Other reels same concept as Lew's SP?

[plawren53202]

So, disclaimer to my post: I'm terrible at flipping and pitching. I've watched every video on YT, read every article I can, and inevitably every time I try it I'm going to end up with an awful bird's nest or spend the time making about 5 or 6 foot pitches.

 

Because of this, the idea behind the Lew's SP really appeals to me. The idea of a spool that requires a lot less momentum to get it moving/get the bait moving seems like it would help me. Normally, I feel like I have to loosen the spool tension so much to get any distance at all that then a bird's nest is inevitable. Unfortunately the list $199 might be a little out of my price range at this point.

 

So, are there any other reels that have a similar concept, lower mass spool for lower momentum required to get it moving--and that are maybe a little less than the Lew's? I feel like flipping and pitching is the one major hole in my arsenal that I need to learn, and I really like the idea of these reels to help.

[Shimano_1]

The daiwa tatula sv is probably the best reel I've ever used for this particular technique.  Any of the tatulas or Fuego ct will work as well just not as forgiving as the sv. The breaking system on the daiwas is just more refined. If you can swing the $ for an sv I recommend trying one for pitching/flipping. 

[mcipinkie]

Years of excessive practice.  I can pitch with anything.  My preferred reels are Lew's Super Duty's, but I pitch with every thing I own, casting or spinning.  You can too.  Turn off all the brakes.  Loosen the spool tension completely and practice.  I think I'm good until I watch Swindle's videos.

 

There is no short cut.  You can't learn to do it on the keyboard. 

[zell_pop1]

Maybe the Ardent pitching reels?

[GetFishorDieTryin]

The Tatula SV and the curado 70 mgl are ideal.  If your budget is under 200$ the SLX mgl would be a good bet.  Try looking for the older curado 70, you should get a deal if you can find one.

[ABurk]

I just started with baitcasters a year and a half ago, and can pitch and flip with all my reels. Just takes practice. I’m fortunate to live on a river and I fish daily so I was able to pick it up fairly quickly. I can pitch with my SLX DC and my tatula CT, and I’ve been able to pitch with a lews combo that I got rid of (Mach smash). I pitch/flip with the same settings I would when normally casting. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Flipping doesn’t involve the reel at all for casting and pitching is low speed casting with relatively heavy weights.  I’m not quite wrapping my head around the need for special braking. A light spool typically aids casting light baits.  If your fishing heavy cover I see the desire for a solid frame and good drag and gear train. 

[Catt]

13 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I’m not quite wrapping my head around the need for special braking.

 

As you well know I cast & pitch with a Calcutta 100A

 

One should be able to pitch with any reel, casting/pitching is more about the operator than the equipment. 

 

I suggest starting with at least 3/8 oz, practice a lot & educate that thumb. 

[Jig Man]

 

We have a Lews Store that is closing.  They have a 40% off sale.  You might get a deal from them.  Sportsmans Factory Outlet is the name.  The phone number is 417-881-1635.

[fishwizzard]

6 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

  I’m not quite wrapping my head around the need for special braking.

 

I don't know about braking alone doing much, but spool weight/breaking profile made a huge difference for me.  I bought a Steez A last year to use on a jig rod that I pitch with maybe 75% of the time.  I fish a few little park ponds by my house fairly often and due to their lack of shoreline cover, there are places where I know that have stood at the exact same spot and pitched to the exact same target hundreds and hundreds of times. The stock spool on the Steez A is pretty heavy and deep, and I was less than thrilled at the distance I was getting as compared to the other reels I had used on that rod fishing those same spots.  On a whim I took a finesse-tuned spool (RCS SV1012) off of another reel and stuck it in the A.  The difference was night and day, same spot, same rod, same line, same lure, I was able to pitch 10-15' further with the same effort and accuracy, and with more control in terms of line-fluff. 

 

I have found the same idea to be true with other combos as well, by changing to a more finesse oriented spool/reel, I have seen a big improvement in my pitching.   Obviously there is a downside, and that is line capacity.  That same Steez A combo proved a lot less ideal when I took it out to a place where I was making long casts into deepish water, I quickly found that I had to limit my distance to make sure I had enough line still on the spool when the jig hit bottom.  But for a dedicated pitching reel, I will take the lightest/shallowest spool I can find.  

