Lew's American Hero AH1SHG baitcast reel, what do you think?

[BluegillsTightlines]

What do yall think of this reel? I decided to pick it up after my Daiwa seemingly has kicked the bucket after the last outing, though I still gotta get under the hood and see exactly what's wrong. So I got this, I figured it was time for a more modern one anyway with a faster gear ratio. The daiwa I was using was 5.4:1 and felt just a little bit underpowered when fighting sizeable fish and I had to reel fast to keep a top water going like it's supposed to. I've got this one tuned into where it won't backlash with the current lure on it, which is a buzzbait. Took some practice throws in the back yard and casted to a bucket, got in and near it for the most part after I got the brake settings optimized. Feels solid and comfortable in hand as well. Has anyone else used it? I didn't wanna spend $200 for a reel with a computer chip in it, so I got this one for $68.

[Bigbox99]

Not a fan but it's a perfectly functional reel from a major manufacturer sold under a reputable brand.  For that kind of money I would want an aluminum frame but that's not going to stop the reel from functioning and catching fish.  It's more of a quality of life thing. Those graphite powder mixed ABS plastic reels feel awful winding in a high resistance bait or fish but I'm sure it's a big upgrade and feels wonderful compared go whatever dying reel you were using prior.  I'm sure you'll love it.

[BluegillsTightlines]

Took it for a spin on the water this morning, it casts pretty smoothly, but the reeling felt like it could have been better. I don't think it's a horrid reel but I went back to my old Shimano Bantam Coriolis and caught a solid bass on that this morning and it performed very well with a fresh tune up and new line.

[BluegillsTightlines]

Going to give the Lews another go round hopefully this Saturday or Sunday. Gear ratio seems like it would make for a good topbwater set up at 7.1:1. I know on my daiwa and my Shimano I really have to crank it to keep a buzzbait going like it needs to, but this should help with that, and not only hopefully help result in more buzzbait strikes, but also reduce fatigue.

[Justbass11]

I love my Lews, I started in the $100 to $150 range and don’t have a problem with them. 

[Tennessee Boy]

On 8/20/2024 at 1:03 PM, BluegillsTightlines said:

The daiwa I was using was 5.4:1 and felt just a little bit underpowered when fighting sizeable fish

Going to a higher gear ratio will give you less power when fighting fish and more speed when retrieving lures.