Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Hi Folks, I have a Lew's Speed Stick, 5'6", MH fiberglass rod. It's actually Dad's, but mine if I want it. I guess maybe it's joint ownership at this point. It was Dad's first casting rod, and his Ambassadeur 5000 modified with 5500 gears sat atop it. It looks like this: Not mine, but same. Very nice reels in that pic! I'd like to put it back into service. I have an older 5500 setting around doing nothing and have some ideas for it. Thing is, I'm not sure what the fiberglass Lew's rod is good for these days. It seems much more whippy than any hybrid or pure graphite rod I've seen, so I'm thinking moving baits. I'd employ it for still fishing for catfish or whatever, but I don't catfish much and I'd rather have a longer setup for throwing bait, anyway, and maybe a longer handle for fighting cats in. Anyone still use these? Where do you find them to excel? Regards, Josh Quote
IAY Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 pistol grips are awesome for accurately casting topwaters. Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Hello, I love pistol grips. My question is more along the sensitivity. I've been spoiled by affordable graphite rods since I was a teenager, and I haven't used a fully fiberglass rod since my Zebco 33 or sometime in there. Is there a place in which sensitivity doesn't matter so much? I use braid pretty exclusively, so this will be more sensitive than it was when Dad used it, the 5000, and monofilament! Thanks, Josh Quote
TorqueConverter Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Stick a vintage Lews on it and keep it as a decor item in a man cave or something. Quote
Super User F14A-B Posted February 11, 2015 Super User Posted February 11, 2015 Crankbaits, Rattlebaits, basically treble hook type baits.. 1 Quote
Trent Wilson Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Pistol grips...spent many a Sundays rubbing liniment on my right forearm because of them. Miss those days. 1 Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Stick a vintage Lews on it and keep it as a decor item in a man cave or something. Um, no? It's in a man cave right now and will be coming out of retirement. Josh 1 Quote
Trent Wilson Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 I don't blame you. It's perfection in a rod. Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Crankbaits, Rattlebaits, basically treble hook type baits.. Spinnerbaits Thank you, gents. You're confirming my thoughts. Josh Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Pistol grips...spent many a Sundays rubbing liniment on my right forearm because of them. Miss those days. Me too. Only left forearm. Know what? I'm used to it now, the tendons and ligaments adapted long ago, and though I have straight-grip rods I like, my favorites are my pistol-grip rods. I'm actually saving up to have a couple custom rods built by DVC on old Abu Garcia pistol grips I picked up some time back. Josh Quote
Trent Wilson Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Oh...do pm me pics when you get them done. I bet they'll be gorgeous. Quote
plumworm Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Love those old pistols. Today the pros are using those "whippy" fiberglass rods for cranks. Put 10-12 lb. Trilene XL on it ( that was what they used back then) and use it for what ever moving baits you use and enjoy it the way your Dad did 40+ years ago. Quote
Trent Wilson Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 You learn on them, you love them. I've got 3 in the garage with broken tips. Very tempted to get them fixed no matter the cost. Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Oh...do pm me pics when you get them done. I bet they'll be gorgeous. It'll be a while! I'm the breadwinner in the family; we decided my wife would stay home with the kids. Love those old pistols. Today the pros are using those "whippy" fiberglass rods for cranks. Put 10-12 lb. Trilene XL on it ( that was what they used back then) and use it for what ever moving baits you use and enjoy it the way your Dad did 40+ years ago. It's funny. I'm 37. I'm sure Dad had this thing when was born; I don't remember him NOT having it and I was going fishing with him before I was three. I'm also in a similar situation he and Mom were in: I work; wife stays home. Dad began studying engineering shortly after so he worked, paid tuition, and raised three kids while Mom stayed home with us. He had good, but limited, fishing tackle until he became an engineer and we moved up here. I've accumulated my stuff over a lifetime, starting right around 34 years ago. I've restored a lot of his old lures that he stopped using when he bought new, and I've found I prefer the older stuff. It works just as well (Roland Martin - marked spinnerbaits, especially!) as, and in many cases better than, today's tackle found at the same places Dad bought these. The box stores do not carry lures of this quality any longer. The old reels and rods work well, too. It's this fiberglass job that I wasn't sure about; been going back and forth with. I do believe I'll run the moving lures off it as was suggested. I know that my old Ambassadeurs are used right up next to my 2014 model year 5500c3 and a 2008(?) 5600c4 Mag. The gear ratios on all these reels give me versatility, and the 23ipt retrieve of the old Ambassadeurs I run are far from a handicap when they are what I need! Ah, well, late night ramblings. Time for some sleep. Shop time tomorrow! Regards, Josh Quote
Super User scaleface Posted February 11, 2015 Super User Posted February 11, 2015 pistol grips are awesome for accurately casting topwaters. This. Short rods are great for spooks. Quote
Super User Fishes in trees Posted February 11, 2015 Super User Posted February 11, 2015 A couple of thoughts. First, that pistol grip rod is good for spooks and poppers. Secondly, be mindful that you will tear up your wrist over time using those rods. If you're relatively young and recover easily, that isn't a problem. Me, I just won't use a pistol grip rod anymore for that reason. Well, that and I cast two handed a lot, and that casting style is nearly impossible with that handle. Lastly, the guides on that rod are not comparable to the guides on rods of more recent vintage. If you use braid on that rod, you will groove the guides in a fairly short amount of time. Quote
Trent Wilson Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Yes you will. Went through many an Allstar because of it. Quote
Super User Senko lover Posted February 11, 2015 Super User Posted February 11, 2015 You could catch fish on it Quote
RustyShackleford Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Is is sad that i still use these for my spooks near docks? I absolutely love using it, aside from the occasional smallie that tries to rip it out of my hands. 1 Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 15, 2015 Author Posted February 15, 2015 Hi Guys, I found a reel I think will be perfect. It's a 5500, non-bearing, though I did put bearings in the drive shaft (where you'd usually find the AR bearing) and in the levelwind. For heavier-than-3/8oz lures, I prefer to keep the bronze spool bushings, so that's what I did with this one. In fact, I think it may be the last one I have with bushings. A note on this rod: I was playing with it and for a fiberglass rod, it's very sensitive. I can feel about as much with it as I can on a couple lower-end graphite rods I have. It should be excellent for topwater, or whatever role I use it in. Regards, Josh Quote
0119 Posted February 15, 2015 Posted February 15, 2015 be mindful that you will tear up your wrist over time using those rods. Sadly this is very true. I'm to the point that I cant use my beloved pistol grip rods. But I dont see any difference when I use the "vogue" long gripped rods either. Quote
Josh Smith Posted February 16, 2015 Author Posted February 16, 2015 I don't know. I've used them since age 3; started casting age 5 or so. I'd come home from fishing as a teenager feeling the ligaments and tendons, but that went away as I built my arm up. I'm 37 now and experience no problems yet. I did do a lot of Aikido when I was younger, so maybe that's part of it..? Regards, Josh Quote
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