Hey everyone. Earlier last year I picked up a like new Lew's Speed Spool Tournament MG 7.1/1 for a steal from a board member here. It was shipped to me with 65lb Power Pro spooled up. Now, I have used this reel quite a bit for casting frogs and some ~1oz swimbaits, but for the LIFE of me, I can't get any distance with this thing trying to pitch a jig or soft plastic setup. I have owned nothing but Shimano before this, but I have tried turning the cast control to pretty much zero (funny story, imagine me a week later throwing a 1 & 1/3 oz wakebait after forgetting to re-tune the cast control...) I still can't get any usable distance out of this setup.

 

I really hate to waste a good spool of braid, but I hate to simply have a reel of braid that I almost exclusively use for frogging. Casting jigs "works" but pitching seems fruitless. If I were to add braid to another setup, would 30/40 lb braid pitch well enough to flip plastics and 3/8 oz jigs?

 

Thanks everyone. I hope I am missing something simple here.

 

Joshua

All I use is 40 for jigs now. I have used 50-65 with no issues. I don't use anything but 1/2 oz jigs so in my opinion it's not the line if your using 3/8

I don't know anything about a Lews reel, but have you checked the breaks on it to see if they are turned up etc?

When you say your not gettting what you feel is good distance, what are you comparing it too? Were you pitching same jigs on fluoro or mono?

I have pitched the same jigs with mono. It is night and day. I'm not so much worried about being able to pitch 40 yards, it's just that it takes so much more effort to get any usable distance whatsoever from it. The brake system seems a bit simple (numbered 1-10) and it is on 3 or 4. Still not much distance.

I have pitched the same jigs with mono. It is night and day. I'm not so much worried about being able to pitch 40 yards, it's just that it takes so much more effort to get any usable distance whatsoever from it. The brake system seems a bit simple (numbered 1-10) and it is on 3 or 4. Still not much distance.

Mono and fluoro lines have a slick surface and will come through the guides easier. I have only one rod that's not braid and when I pitch with it, it will travel further than my braided rods. I also use power pro slick. It's smoother but I don't know if it will help give you want you need.

i have no experience with Lews but do you have the spool tension turned low. No baitcaster does well pitching if the spool tension is too tight.

40 yards (120 feet) is a really long way to pitch a bait.  40 feet however is not bad.  Sounds like your spool tension may be a little tight.  I wouldn't think there should be any issue with pitching with 65lb braid.  Personally I don't use more than 30 on anything, but that's just me. 

40 yards (120 feet) is a really long way to pitch a bait. 40 feet however is not bad. Sounds like your spool tension may be a little tight. I wouldn't think there should be any issue with pitching with 65lb braid. Personally I don't use more than 30 on anything, but that's just me.

You are absolutely right. I was joking about the distance. Pitching across my kitchen into a shoe isn't even possible... Very frustrating.

I may just strip it and try some 30 or 40. My buddy had some 50lb Super Slick on his reel and it did well. Time for some testing!

I may just strip it and try some 30 or 40... Time for some testing!

Spool it back onto the factory line spool you purchased it on. When you want to try it again... there it is.

oe

Spool it back onto the factory line spool you purchased it on. When you want to try it again... there it is.oe

X2

Great idea there

it's not the line.

I'd try and turn all your brakes and spool tension completely off and try pitching from there nice and easy. It isn't something that really requires much if any brakes more so than your thumb feathering it once you get accustomed to it. If it still feels a bit sluggish it may be over oiled. that can slow down a reel dramatically. Try at the very least wiping down the spool shaft dry and cleaning the bearings. If the brakes or cleaning the reel don't work then and only then would i try and new line.

I'd try and turn all your brakes and spool tension completely off and try pitching from there nice and easy. It isn't something that really requires much if any brakes more so than your thumb feathering it once you get accustomed to it. If it still feels a bit sluggish it may be over oiled. that can slow down a reel dramatically. Try at the very least wiping down the spool shaft dry and cleaning the bearings. If the brakes or cleaning the reel don't work then and only then would i try and new line.

thats what i was going to suggest. strip the reel and give it a good cleaning.

try using a heavier jig maybe. Since you have so much more momentum on a cast than a pitch, the bait will gomuch  much further even if the bait is a bit light. a heavier jig/bullet weight may help quite a bit. Just a thought before respooling.