Lew's Custom Lite SS Baitcast Reel

Description

The Lew's Custom Lite SS is a baitcast reel built specifically for casting genuinely light lures, where a standard-depth spool would otherwise fight the angler before the bait has even left the rod tip. Its ultra-shallow 30mm Duralumin spool needs far less energy to spin up than a conventional spool, which is what allows small crankbaits, wacky-rigged worms and finesse poppers to fly rather than stall. It shares its Tanso Tech one-piece frame and C45 carbon sideplates with the standard Custom Lite, but the spool is the defining difference. Where the standard Custom Lite holds 90 yards of 12lb mono, the SS is cut shallower and holds a finesse-sized 54 yards of 8lb mono or 64 yards of 8lb braid. That reduced capacity is deliberate, traded for the low-mass spool that makes light baits behave properly. An 11-bearing system, Zero Reverse clutch and hardened Speed Gears with the P2 Super Pinion mean the finesse focus does not come at the cost of durability, and the 6-pin QuietCast brake offers fine adjustment for baits this light rather than a single compromise setting. - Retrieve: Left Hand - Gear ratio: 7.5:1 - Line recovery: 28in per turn - Bearings: 11 stainless steel double-shielded with Zero Reverse one-way clutch - Frame: One-piece Tanso Tech - Sideplates: C45 carbon - Gears: Hardened aluminium alloy Speed Gears with P2 Super Pinion - Braking: QuietCast 6-pin externally adjustable centrifugal brake (ACB) - Spool: Duralumin 30mm, ultra-shallow - Drag: Carbon fibre, up to 20lb max - Line capacity: 54yd/8lb mono, 64yd/8lb braid - Extras: Speed Knot quick line attachment, one-year limited warranty Where to use it: - Drop-shotting over deep ledges - Ned rigging across rocky flats - Casting light poppers and wacky rigs into shallow vegetation - Small crankbaits and other finesse-weight baits generally The low-inertia benefit of an ultra-shallow spool comes specifically from keeping the spool's total mass down, so resist filling it right to the rim out of habit. A properly, not maximally, loaded spool on this reel casts noticeably better than an overfilled one, especially with the very light baits it is designed for. How is this different from the standard Custom Lite (CL1SHL)? Both use a 30mm Duralumin spool, but the SS's is cut shallower for less inertia, holding a finesse-sized 54 yards of 8lb mono or 64 yards of 8lb braid versus the standard Custom Lite's 90 yards of 12lb. Less capacity, but exactly the low-mass spool finesse baits need to cast well. Is this a good first baitcaster? Not really. Casting genuinely light baits on a baitcaster is one of the harder skills to learn, and this reel is tuned specifically for that challenge. Most anglers are better served building baitcast fundamentals on a standard-spool reel such as the Speed Spool RX first. Is 20lb max drag more than a finesse reel needs? In day-to-day use, yes, but it is useful headroom for the moments a bigger bass than expected eats a small bait on light line. What line capacity does the spool actually hold? 54 yards of 8lb-test mono, or 64 yards of 8lb-test braid, a deliberately finesse-sized capacity rather than an all-round one.