Lew's Team Pro SP Skipping and Pitching Baitcast Reel

Description

The Team Lew's Pro SP is a baitcast reel built around a single job rather than all-round performance. It was developed with tour pro Andy Montgomery, who told Lew's engineers what was going wrong when he tried to skip a bait under a dock with a standard-spool reel: too much backlash on start-up, and not enough distance from the low, flat cast a skip demands. Montgomery's own summary of the result is that the reel lets him skip a bait further and with less backlash than before. The engineering answer is a super shallow spool holding 40 yards of 20lb-test fluorocarbon, which spins up faster on start-up and reduces the deep-spool backlash that ruins a skip as soon as the bait leaves your hand. The Knot Slot recesses your line knot so it does not snag as it pays out on that low, flat trajectory, and the QuietCast brake system includes a dedicated Skipping Zone setting tuned specifically for that motion rather than general overhead casting. It is worth being clear about what this reel is not: with only 40 yards of capacity on a shallow spool built for one job, it is not the reel to reach for when bombing a crankbait across open water on a searching pattern, where a standard-spool Lew's reel will serve you better. For working baits precisely into the tightest cover a boat dock, laydown or bridge piling can offer, it is a specialist tool built by someone who fishes that exact situation for a living. - Retrieve: Left Hand - Gear ratio: 8.3:1 - Line recovery: 33in per turn - Bearings: 9-bearing system with Zero Reverse one-way clutch - Frame: One-piece aluminium - Spool: Drilled and forged Duralumin 32mm shallow spool with Knot Slot - Gears: Hard-anodised aluminium alloy Speed Gears with P2 SuperPinion - Braking: QuietCast externally adjustable centrifugal brake with dedicated Skipping Zone - Drag: Carbon fibre, up to 20lb max - Line capacity: 40yd/20lb mono, 50lb braid - Handle: 95mm bowed anodised aluminium - Line guide: Zirconia - Extras: External lube port, patented retractable Speed Keeper Where to use it: - Skipping baits tight under docks, overhangs and boat cover - Pitching heavier baits at close range with precise control - Tournament anglers targeting bass holding under structure other casts cannot reach - Anglers already fishing 20lb-test fluorocarbon who want a reel matched to it Do not fish this reel on your normal casting brake setting and expect skipping results. Use the dedicated Skipping Zone every time you switch to that low, sidearm motion. It is tuned for the specific physics of a skip, and leaving it on a general setting is the most common reason anglers do not get the backlash-free performance this reel is capable of. Who actually designed this reel, and why does that matter? Tour pro Andy Montgomery worked directly with Lew's engineers to solve the specific backlash and distance problems he was hitting while skipping baits competitively. The Skipping Zone brake setting and shallow spool are a direct result of that collaboration, not a generic feature added afterwards. Can it be used as an everyday, all-purpose baitcaster? You could, but it is not recommended. The 40-yard shallow spool is purpose-built for skipping and pitching, and you will find yourself limited on capacity and distance for open-water techniques where a standard-spool reel such as the Speed Spool RX or BB1 Pro would serve you better. What line does the shallow spool suit? It is built specifically around 20lb-test fluorocarbon, the line most competitive skipping and pitching anglers already favour for its low stretch and abrasion resistance around cover. Is the Skipping Zone difficult to find on the brake dial? No, it is a clearly marked, dedicated setting within the QuietCast system. The adjustment itself is straightforward; it is simply purpose-tuned rather than a general-use setting.