NYWayfarer

Do you mind letting us know which Lew's reels you have that are "crappy" and how much were you asking for them?

I personally don't care about resale value. I have never bought a used reel or sold one of my old ones. I usually give them away to family and friends with kids. I keep my old semi-retired favorites. It's no secret I like Lew's. Most all the reels in my rotation for the last two years have been Lew's. I have not had any issues with them. My Tournament MB, LFS and Mach II spinning reels have seen extensive use. They are workhorse reels that can't be beat in my opinion.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/samurai-tactical-hamachi-tackle-back-pack-19frtuhmchbckpckbtbx/19frtuhmchbckpckbtbx?Product=ProductSuggest Samurai Tactical Hamachi tackle backpack. on sale now at DSG

Watching YouTube fishing vids and raiding my wine cellar.

Rain and winds over 10MPH keep me off the water. Sit in kayak here. Chance of thunderstorms as well in these parts Friday. The weekend looks much better for me.

I have yet to find a reliable cheap scale. Scales are going to get wet, it is inevitable. My reel sonar scale got some water on it and it went wonky. It has since recovered and I make sure to keep it dry now at all times. My Kastking water resistant scale worked for 2 seasons before dying. My newest scale is a Smith’s electronic scale. Cost me $12 on EBay. Time will tell if it’s a winner or a dud.

Palomar. Uni sometimes as I have one of those knot tools.

I fish for perch, Fallfish and chubs early spring. If I get none of these species then I know there are no Smallmouth around. If those species are around I fish a Rebel Hellgrammite lure or a Nikko Hellgrammite on a Z-man Shroomz jighead.

The Oxblood Roboworms are my go to color for Hudson River Smallmouth Bass in NY. This color bait works when nothing else will for me. Deadly dropshot bait.

Retail: Lew’s Pro Ti Speed Spool SLP $349.99 Lew’s TP 1 Black Speed Stick $129.99 Paid $230.00 for the reel, DSG price match. Paid $100 for the rod on sale.

That’s awesome. I have one on the way. Thanks!

Kastking mountain mist fishing gloves. I also keep a package of handwarmers on those really brutal days. They have all been brutal so far this Spring. Feels like the wind is coming off the top of an iceberg right onto the Northeast.

I use a Lew’s TP1 7’ Medium/Moderate Fast spinning rod for Wacky Rigged worms. Model number TP170MMFS which is listed as an all purpose rod. I like 7’ and under sized rods when fishing in my kayak.

Needle-nose pliers, scissors, fish gripper, scale with tape measure, baitcaster pick, line threader, leather man knockoff multi-tool, first aid kit and bait knife.

I carry a couple of rags with me fishing. One I always dunk in the water and wring it until it is just damp. I wipe my hands off with that one after handling a fish then dry them with a dry rag. If I pack lunch for a boat trip it’s in a sandwich baggie and I use the bag to handle the sandwich so I don’t touch it. I have some anti bacterial wipes in the car which I use before I drive home. When I am home I was my hands with a mixture of Dawn dish detergent and de-fishing soap I got at Walmart. I found nothing better to get rid of the fish slime and smell.

Take it back and get another one. Sometimes combos that sit on shelves get abused by people handling them. if your magnetic brake control is not clicking there is definitely a problem with the reel.

Mine are from the moors and they have been cursed by Maleficent to not catch big Bass. Seriously though I have 2 American St Croix rods and everything else is made overseas.

My favorite is the Rage Tail Menace. Truth be told though I have caught the most fish on a Yum grub.

I have that rod but I can’t help you as I don’t use leaders. The rod is fantastic, easily my favorite stick ATM. Why the Mach Crush? I have one and I can say if unless you are getting a deal where it is under $100, even under $80 there are better options out there. My recommendation is the Lew’s Custom Black for $113 on EBay MSRP is $180 it’s a Mach Crush in Black aluminum and smaller Winn grips. If you want the oversized ones you can order them on Tackle Warehouse.

That combo is trash. It was the original version of the American hero. The black and blue and Camo ones are infinitely better. For rods, since you mentioned DSG, I would suggest the Lew’s Carbon Fire in medium light. On sale until 4/18 for $49 bucks. I would suggest the matching size 200 Carbon Fire reel which is on sale for $59 but that would put you a little over budget. Get the rod though. It is a great Ned rig and finesse rod.

Well said. I am a Lew’s fan boy but I own several Shimano and Daiwa reels that I love as well.

Thanks for the info. Plastic or not, it is a good reel, just not $160 good. Hell I wish this reel was around when I was a low information young angler instead of now when I am a low information old angler ?

I agree to go with the BB1 over the Crush and I have the Crush. The Crush is graphite. It has the oversized Winn grip knobs that are $16 each. That adds $32 to that reel for the knobs alone. Crush has dual brakes not linear mag brakes. 20lbs drag and clickable cast control knob. You can get it for $119 on EBay. I got my Mach Crush combo on Black Friday for $100 which to me was a price that can’t be beat. It is not a bad reel at all. I would never pay $160 for it though. To the OP, If you like the Mach Crush, Mach 2 or Mach Smash my advice would be to get any Lew’s reel that has an aluminum frame and customize it. My Tournament MB sports the regular sized black Winn grip knobs I bought from Tackle Warehouse. My Lew’s LFS sports the combat grips also purchased from Tackle Warehouse. You can put Winn grip knobs on a BB1 and it will be a better deal than the Crush.

Gun to my head I would pick 10lb. Mono. Something like Trilene XL or Sufix Elite. It would be a little light for my casters and a bit heavy for my spinning but I could make do.

The only difference I see from the TP1 is the Hack Attack doesn’t have the microwave guide. And the color of course.