realize it or not. I did not realize it until I picked up that 7:1 retrieve reel. It drove me insane with jigs and senkos.

With swimbaits, feel is much less of an issue. The TE does not have great feel, but I know when I'm bit on a swimbait so I don't worry about it. With that in mind, I want to use the fastest reel I can get. If they made a 7:1 CTE, I'd fish it. Making the adjustment to reel slower is not hard because you should rely on your rod to tell you about the action of your lure, not the reel.

If this all sounds mental, just fish swimbaits for like 10 more years and you'll start to tune in to all the nuances. I still become aware of new subtleties in fishing all the time. Being in tune with your tackle is huge.