Just got done looking on bps' website and they have a new "signature " reel. Called the titanium 8. Looks to be on the same frame as the lews bb1. I guess this is their attempt at retaliation against lews. Looks BEAUTIFUL imo. I'm a sucker for titanium deposition finishes though 

I think there was a post on here about Lews and BPS being made in the same factory and the internals are interchangeable so I am not sure it is an F you to Lews as much as it is a common manufacturing facility that produces a good product for a good price.

There are no such things as BPS and Lews reels.  They are [INSERT NAME] reels from Doyo Engineering.  Yes, I do own a few and like them a lot.  Doyos are my favorite Korean OEM reels.   

Yes they are made in the same place, but to different specs. Parts are not 100% interchangeable. BPS uses a lot of plastic gearings and lower end materials, as most of their reels are priced lower

I guess my post wasn't very clear. I know they're made in the same place by the same people. I was just saying bps now has a reel nearly identical to the bb1. Bps is probably losing a lot of sales to the bb1 so they got their own version, made it better looking and priced it $20 cheaper to lure would be bb1 customers to their reel instead.

I cannot find a reel called the "Titanium 8" anywhere on the website..

I'm pretty sure Bass Pro Shops has no affiliation with Lews. I heard that Lew Childre used to work for Johnny Morris and had a strong disagreement, and that's why Bass Pro doesn't carry Lew's reels. For instance, if you try searching "lews" on basspro, there's no results and it comes up as "lewis" lol.

I have a Cabela's gift card. I wish BPS would honor the Cabela's card. I have a 10 year old Johnny Morris reel that's still thee best in my collection.

1 hour ago, iabass8 said:

I cannot find a reel called the "Titanium 8" anywhere on the website..

It was on there last night not there now.

Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Titanium 8 ...

https://www.basspro.com/...Johnny-Morris...Titanium-8...

•  

Bass Pro Shops

$139.99

5 days ago - Shop the Shop department for Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Titanium 8 Baitcast Reel today from Bass Pro Shops, your #1 ...

1 minute ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

It was on there last night not there now.

Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Titanium 8 ...

https://www.basspro.com/...Johnny-Morris...Titanium-8...

•  

Bass Pro Shops

$139.99

5 days ago - Shop the Shop department for Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Signature Series Titanium 8 Baitcast Reel today from Bass Pro Shops, your #1 ...

Interesting. 

It really doesn't look like a LEWs reel to me. Really comes across as your everyday BPS looking reel. 

1 hour ago, Senko lover said:

I'm pretty sure Bass Pro Shops has no affiliation with Lews. I heard that Lew Childress used to work for Johnny Morris and had a strong disagreement, and that's why Bass Pro doesn't carry Lew's reels. For instance, if you try searching "lews" on basspro, there's no results and it comes up as "lewis" lol.

I dont think Lew Childre every worked for BP. BP started in 1971 and was very small then, Lew's was introduced in 1973. The new owner of Lew's might have worked for BP, not sure. I doubt that the the reels are the same since each one has different specs.

1 hour ago, Senko lover said:

I'm pretty sure Bass Pro Shops has no affiliation with Lews. I heard that Lew Childre used to work for Johnny Morris and had a strong disagreement, and that's why Bass Pro doesn't carry Lew's reels. For instance, if you try searching "lews" on basspro, there's no results and it comes up as "lewis" lol.

The reels are made both made by Doyo in the same factory in Korea. That's their affiliation.

I've read in several places that BPS/Cabela's goes to the big brand rod/reel manufacturers for their in-house brand items.  No they don't just take an existing big brand model and pay a fee to slap their name and it and call it their own, but they are made in the same facilities with the same manufacturing processes/quality assurance/etc.  They probably share some of the same molds and tooling, which is why they have similarities.

2 hours ago, tander said:

I dont think Lew Childre every worked for BP. BP started in 1971 and was very small then, Lew's was introduced in 1973. The new owner of Lew's might have worked for BP, not sure. I doubt that the the reels are the same since each one has different specs.

Yeah, the story behind the Lew's deal is with new owner Lynn Reeves who used to work for BPS. There was a problem between he and BPS and they let a lot of people go who had been with BPS for a long time including him.....so, he was friends with the Lew Childre family and purchased the name and restarted the Lew's branded reels....and I bet BPS has lost a lot of reel sales since Lew's has really taken off....and if you notice BPS does not sell Lew's.....Looks like Reeves won that battle.

The guy who re-started the Lew's brand  used to work for BPS.  When Lews first started showing up, Bassmaster magazine had an short article about it.

Its not about where Lew's started. Its about BPS having same OEM as Lews, Abu, Pflueger with Doyo.

 

5 hours ago, iabass8 said:

Interesting. 

It really doesn't look like a LEWs reel to me. Really comes across as your everyday BPS looking reel. 

Look at it then look at a bb1/bb1 pro. They look very similar to me(frame wise)

13 minutes ago, bass raider said:

Look at it then look at a bb1/bb1 pro. They look very similar to me(frame wise)

I did....Ive even ownrd a BB1 for a short time. Sorry, I don't see it. Looks like every other BPS reel to me.

10 minutes ago, iabass8 said:

I did....Ive even ownrd a BB1 for a short time. Sorry, I don't see it. Looks like every other BPS reel to me.

My apologies. To each their own 

7 hours ago, Senko lover said:

I'm pretty sure Bass Pro Shops has no affiliation with Lews. I heard that Lew Childre used to work for Johnny Morris and had a strong disagreement, and that's why Bass Pro doesn't carry Lew's reels. For instance, if you try searching "lews" on basspro, there's no results and it comes up as "lewis" lol.

It wasn't Lew, he was already dead when the fallout between John and Lynn happened. It was Lynn Reeves, current CEO of Lew's.

BPS is going to start selling Lews...

They will be in the 2016 catalog.

12 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

BPS is going to start selling Lews...

They will be in the 2016 catalog.

Nice of them to make up, love Lew's reels.

16 hours ago, rangerjockey said:

BPS is going to start selling Lews...

They will be in the 2016 catalog.

Good to hear. Money is money even if you do hate each other's guts. 

Hootie

On 12/19/2015 at 5:22 PM, rangerjockey said:

BPS is going to start selling Lews...

They will be in the 2016 catalog.

Do you have a source for this information that you can point us to.

On 12/19/2015 at 8:35 AM, iabass8 said:

Interesting. 

It really doesn't look like a LEWs reel to me. Really comes across as your everyday BPS looking reel. 

 

Look familiar now?