A 5:1 gear is an all around gear. It can be used for anything. A lot of people me included like a faster gear(6:1) for jig and worm fishing because you can take up slack line quicker.
A good way to see what a ledge might look like is notice when you drive on a road where they have cut through rock. A lot of times they cut it in tiers.
Hope this helps.
rustedhook