The Speed Spool
returns – Lew’s Tournament Pro baitcaster
(continued)
We
went back to the lab to investigate and found that the drag doesn’t shudder
throughout the range but it does seem to hesitate for a split second during the
initial pull under max pressure settings. Some other reel manufacturers overcome
this with a wet drag design and we decided to try and grease a few of the
washers, after of which this issue completely disappeared. We didn’t find this
to be a major issue as most anglers will never see this observation as the
majority of applications don’t require the drag to be totally buckled down.
The
main gearing is also constructed from duralumin for durability and corrosion resistance
Ergonomics:
All of the Lew’s reels currently available feature the same compact profile
which is a very easy to palm. The reel is so small that it basically disappears
in your hands. The external cast control is easy to use and makes adjustments on
the fly effortless. Overall the Lew’s Tournament Pro has outstanding ergonomics,
not only does the reel have a small overall footprint it also weighs in at only
6.7oz. making it among the lighter reels on the market. It is able to achieve
this light overall weight with a rigid aluminum frame and two graphite
sideplates.
The reel features a multi-disk
carbon composite drag system
These graphite sideplates
actually look and feel like aluminum and do a surprisingly good job keeping the
reel’s master gearing in tight tolerance, and when palming the reel and cranking
aggressively it is hard to tell that the sideplates are made out of graphite.
Small and compact the reel is
extremely comfortable to palm
When I first started
fishing with the Lew's Tournament Pro I wasn’t sure if I would be fond of the
flat knobs. At first these knobs looked more like paddles and felt a little thin
between my fingertips, but after just a few casts I started to appreciate the
large amount of surface area these paddles provided. These rubber paddles proved
to be comfortable and able to provide plenty of grip for winding back both lures
and bass.
Superlines are no problem with the
titanium coated zirconia line guide
Durability:
In keeping with Lew’s tradition the Tournament Pro is built to last and the reel
held up well throughout our tests. Our Amazon test reel survived the ordeal of
both travel across the globe and battles with Peacock Bass. The second reel has
held up equally as well and taken on many largemouth and smallmouth with
absolutely no signs of wear or damage, in fact the reel’s finish looks brand new
and has no boat rash at all.
The external cast control system
can be adjusted in fine increments
The external lube port
makes adding oil to the reel’s main gearing very quick and easy but we found
that after a season of use both reels did not require any additional gear oil,
and still feel smooth and friction free when cranked.
Unscrew the sideplate and twist
up...