Capt.Bob

For deep crankin in those speeds, Lew's BB1, around $110.00, or if you are like me and want the instant anti reverse, get a new Super Duty, I have been nothing but astounded with the quality and performance of this brand for 2 years now, and have a new Super Duty in 5.4-1 coming tomorrow, $90.50, they can usually be had around $110.00, and if they are anything like every other one of their models, will perform like 3x their cost!! I'll let you know!

The Original BB1 which was meant for cranking was this way, and the new 5.4-1 BB1 is the only one made that way for those who liked it.(David Fritz?) the 6.4-1 and 7.2-1 BB1's both have the instant anti reverse, which most of us prefer. I think that is the only modern reel that is made that way,,,,,???

Those days are over,,,,,,,your dealing with Shimano now! But regardless I would have them replace it, as snooker's said, why would you pay that kind of money for a doctored up blank????

You obviously haven't dealt with the customers service from some others!! I do weekly!!! Those days are over, and seem to be falling off more and more as time goes on!! This was not the case 3 years ago, but it positively is today!! I still own nothing but Shimano brand Spinning reels, and that isn't because of thier CS!! My baitcasters are no longer Shimano, they used to be though! and that is because of various reasons!!

Over 20 years ago when I started servicing reels as part of my services I thought just like you!!! It will happen! Or if what you say is true and you just do it once, you may get away with it, I don't understand to do it once,,,,,,,for several years,,,,,,????????

YET!! Just a matter of time, very bad advice!! I don't know any reliable reel tech that would suggest this. In time you will be replacing parts, the pin or the spool one,,,,,,,in time.

any Shimano or Diawa and I would double that thought on the Diawa. They charge a premium for the naqme, Shimano use to make up for it with CS, many times they would ship small parts that had failed at no charge, those days are over and now instead of raising prices they have deceided to cheapen models and keep the price the same????? Diawa is doing this also.

I would not spend the money, your happy with them the way they are, if not I would sugeswt putting the money to better use and upgrade the reel. JMO

I use Seaguar AbrazX on all my reels for leaders of the mainline and it is great stuff, RW has used it and Tatsu there more expensive line and says it is better stuff. I would use one of those and think you will have as good as it get's for fluorocarbon!

I noticed in your list you didn't mention having a Team??? But I'll take your word for it???? and why I said most likely!!

Sounds like you must be getting seconds if you will only put them against $100.00 used reels!! They should do much better than that! Ive had both and know that hands down that is no comparison. I have 3 Team Golds, and a Team, and have less than $170.00 in every one of them, and will put them up against any reel for three times that money, and most that cost 4x that, smoother, better casting and maybe not as heavy a max drag but every bit as smooth with as quick a start up. The BB1 can be had for the $110 as you mentioned and I will do the same for that, take the reels with computer cast control,,,,(won't mention any brand's) and the BB1 reels will top em for smoothness, max drag and performance, and cast right with them if you are anywhere near efficient at casting a baitcaster!! I have a buddie who has one and he is sick seeing my BB1 outcast his ********DC I also have three Tournament models and at $100.00 will take them over any reel costing 3x that and will outperform most in every catagory, smoothness, drag power and performance, casting ease and distance, and probably more useable features, and they can be used or brand new!! The only thing I started this thread about was the lack of most reels to stand up to a full season of the abuse this run put's on equipment!! I have seen a lot of high dollar equipment that is very nice and extremly smooth, expensive and very good on the pond, but be totally destroyed by the abuse this tributary puts on equipment at this time of year, as many of these fancy lightweight expesive reels are built far to lightweight to take this abuse. I have fished the fall salmon runs on the St. Joeseph and the Pierre Marquette, but those don't put the abuse on equipment this run does. Everyone doubting these reels should spend $160.00 to $170.00 for a new Team Gold, and experience the truth!!!,,,,,, I think that is what they should have called them instead of Team Lew's Gold, they should have been Called LEW"S GOLD TRUTH!!!!! Or don't and you will never understand. I assure it will be the best reel you ever owned under $400.00 and most likely $600.00!!

That would be as good as it get's out of all these suggestions!!!! The buy of the century!

like the last line say's,,,,,,,most of us can't!!! but we know it and seldom have problems!! ,,,,,,,,,but there are a lot more that think they can!!! and,,,well,,,,seems they get a lot of practice untangling them!! far to many worry to much about distance, but some without a boat need as much as they can get,,,,,

On a magnetic break reel this would be true, as the magnetic breaks really do most of their work thru the middle of the cast, On reel's with centrifugal brakes and magnetic you would get the most braking out of the centrifugal in the beginning and the magnetic thru the middle and later part with the tension doing its job mainly at the end, this is why I back mine off fairly free and at the end of the cast I must use my thumb to stop the spool, fantastically long cast this way once you are capable with a trained thumb. The manufacturers are all giving instructions for everyone, not necessarily those well experienced with baitcasting equipment, and if I set my reels up the way that they are instructing me, I would get far less casting distance, but would almost be assured even on a cast that was less than proper, I would have little chance of a backlash. If they gave instructions for the longest possible cast by the most experienced casters it would probably be like this: set the spool tension to total free spool with no side play and all brakes off and control the reel with only your thumb. Problem is even though there are those that can cast this way, most of us can't.

