Centrifugal Vs. Magnetic Breaking

[Wayne SW/MO]

All of this makes me wonder if younger anglers might not benefit from practice casting with the brakes off. I don't mean when fishing, but in the green pond at the house. It would be a great way to improve the thumb control and probably allow better casting even with the brakes on.

[abkeenan]

All of this makes me wonder if younger anglers might not benefit from practice casting with the brakes off. I don't mean when fishing, but in the green pond at the house. It would be a great way to improve the thumb control and probably allow better casting even with the brakes on.

Honestly I think that is the best way to become proficient at throwing a bait caster for those just starting out. When I was about 10 or so my Grandfather handed me an old Ryobi bait caster that probably had never been cleaned or lubed since he bought it and was nearly impossible to throw the thing. Had that paired with with a 5'6" pistol grip Shimano speedmaster rod. I guess I learned pretty quick by being thrown into the fire so quickly so to speak. I practiced out in front of the lake house for a few hours unitl I started to get the hang of it and continued after that never going back to the Zebco 33 Classic's.. Once I got a newer and more legit bait caster (Quantum EX500) is was like childs play compared to that 1970's or 80's Ryobi I had trained on. Practice makes perfect. Kinda.

[dtrs5kprs]

All of this makes me wonder if younger anglers might not benefit from practice casting with the brakes off. I don't mean when fishing, but in the green pond at the house. It would be a great way to improve the thumb control and probably allow better casting even with the brakes on.

Think you are correct. Learn the hard way first, then use the bells and whistles to enhance skills and not as a crutch.

[dtrs5kprs]

Honestly I think that is the best way to become proficient at throwing a bait caster for those just starting out. When I was about 10 or so my Grandfather handed me an old Ryobi bait caster that probably had never been cleaned or lubed since he bought it and was nearly impossible to throw the thing. Had that paired with with a 5'6" pistol grip Shimano speedmaster rod. I guess I learned pretty quick by being thrown into the fire so quickly so to speak. I practiced out in front of the lake house for a few hours unitl I started to get the hang of it and continued after that never going back to the Zebco 33 Classic's.. Once I got a newer and more legit bait caster (Quantum EX500) is was like childs play compared to that 1970's or 80's Ryobi I had trained on. Practice makes perfect. Kinda.

Still have my first baitcaster, a Ryobi V-Mag 4. Eventually put it on a 5'6" Lightning Rod. Even fished a few tournaments with it, a long time ago.

[Old plug]

I think from the time I hit my teens till now I have used very fast reels. My father was not much of a fisherman but he was one fine caster. At one time he belonged to the old casting club in Forrest Park in St louis. They all used lightening fast reel with very light line for that kind of casting. They floated the casting plug to the target as much as cast it. While fishing is different it is not all that different. Target caster try to use as least force as they can to deliver a casting plug. I Have learned that is very true. Some lures have a penchant to catch in the air and do things you do not want them to do. A softer cast calms that down. I often see fishermen passing the dock with the long rods and they are putting a lot more force into getting the cast out than I think they need to. That is a good way to get a early case of Tennis elbow. I do not watch much fishing TV. All the pros it appears uses a long rod however. Myself I do not think it is as much about the casting as it is landing the fish. When I see some guy landing a good sized bass and the rod has that long progress taper. I think to myself if he looses this thing he needs his a-- kicked. I will be the first to admit that a 7ft rod is a beast to use a real fast bait casting reel on. Then on the other hang the long sticks or dreams to use with a fast reel for pitching. I recently bought my first reel of the newer generation. Its a Quantum Kinetic. First thing I did was oil it turn the cast control down as far as I could and loosen the spool. It is really a smooth casting reel but it could be faster. We will see if it breaks in as the season progresses. If it does not I will alter the breaking system. I am going to use it solely for pitching I want a soft slow delivery for that.

[Wayne SW/MO]

After going through a J C Higgins and Bronson baitcaster I acquired a Langley Tournament model. The langley was unique in that it was aluminum, had no levelwind, a perforated spool, and you could pull the handle away from the sideplate and it would disengage from the spool. I rarely used that feature because the reel was very smooth in casting pretty light lures as it was. It didn't take long to learn to lay the line on the spool using the thumb and forefinger of my left hand while holding the rod in front of the reel. It was a lot harder to break that habit later when I went to the levelwinds on the Abu 5000's.

