Lew's Speed Spool RX Baitcast Reel

Description

Ask a dozen bass anglers which reel got them properly comfortable on a baitcaster and a fair few will point to a Speed Spool. It has earned that reputation the unglamorous way, by being genuinely easy to live with while a caster's thumb is still learning what a spool feels like the split second before it backlashes. The RX generation does not reinvent that formula so much as sharpen it, built around Lew's ParaMag RX magnetic braking system, a design that keeps the spool balanced through the cast and gives you real, fine-grained control over braking power via a recessed dial your thumb can reach without breaking your grip. That last part matters more than it sounds: a brake dial you have to fumble for mid-session is a brake dial you will leave on one setting forever, and this one is built to actually be used. Strip away the marketing language and what you are left with is a reel that does the fundamentals properly rather than chasing a headline spec. The P2 Super Pinion keeps the gear train aligned under load rather than letting it wander as the reel wears in, an 8-bearing system of double-shielded stainless steel bearings is specified to still feel smooth in year three rather than just out of the box, and hard-anodised Speed Gears give you real cranking authority once a fish turns and runs. The Lew's Speed Spool RX suits anyone stepping up from a starter combo who wants the actual feel of a proper baitcaster, not a stripped-down version of one, without paying flagship money to get it. The one-piece aluminium frame and graphite sideplates keep weight sensible, the carbon fibre drag tops out at a genuinely workable 20lb, and the Knot Slot spool means tying on is a five-second job rather than something you dread doing at the water's edge. - Retrieve: Left Hand - Gear ratio: 7.5:1 - Line recovery: 31in per turn - Bearings: 7+1, double-shielded stainless steel - Braking: ParaMag RX magnetic, external recessed dial - Pinion: P2 Super Pinion bearing-supported system - Frame: One-piece aluminium, graphite sideplates - Gears: Hard-anodised aluminium Speed Gears - Drag: Carbon fibre, up to 20lb max - Spool: 34mm, Knot Slot line attachment - Line capacity: 120yd/12lb mono, 120yd/50lb braid - Weight: 6.8oz - Handle: 95mm aluminium Where to use it: - Stepping up from a spinning reel or entry-level baitcaster to a proper braking system - General bass fishing across crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and chatterbaits - Windy, open-water sessions where a forgiving brake saves you re-tying knots - A second, dependable rod on the deck alongside a pricier flagship reel New to the ParaMag RX dial? Set it two or three clicks stronger than feels necessary for the first ten casts with any new lure, then walk it back one click at a time. Working down from too much brake costs you a few feet of distance early on; working up from too little costs you a bird's nest and a re-spool. Only one of those ends your session. Is this a good first baitcaster, or should a beginner start on something cheaper? Most newcomers are better steered here rather than towards the very cheapest reel on the wall. The ParaMag RX braking is specifically what makes early baitcaster sessions less painful, and buying a proper reel once tends to work out cheaper than buying a throwaway one twice. What is the practical difference between this and the KVD Elite? Both share the ParaMag RX braking, but the Speed Spool RX is the more affordable, all-purpose option, while the KVD Elite adds a Zero Reverse clutch and a 2-stage titanium-coated zirconia line guide aimed at anglers casting further, more often, in tournament conditions. How much line does the spool hold? 120 yards of 12lb mono, or 120 yards of 50lb braid, a sensible middle-ground capacity for general bass work rather than a specialist heavy or finesse spool. Can this reel handle a genuinely big fish? The 20lb max carbon fibre drag gives it real backbone for bass and similarly sized predators, though if you are regularly targeting bigger, harder-fighting fish the Super Duty range is built with more headroom.