Lew's Fishing Rods American Heroes Updated

Lew's Fishing Rods American Heroes

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Lew's American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel Combo Review

For the last 25+ years I have fished with only two brands of casting reels; Shimano and Abu Garcia. So I never thought I would be writing a Lew's American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel Combo Review.

I didn't stick to those two brands because I thought Shimano and Abu Garcia reels were the only good reels on the market. It was more that I liked the products that I bought and didn't experience the need to stride exterior that little box. Y'all know… my comfort zone.

But, during all of those years I heard some very good things about a small number of other reels. Lew's was one of those names that I kept hearing, over and over.

I heard it so much that I kept getting this nagging feeling that I was missing something, and that I needed to buy 1 of their products and try information technology. Only I kept putting it off for a couple reasons.

One reason was that I was just used to the reels that I had. The other reason was/is that I am a budget-minded angler. I didn't want to buy something that wasn't a necessity. And so it went, for many years.

And then one 24-hour interval I ended up buying a Lew'southward Mach 2 Speed Spool Baitcast Combo. You can read more well-nigh that hither.Now, here I was at the local Dick's Sporting Goods store over again. It was about a year after ownership my Mach ll combo. And I found myself property aLew'south American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel Combo in my hand and pondering buying information technology.

I wasn't really in need of a new casting philharmonic. But this particular combo but felt adept.

I liked the way information technology felt in my hand. It was light. Not super light, but calorie-free still. I could tell that information technology wouldn't be the type of rod and reel combo that would tire me out if I had to employ it all 24-hour interval. A definite plus for sure.

And the reel felt polish. Again, maybe notsuperpolish. Merely smooth plenty to tell me that it was well made and would probably last a long time if I treated information technology well.

I ended upwards carrying it around the store while I thought about information technology and browsed through some other fishing tackle items. I fifty-fifty went and put it back on the rack once.

So my wife told me to get back and get it.

We were getting set up to leave the store when my married woman noticed that I had put the rod and reel back on the rack. When she asked me where information technology was, I told her that I had decided to put it dorsum considering I didn't really need it. She looked at me and told me to treat myself and become get it. So I did!

Now here's the funny role. I bought this rod and reel on a Friday afternoon. That aforementioned night I had a club tourney to fish. Information technology was an all-nighttime tourney, running from ten PM until 6 AM the side by side day. Aye… we're hard core when information technology comes to dark fishing!

So, afterwards that twenty-four hour period, as I was prepping my rods and reels for the tourney, I got about 8 or ix rods setup with suitable lures for the night tourney. I was all set, until I realized that I forgot all well-nigh my new Lew's rod and reel! I had already spooled fresh new Sufix Siege fishing line on it, but I failed to tie on a lure.

And then, as I pondered for a infinitesimal on what to tie on, since I already had all of my nighttime fishing essentials on, I made a quick decision to tie on a five one/4 inch stick (Senko manner) worm, but with a i/16 oz. bullet weight, instead of the usual weightless rig. I laid the rod in with the rest of the ones I had rigged upwardly and strapped them down to the forepart deck and didn't give it some other thought until I was on the water and starting to fish.

Where the Rubber Meets The Road

4+ lber. caught on the Lew's American Hero baitcasting rod & reel combo

Several hours afterward, as I eased upwards onto i of my favorite spots, I had a hunch (based on the conditions) that I should throw that Senko style bait. Then I grabbed my new Lew'southward American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel, checked the drag and double checked the brake settings before making my commencement cast with information technology.

The stick worm hit its target and within a second or then I felt a light tick and so felt tension on the line. I set the hook hard and the rod bowed over pretty good! A few seconds later I hoisted a nice 3+ lb. bass over the side of the gunkhole 🙂

That was the beginning of many good bass I would grab that nighttime with the new Lew'south combo. And it handled all of them like a dream.

Fast forward about a calendar week, back on the same lake. But this time I was guiding for a couple of local anglers. Once more, we had conditions that looked ideal for the same bait on the Lew's combo. I felt a tick, set up the hook and the rod doubled over again. 2 seconds after a big largemouth came shooting out of the water, shaking its head like crazy.

I landed the fish and unhooked information technology. Then I had 1 of the anglers in the gunkhole with me shoot the motion picture to the left. So Mrs. Largemouth swam happily abroad to be caught again another day. Equally with the showtime fourth dimension that I used this philharmonic, the rod and reel performed flawlessly.

The Meat and Potatoes of it All

And then, at present that I've spent some time telling yous nearly my on-the-water experiences with this comob during the starting time week or so of owning it, let's talk about the equipment itself. Allow'south discuss what I like nigh information technology and what I don't like… the pros and cons.

First, the pros.

First, the Lew's American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel is affordable. This is 1 of the first things I look for in the line-fishing tackle and equipment that I buy. I don't similar to spend a lot on the stuff I buy. I'm not on the road, line-fishing tournaments professionally on lakes across the land. And then I don't demand that level of equipment.

I want expert tackle, but I don't want the high end stuff that costs me an arm and 3 legs to buy. And trust me when I tell yous that there is plenty of great equipment bachelor for reasonable prices if we spend a but of time doing some homework.

