I need a new smallmouth creek setup. Looking to buy a Lew's speed spin spinning reel. It comes with a braid spool and a regular spool. On the braid spool, with 10 lb braid backing and 8 lb fluorocarbon leader, and the regular spool with mono for topwater. Is medium light too light for the rod? Some big smallies 3lbs + 

 

Thoughts?

no,  some may disagree,...but I dont see why not.... I have 2 med lights I use

perfect

I don't think so. My dropshot rod is a ML/XF and I've put plenty of smallies over 4 in the boat with it. 

Hoping not to jack your thread too far, but what's the difference between a braid spool and the 'regular' spool?  Aside from color?

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

Hoping not to jack your thread too far, but what's the difference between a braid spool and the 'regular' spool?  Aside from color?

The "braid spool" has a rubberized arbor to keep the braid from spinning on the spool.

Hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like their regular spool has rubber, also...but maybe just bumpy.

 

tried to post link to the Lews page for that reel that has a pic of each spool, but I cannot include the link for some reason.  But, I'll bet googling 'lew's high speed spinning' will work for most

The regular spool is just aluminum, the extra spool has a rubber arbor.  Not much to debate here, as I've seen them in person.

5 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Hoping not to jack your thread too far, but what's the difference between a braid spool and the 'regular' spool?  Aside from color?

Regardless, the extra spool with be useful when trying to travel light. No need for two rods, one with flouro and one with mono. I can finesse fish and topwater. However when a smallie nearly de-spools you, the braid will slip making it nearly impossible to land the fish. The braid spool gives it the line an anchor point.

Pretty much anyone that uses braid on a standard Al spool uses some type of backing material, whether it be electrical tape, or several wraps of mono.  You don't need to be spooled to have the braid slip on the arbor with out a backing - just do a search here.  There's literally hundreds of threads.  Supplying a braid ready spool, is really cool.

With the two different spools, either a ML XF or M F will cover most of your bases.  A lot of it will come down to preferences and what techniques you fish the most.  I have a ML XF that's put quite a few 18"+ fish in the boat this year.  

I typically use a ML/F rod for hair jigs, light swim baits, and light jerk baits.  I also use a ML/XF rod for light, shallow finesse applications.  I've caught tons 5+ lb smallies with these rods.  I've also caught a bunch of 10+ lb sheepshead, some big pike, and a 45" musky with them.  I wouldn't use anything else for light baits, because casting distance is so important.

The only exception is if I'm fishing near structure, where I might need to horse a fish away from a chain, branch, or something like that.

 

 

I agree with everybody's comments in this thread.  The spinning rod I use is a ML/XF with 10# braid mainline and a fluorocarbon leader. You can't horse in a big fish in current, but I've never felt under-gunned.

8 hours ago, Steveo-1969 said:

I agree with everybody's comments in this thread.  The spinning rod I use is a ML/XF with 10# braid mainline and a fluorocarbon leader. You can't horse in a big fish in current, but I've never felt under-gunned.

Only thing I'm worried about is burning crank bait because that's one of my most productive methods but it pits a good bend in the rod for medium action rods...

All great comments. The way I fish also. I'm throwing alot of 6# test. I use a lot of it during a season. forever changing my line out but I'm not complaining. Good luck with your purchase. 

Regarding going with a medium light rod, have you ever had trouble getting the hook set into a good sized smallmouth? I have had them clamp down on tubes before, you think you have them stuck but then they open their mouth and the tube comes flying out. Might a medium power be more appropriate or do you need to toss fly weight presentations?

On 10/25/2016 at 0:46 PM, J Francho said:

Pretty much anyone that uses braid on a standard Al spool uses some type of backing material, whether it be electrical tape, or several wraps of mono.  You don't need to be spooled to have the braid slip on the arbor with out a backing - just do a search here.  There's literally hundreds of threads.  Supplying a braid ready spool, is really cool.

 

I agree. That actually is really cool that they include a braid ready spool. Kudos to them.

7 hours ago, Turtle135 said:

Regarding going with a medium light rod, have you ever had trouble getting the hook set into a good sized smallmouth? I have had them clamp down on tubes before, you think you have them stuck but then they open their mouth and the tube comes flying out. Might a medium power be more appropriate or do you need to toss fly weight presentations?

I use a medium and it seemed over kill until I hooked into a 2+ pounder and I thought a musky t-boned my smallie?

Not at all. I find myself leaning more and more toward ML power for spinning applications. 

I use a fenwick elite bass ml/xf for dropshot and weightless plastics.  I love the rod and as long as i am on the water i think it works great.  Bank fishing i would like a little more horsepower to keep them coming my direction away from structer.

On 10/28/2016 at 9:36 AM, Turtle135 said:

Regarding going with a medium light rod, have you ever had trouble getting the hook set into a good sized smallmouth?

Nope. #2 Gammy Drop Shot hook, Avid AVS63MLXF, 2500 CI4, 6# Tatsu.

Nice fish, GREAT  pic!