 

[plawren53202]

On ‎12‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 9:18 AM, BaitFinesse said:

Any Daiwa SV.  They are made to be run with zero spool tension and be hard to backlash.  It is literally the reel you are looking for.  You should be able to find a used reel like new for well under $200.  Also there is the new Fuego SV on Aliexpress for under $150. 

 

If you really want to be cheap about it then get a Black Max and one of these spools.  Might as well find a sub $10 90 to 100mm handle while you're there too.  Black Max reels have really strong brakes to slow their heavy stock spool.  Put a shallower light weight one in and you have an affordable pitching and skipping reel. 

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/4000206445303.html?spm=a2g0n.detail.0.0.2bf4b5cfM8pkb6&gps-id=storeRecommendH5&scm=1007.18500.187585.0&scm_id=1007.18500.187585.0&scm-url=1007.18500.187585.0&pvid=cca53b37-7012-4b49-b961-cf1f7020d1a3&_t=gps-id%3AstoreRecommendH5%2Cscm-url%3A1007.18500.187585.0%2Cpvid%3Acca53b37-7012-4b49-b961-cf1f7020d1a3%2Ctpp_buckets%3A668%230%23131923%2382_668%23808%233772%2356_668%23888%233325%2313_668%232846%238111%23408_668%232717%237560%23240__668%233374%2315176%23733&browser_id=9293054bad4f4104bc53cb13bfaf8892&aff_trace_key=f21dfc4e63da4993a6d151dee6013a91-1605408254961-09505-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=oauffppwsikcaa7z17629370c632404b9d7557fad6&gclid=&_imgsrc_=ae01.alicdn.com%2Fkf%2FH101699783e37495db159764c6c39f9efB.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005001369401549.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&spm=a2g0n.store_home.allProducts_460224263.1005001369401549

 

I'd love to pony up for the Daiwa Tatula SV or the Lew's SP, but just ain't gonna happen right now. On the other hand, I have two Black Maxes currently sitting on the shelf. So what do I have to lose by trying the Ali Express Abu shallow spool other than $13? Ordered one today. Now just have to wait for that infamous Ali Express waiting time to pass before I can try it out.?

[plawren53202]

1 hour ago, BaitFinesse said:

If it works out for you and you like to tinker on the cheap you could also get some spool bearings and a longer handle off the site too.  

Thanks for all of the info...I don't mind tinkering and I do like cheap ? Actually if this spool change works out then I may PM you for recommendations on bearings and a handle off Ali Express (this was my first purchase ever there). I didn't really dislike the Black Max reels at all, they performed perfectly fine for me (if not super buttery smooth, but for $39 I can live with that). They just got set to the side as I got some higher quality reels. I really like the idea of repurposing them for more specific applications (like pitching and flipping) and still getting some use out of them.

[Michigander]

I've got this one and it isn't glamorous but does pitch really easily. https://www.enigmafishing.com/products/ippon-flipping-ip100-f-series-baitcasting-reel?gclid=CjwKCAiAwrf-BRA9EiwAUWwKXnazLvRYr7bvWBQXjbC9ytprbU9VSzaciuAUFhQHlWdMpl_O4trMERoC9QAQAvD_BwE

[CFDoc]

On 12/3/2020 at 9:47 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Flipping doesn’t involve the reel at all for casting and pitching is low speed casting with relatively heavy weights.

 

So much this. 

 

I'm struggling to see why you need a fancy braking system to manage a spool speed that barely spins faster than what gravity would allow?!?

 

I would suggest more work on your technique before buying a new reel. Flipping/pitching is just feel and touch and can be learned with practice in your front yard.

[PhishLI]

29 minutes ago, CFDoc said:

'm struggling to see why you need a fancy braking system to manage a spool speed that barely spins faster than what gravity would allow?!?

Because he doesn't, and neither does anyone else. Once you learn to pitch you can pitch with anything. Skipping is something else altogether. Where he's running into difficulty is with timing and feel. Throw in where he frames his arm/elbow in relationship to the rods butt during the toss/drop and the rod's angle. Timing the thumb to this when he's most definitely looping the bait up instead of flat to the water while using a Light-Switch thumb instead of unbroken thumb contact is causing quick over runs. I'm not saying a particular braking type won't help to some degree, but none will overcome those technique issues while pitching.

[plawren53202]

1 hour ago, CFDoc said:

I'm struggling to see why you need a fancy braking system to manage a spool speed that barely spins faster than what gravity would allow?!?

