cloteal_cast Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Has anyone used any of the Lews Reels for there swimbaits, I'm a big fan of Lews and don't like straying away, but from what I've read it's either Lexas or Calcuttas when it comes down to big baits. Just looking for some insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilcatfish Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 I had a super duty. It was a really nice reel for the money and worked fine on swimbaits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2013z520c Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 I use the BB1 pro for all my swimbaits. It holds plenty of 20lb CXX p-line. I also use the tournament mg for punkers and anything that can be thrown on braid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2833-34497 Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 I've been using the Lews Super Duty reels little over a year now on swimbaits up to the 8" Hudds and Gancraft 230 with no problems (lots of Hudds since I love that bait). I use the Pline PF 25 lb also, but for anything larger I do plan on getting a larger reel for like the 30 lb lines. These are reels I had before swimbaits and saved for the Dobyns rods 1st and the reels kept performing IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2833-34497 Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 I forgot to add, I do watch the reel closely so I'm reeling slightly faster when I start a retrieve and slow down when it gets fuller again to account for line out/retrieval speed (be it a count per turn of reel handle or watching your spool fill or combo). The main draw back if you ever lose line you may end up on the low side fast which happened once to me since they only hold about 90-95 yards of PLine PF 25 lb test. Otherwise I’m putting on new line regularly so I don’t lose any baits from old line anyways. They have a Lews BB2 which has the bigger capacity just haven’t heard if it has as heavy gearing as the Super Duty. Have a friend I know trying it out, so when he uses it for awhile and takes it apart be nice to know how it holds up. I'm no expert, but I do like the reels IMHO on swimbaits, but again I would get a bigger reel for anything bigger/heavier than a 8†Hudd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryKerber Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Super Duty and BB2 Wide Spool are the way to go if you plan on throwing big baits on lews. That wide spool is a beast. I throw everything from glide baits to a-rigs on it. I've even flipped with it in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigofishing Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 What the difference between BB2 pro and BB2 Inshore Wide Speed Spool. I think the inshore has heavier brass gears but I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habla10 Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 good reels, very good quality / price ratio It cast very long, only one thing, on very big fish, the brake is not like on shimano or daiwa, it give some line by "jerk" ( I don't know if I am clear with google traduction) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnnydukess Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 ^^^This is completely accurate^^^ What he means is the BB2 and anything smaller from Lew's does not have the drag power of a Lexa 300 or Curado 300 which is understandable considering the difference in size of the reels. I have never used the BB2 but i do own a BB1 pro on my conventional tackle setup and the reel is sweet. For baits in the 4 OZ plus range, you need that extra drag power especially those who fish locked drags and even more so people who fish braid. Big Bait + Big Fish = Big Drag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAngler Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 ^Good point To expand on that, I think by "jerk" he's talking about the drag slipping so when line wants to come out of the reel it doesn't do so smoothly and instead comes out in quick bursts which can jerk the rod around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAngler Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 ^Good point To expand on that, I think by "jerk" he's talking about the drag slipping so when line wants to come out of the reel it doesn't do so smoothly and instead comes out in quick bursts which can jerk the rod around. Someone who knows more about reels can comment on why this is . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunkerglx10 Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I've been curious about the BB2s myself. I can say though that the BB-1 Pro is definitely a great reel, and can hold its own for some swimbaiting applications. In the past, I have had one paired up with a dobyns 795, and it handled moderately sized baits like hudd 68s and mattlures ultimate gills without a problem. As an east coast guy, the biggest largemouth I've run into on that setup was 5-7 lbs, but it's also handled some 35-40" pike and 10-12 lb stripers. I've never had an issue with the drag slipping or feeling underpowered on fish in that class (it's rated for 14 lbs of drag). One of my favorite aspects of the reel, and one of the reasons I didn't want to give it up when I got into throwing swimbaits, is the 95mm carbon handles which come stock on those reels. Really allows you to feel in control when your playing a fish. Even with all these great features, I moved on to the lexa 300s for my swimbait setups due mostly to line capacity. After a few deep breakoffs, the BB-1 Pro can tend to run pretty low on line capacity if you're spooling it with 20 lb lines and above (it's rated capacity is 12/160). A lot of the ponds and lakes I fish I have very snaggy brush and submerged trees, so I was running into that problem too often. If line capacity isn't something that overly concerns you, and especially if you're a lews guy, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend at least checking out a BB-1 Pro on a swimbait setup for baits in the 1-3 oz range, especially if you do some shore fishing or wading. At 6.5 oz, the reel makes for an extremely light setup if your trekking between shore spots, or wading around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloteal_cast Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thanks everybody for the feed back, I was just trying to get a guage on if I needed to follow the masses and get a Lexa, but from the comments my BB1s should do the trick. Hopefully I'll be able to post some swimbait fish pics soon haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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