The Speed Spool
returns – Lew’s Tournament Pro baitcaster
(continued)

We
decided to kick things off with the new “Tournament Pro Speed Spool” which is
positioned second to the top in Lew’s baitcaster offering. We selected this reel
because it was priced at the highly contested 200 dollar price point (MSRP
$199). The Tournament Pro Speed Spool casting reel features a matte finish and a
carbon fiber handle unlike its two more affordable siblings the “Tournament” and
standard “Speed Spool” reels which make use of aluminum handles. At first glance
the Speed Spool reminded me of a cross between a Daiwa Zillion and an Abu Revo,
it exhibits both clean styling and a very compact design.

Let the real world tests begin
Real World Tests:
For our tests we obtained two reels, the first of which came directly from the
manufacturer. This is the reel JIP used in the Amazon targeting Peacock bass.
JIP described his experience with the reel in his personal report and is
currently completing his tests with a Lew’s rod. The second reel was purchased
directly from Tackle Warehouse and have used it for targeting largemouth and
smallmouth here in Northern California.

One of the nicest elements of this
reel is the lightweight carbon fiber handle
Casting:
The minute we spooled up the reel we had a feeling this reel was special. The
Lew’s Tournament Pro makes use of an aircraft grade duralumin spool that is
drilled and anodized. This spool starts up very quickly during the cast and I
found that the Tournament Pro was an excellent caster of both ultra light rigs
as well as heavy topwater plugs. Casts are controlled and predictable thanks to
the MSB (multi setting brake) dual cast control system which is externally
adjustable and utilizes both magnetic and centrifugal braking systems to apply
just the right amount of pressure to the spool at both ends of the cast. During
the field tests we found this reel to be excellent for casting lightweight
finesse lures for smallmouth including shaky head and dropshot rigs.

The Tournament Pro casts both the
light and heavy stuff equally well
Retrieving:
The best word to describe the Lew’s Tournament Pro’s retrieve is “butter,” this
reel is very smooth and comes loaded with 11 double shielded bearings supporting
all key areas. The anti-reverse bearing one way clutch bearing is also among the
best we have tested and there was absolutely no play in either of our test
reels. This allowed us to really lock on the minute aggressive smallies hit our
finesse lures.

Smooth as butter on the retrieve
Drag:
Lew’s makes use of both carbon and steel washers within the Tournament Pro. This
system delivered 14.6lbs. of pressure at full lockdown in our lab tests, that is
.6lbs. more than the company’s own maximum specification. This is above the
industry average for baitcasters which usually fall closer to 12lbs., so just
how does Lew’s accomplish this? The answer is in sheer surface area, the
Tournament Pro’s drag system’s carbon and steel washers alternate within the
drag stack resulting in excellent heat dissipation and superior overall stopping
power.

The frame has highlights that are
Zillion-esque
When I started fishing the
Tournament Pro I noticed how easy it was to go from light to max drag pressure
with just a few turns of the clicking drag star. This makes it possible for
anglers to buckle down the drag on the fly should adjustments be necessary
during the fight. While the drag delivers extreme stopping power we did notice
that the drag was not the smoothest when doling out line during startup under
extreme pressure.

Though it doesn't look like it
form the outside even the handle-side sideplate is graphite