I think somewhere some confusion crept in about what I am finding attractive about the SP for pitching and flipping. It doesn't have anything to do with the braking system. I've got several reels with great braking systems. I also understand that for many folks, a braking system is largely irrelevant to flipping or pitching.

 

The appeal of a reel like the SP to me is the super shallow, low mass spool. For several reasons. Mainly, my biggest issue with flipping is that even when I turn the spool tension knob and brakes way down, it seems like I still have to put enough force into a flip that it makes backlash nearly unavoidable. If I turn the tension knob/brakes all the way off, the fluff seems unmanageable even with careful thumb attention. The second part of these shallow low mass spools that I like: less line to backlash. 

 

I understand that lots of folks can flip for days on nearly any reel. I'm not disputing that at all, I admire those folks. Here's my situation: I'm no spring chicken, I'm 47. Job, kids, yada yada. Despite decades of fishing, I've never flipped. I don't have hours and hours to devote to learning it at this point. I need any jump start I can get. This seemed like one potential aid and I wanted to look into it. Wishing at this point I had just asked generically about super shallow, low mass spool reels.

[CFDoc]

2 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

 

 

I understand that lots of folks can flip for days on nearly any reel. I'm not disputing that at all, I admire those folks. Here's my situation: I'm no spring chicken, I'm 47. Job, kids, yada yada. 

 

I hear you. I wasn't trying to insult you as a fisherman. We all sucked at some point. I know I did.

 

I was more or less trying to highlight what DVT was suggesting that a braking system is probably going to do very little, if anything, to help reduce backlashing at flipping spool speeds.

 

As other users have suggested, the best way to get better at flipping is to practice keeping the bait traveling flat (instead of upwards). And practicing can be done in your front yard. It doesn't require water at all.

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

Wishing at this point I had just asked generically about super shallow, low mass spool reels.

P,

 

 I had no intention of leaving you wishing you'd never asked your question.  I understand that you know how to cast, but that pitching has you stumped. I get it. My first ever pitch went straight up and nearly came down on my noggin. I ran in the house and googled "pitching helmets". I get how frustrating it can be, but there are a few tips that can have you rolling quite quickly. I was thinking about how to properly articulate them, then remembered a video I watched that sums up what I'd say and what's happened to work well when I taught myself and now teach brand new guys.

 

Keep a few points in mind. You can start with the rod's handle on the inside or outside of your wrist. I recommend keeping it on the inside to start with. Frame your arm this way: Point your arm straight out, parallel to the ground, then bend it 90 degrees, but with your upper arm 45 degree to your body. This is simply a starting point. Your motion should be limited to your wrist and a touch from your elbow to your wrist. Again, this is just a starting point and mentioned to limit excess motion that'll complicate the process and have the bait moving too fast. Also, begin with a heavier bait that won't stall. You'll feel the spool with your thumb easier if the bait pulls line with more force. These points and more are covered in the vid.

 

One more thing, I strongly disagree with CFDoc on one issue. Practice in your backyard like I did to avoid heckling from your neighbors and small furry creatures.?

 

 

[dodgeguy]

Sportsmans Outfitters has it for 159$ get the Lew's.

[CFDoc]

16 hours ago, PhishLI said:

 

 

One more thing, I strongly disagree with CFDoc on one issue. Practice in your backyard like I did to avoid heckling from your neighbors and small furry creatures.

 

 

 

Haha. Yeah, I can't count the number of times a neighbor has walked by and asked if anything is biting in my flower beds while I was out practicing. But those hydrangeas make good targets...

 

OP, I own a lot of Lews SLP reels and they make great flipping reels once you get the technique down.

[the reel ess]

I was using an Academy H2O reel, the TAC 40 reel for a few years. The best thing about it was it had a large diameter spool, thus didn't hold much line. It has developed a few issues so I replaced it with a Lew's Tournament MB reel I already had. It works quite well. There are reels out there for flipping with very high drag range. But I believe this one has 11 or 12 lb. I keep the drag very tight and I've only caught one bass that took drag on that reel and it didn't take much. It was 7.2 lb. And I probably didn't have the drag maxed out.

 

I have two more of those reels I use for other techniques. It's a good reel for the money. They have since discontinued it but replaced it with another in the $129 range.

[Hammer 4]

I see there are still those talking about a cast when flipping. Again ... there is No casting when flipping.