I won't tell anyone how to set their reel, we are all different and every reel even the same model is different. I have tuned pairs of reels and they will both be slightly different and have their own "attitude", with that said, I have found I set my spool tension with my rod tip at a 45 degree angle with tip upward and a 3/8 ounce weight, I let it fall freely with less than a half turn overrun. I then turn 1/2 my pin's on and turn them off till I have control with very little need for my thumb till at the very tail end of the cast, on all my Lew's I am using one or none, of the centrifugal pin's, and spool tension is free to fall with the 3/8 ounce weight. I only find I need to change this setting when I go with very light or weightless plastics, I add spool tension if I am throwing 1/4 ounce or less. I only use Magnetic control if I start throwing in the wind, the heavier the wind the higher the mag setting. Saying this I found 2 pins my normal settings when I was using Shimano reels, Calcutta 400's to Chronarch 100's, just seems to be the standard for that brand of reels. I am casting farther than ever since going with the Lew's reels, and can control them better with less breaking. One thing I do pay attention to when I need to make an extremely long cast, I make sure my line guide is centered and not off to one side of the spool or the other, this way it has less friction thru out the cast on the line paying out. Most times this is something I pay little attention to, and concentrate more on accuracy, as I seldom need maximum casting distance anyway.

the 5000 Stradic is proven, that would be my choice if the 6000 was to heavy. Great drags with plenty of stopping power, but on all mine from 1000 to 5000, I add Smooth Drag's Carbon washers and run em wet with Cal's light. I highly doubt you would regret it.

it should work, but it is very stiff line and has a lot of memory, making it like a coil spring compared to XL and other softer mono's.

My purpose of my leaders is to be sure where my line will fail, and the last thing I want to do is dump braid in the water.You are sure it will never rot and I think the environment is my responsibility to protect. Braid loose in the water is detrimental to everything from lower units to wildlife, it does not rot! I use slightly lighter Big Game than the Braid on my reel on my heaviest rigs and at times use much lighter BG than my main line. I always use the improved blood knot to join my lines, and either a Trylene knot or if using multiple knots as in a Carolina rig, one Trylene and one improved Trylene!! I do (and have never had a problem) control where the break will happen on my rigs, depending on what piece of terminal tackle hangs up! Try using knots that have different breaking weights. I assure if you use twice the pound test leader you will always loose environmentally hazardous braid, that may take wildlife or when it gets wound up in a lower unit, seal, bearing I hope it is on the user that dumped it's boat and not mine! I have paid for others lack of responsible use on Lake Erie at the cost of over $1000,00 on my charter boat in the past,,,,,,,,not fun!!

It is my favorite leader line in mono, I have found it to be the toughest line I've found for being abrasion resistant. As far as using it as a main line as a full spool, I have found it to be way to stiff, and have to much memory for main line use. I think it is the toughest line and rely on it to always break at the knot, even when it is fairly nicked up. I think your problem was from the previous backlashes.

I have never had a problem with all 8 Lew's in 4 models that I own, including the Tournament, which cast as well as any of them. You say you haven't taken it apart so does that mean you have never taken the side cover off and checked the centrifugal breaks?? I run most of my Lew's with none or at times 1-brake on and three off, they set the same way the Shimano centrifugal brake set in towards the spool pin is off out away from center is on. I usually run -0- on the magnetic break and a free fall on the lure from the spool tension adjustment, enough to let the lure drop on free spool while holding my rod at a 45 degree angle. If that does not work for you send it back and I assure when you get it back you will be spoiled, I am, and can also assure you Lew's customer service is as good as it get's! Rick will make sure you experience the WOW FACTOR!!

Just had a couple rods repaired (new eye's on the tips) that I have had for 10 to 15 years, have caught literally 1000s of fish on them, I have better for the same tactics, but to many memories to lay em down, altho I only use them in the rivers anymore, they still produce. Like Francho said, they still do the job and do it well, look a little rough, but still give the results I bought them for so I'll keep em around.

The Saros is a steel, the F series is right there between the Stradic and the Symetry with an Aluminum body!! 79 bucks is a steel, you better get a couple it may not have X-SHIP, but is a better reel than the new one as Shimano blessed it with a graphite body now! I have one and if you close your eyes you would swear it was a Stradic same bearing count and ssssssmmmmmmmmmooooooooottttttthhhhhh.

great price and would get the FJ over the FL to have the Aluminum frame and one piece bail, even though they don't have X-SHIP, Iike the FJ better.

Yes I agree you are, that is straight from Lew's! I can't argue that.

Like I said the Team Gold is an exceptional reel, retails for $239 but I have yeat to pay over 165, for one on auction, but have been out bid on a few. It takes patience and last second reactions. But would assure you at that price you can sell it and recoup every dime. I seriously think the Tournament or better the BB1 would astound you, if you are only comparing to the Curado, and can be had for just over $100.00 again watch the auctions.