The Lew's American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel combo is one of those pieces of equipment. It'south built well and performs well, creating a great value for the money. I got a bully deal on it when I bought mine. And even though I don't run into the combo available at Tackle Warehouse now, theyexercise withal accept both pieces bachelor. So they can be bought as individual items and paired up when they go far.

The Reel

The reel is polish. It's obviously not as smooth every bit a $200 reel, but that's to be expected for the price range this reel falls into. The gears are placidity and I don't hear any kind of ticking noises or loud noises from the gears meshing as I recollect a lure. Of form I can hear them winding if I reel extremely fast when I'grand cranking a lure in just to make another cast. But it's nothing more than what you would commonly expect to hear when cranking a reel at that rate.

It casts extremely well and I can honestly say that I haven't had a single backlash with it after using information technology for 4+ months under a wide variety of weather.

This reel sports 5 bearings. 4 ball bearings, and ane roller begetting for the instant anti-reverse. Again, there are many reels with more bearings, but those are in some other price range. The bearings are smooth and repose. And that'southward all you lot can inquire for in whatsoever reel.

The elevate has a max of x lbs. of pressure, which is more than enough for most bass fishing applications. That might non brand it the best candidate for flipping heavy encompass, but for only about whatsoever other type of fishing, it's more than than sufficient.

Weighing 7.2 oz., it's on the light side. It'southward not one of the lightest reels you'll buy, only also isn't the heaviest. It's comfortable to fish with for long periods of fourth dimension and it palms well.

Overall, I accept no complaints most the reel at all. It just works well and I similar it. Plain and simple.

Let'south talk about the rod

I bought the medium heavy rod. I liked the fact that the tip was light enough to make authentic casts with lures that didn't need to weigh 1/ii oz. or more. At that place are way too many "broomstick" rods on the market that are labeled equally medium heavy. This isn't i of them.

What Iwill say, though, is that this rod feels and fishes a little more on the medium side than on the heavy side. With that said, I need to note the fact that the model I bought was vi′ 10″. I no longer see that model bachelor. So mayhap the 7 ft. version volition fish a little heavier. I take a Lew'southward Mach Speed Stick Casting Rod in the 7 ft. length, that I will be reviewing in the near hereafter. And information technologyis a scrap stiffer than this rod. But not unreasonably so.

This rod has 9 guides, plus the tip, which is very adept for a rod in this cost range. There are no large gaps on the blank where guides are sparse or noticeably missing. The guides are stainless steel with stainless steel inserts.

The handle is a separate grip style, which I actually like. Information technology's comfy to employ and isn't bulky or heavy. Information technology's made from EVA foam, so it's "grippy", even when wet. And, being blackness, information technology doesn't prove clay and grime from the oil and dirt that might transfer from your hands to the handle.

Sensitivity is a big deal for almost people when it comes to rods. This rodis sensitive. But once again, it'south not about every bit sensitive every bit rods in a higher price bracket. I use this rod primarily for stick worms. And for that it works well. Stick worms are not the easiest baits to experience bites on. Bass will typically merely inhale information technology and swim abroad, with more than than one-half the bites going undetected.

With this rod, yous feel bites nearly times when you should. As with any other rod in this toll range, there wlil be some times when y'all miss some bites. It's just role of fishing soft plastics.

I haven't used it for a wide multifariousness of baits. It's been mainly used for soft plastics. But it works well for this application.

It handles big fish well. I have defenseless several bass up to 5 lbs. on this setup and I accept no complaints whatsoever nigh how the rod (or the reel) handled those fish.

So, at present let's talk nearly the cons.

I tin honestly say that I take establish only one con with this combo. And it's not with the reel. Information technology'due south with the rod. It'due south non major. In fact, information technology's pretty minor. But I would be amiss if I didn't talk about it.

As I mentioned above, I accept another Lew's rod (The Mach Speed Stick). And my biggest complaint about that rod is the lack of a wire claw keeper. Itdoes have a hook keeper, but it is the most ridiculous thing I accept ever seen. But I won't go off rail hither. Yous tin can read more about that when I write the review for that rod and reel combo.

For now, though, I want to make note of the fact that Lew's did actually put a wire hook keeper on this rod. The location of it is a fleck odd, being located way down nether the lower role of the handle.

Having it located at that place is inconvenient and only strange. I'chiliad non sure what their logic was in doing this. Simply needless to say, information technology is what it is, so I deal with information technology for now.

Despite it existence a wire keeper, information technology isn't Texas-rig friendly. So this ways that when you're finished angling for the twenty-four hour period, yous'll need to pull the soft plastic from the point of the hook in order to use the keeper. Again, not a major inconvenience, but totally unnecessary.

Merely that's it. That's the only complaint I take almost this rod. Like I said, it isn't major at all. Merely irritating.

Wrapping information technology up

Let's wrap this upwardly so y'all tin can become back to line-fishing!

Equally e'er, I base my reviews on the value of the product vs. the toll. And the Lew's American Hero Baitcasting Rod and Reel has no problems at all scoring a solid 5 stars. No, it isn't on par with a $300 setup. But in that location's no reason why anyone should expect it to be.

So if you're in the market for a good, solid budget-friendly baitcasting combo, buy this reel and this rod. Yous won't regret information technology.

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Good fishing <><