[Bitethis]

I would consider myself a "younger generation" I am 34 years old, but didn't pick up a baitcaster until I was 31. Fished from the time I was 9 years old, using a spinning reel the entire time. (I hate zebcos). Once I moved here from MT, I was told I needed a baitcaster (which I still don't believe I "need" one) for bass fishing. A few years ago, i bought a 1/2 oz practice plug and practiced for hours on my new Bpro megacaster....which has 0 bells and whistles. after about 15 hours of practice, and 47 birdsnests later, I took it to the lake. Practicing with a 1/2 oz plug was nothing close to fishing for real. I wanted to chuck it in the lake. After a couple years, I was told about duel breaking systems, "you get what you pay for" and that a $50 bsitcaster won't perform like a $50 spinning reel, and that if I tried DBS on a baitcaster, it would be virtually impossible to brd nest it. I coughed up the $100, bit the bullet, spooled it with line, and applied all my wasted "feathering" practice when I set the DBS on my new reel and cast for the first time. To my surprise...it didn't birdnest. I cast over and over and over and it didn't birdnest. I wasn't until i tried, on the 4th try, to birdnest it that it did.

I say all that to say...can a younger generation learn something from an older generation? ABSOLUTELY! all the guys I fish with are 15-25 years my senior...i pick my fishing buddies wisely, cmon! (or they allow me to tag along, rather). BUT....if technology can assist us with the learning curve of using a baitcaster and taking advantage of the benefits it provides, would I scoff at that in lieu of learning the old fashion way?

I really enjoy everyones experience and perspectives, this has been a very informative read!

[Bill Babler]

I think Dave pretty much cut thru the bull and went right to the chase with the Lew's reels. I know we are talking about braking systems here and when you talk about leaders in the industry there up until about 5 yrs. ago had been only one. Daiwa by far leaps and bounds ahead of all the other, especially the Steez. "Boy what an investment however"

Every part of the Steez including the braking system that is composed of both a magnetic and centrifugal system along with parts that are machined to tolerances very similar to a watch made this reel by far and away the best freshwater reel in the world without competition.

A very informed person in the industry told me that the number one sale pitch for a reel, is how many bearing does it have. As he went on to tell me, that means about as much as teets on a boar hog. It is by far the number one tool to sell reels, but the worst possible reason to buy a reel.

He went on to say that there are three things when you speak of bearing that are in the reel that make or break so as to speak the product. Weight, hardness and exact size tolerance. "Yes we are still talking about reels."

Daiwa with the Steez is still without question the top of the heap. But and here is where we get to the Hog Killin, Lew's, our home town company has come to this game with a big gun. That gun being quality and price. You can bet your last Alabama Rig that the "Big Boy's" know they are there and are working to stay a step ahead.

Lew's comes at us with a reel lineup that is frankly when you look at price, is second to none. Speaking of two of their fine family of products are the Tournament Pro at $199.99. This reel come at you with very exacting tolerance not the Steez mind you but exacting. It features 11 highly specific bearing and a MSB drag system that features both magnetic and centrifugal breaking. Once adjusted the reel holds it adjustments and does not vary.

New to the lineup is the Team Lew's Pro coming in at $299.00. This reel may be on the upper end of most of our price range, but it is a reel that is very competitive with the Steez, not only in quality but in weight featuring a titanium body and the MSB system It comes in at 6.1 oz compared to the daiwa Steez at 5.7 oz. The difference is in the pocketbook where the Steez is a $600.00 reel.

The Lew's comes at you with both right and left hand models and in 6.4-1 and 7.1-1 speed ranges. Do to the quality of the components and the extreme tolerances the reels are created with both the braking system and the drag will maintain there exact setting weather you are using it rain or shine or letting it set for months in the garage thru the Winter doldrums.

I have had other reels, Shimano included that had to be repeatedly adjusted on both braking and drag. This is due to the tolerances of the components used and the quality of the materials they are made from.

No one in Missouri sells a better reel than Lew's. In Fishing, they are for sure even without saying the next Big Deal.

Good Luck

[abkeenan]

I think Dave pretty much cut thru the bull and went right to the chase with the Lew's reels. I know we are talking about braking systems here and when you talk about leaders in the industry there up until about 5 yrs. ago had been only one. Daiwa by far leaps and bounds ahead of all the other, especially the Steez. "Boy what an investment however"

Every part of the Steez including the braking system that is composed of both a magnetic and centrifugal system along with parts that are machined to tolerances very similar to a watch made this reel by far and away the best freshwater reel in the world without competition.

A very informed person in the industry told me that the number one sale pitch for a reel, is how many bearing does it have. As he went on to tell me, that means about as much as teets on a boar hog. It is by far the number one tool to sell reels, but the worst possible reason to buy a reel.

He went on to say that there are three things when you speak of bearing that are in the reel that make or break so as to speak the product. Weight, hardness and exact size tolerance. "Yes we are still talking about reels."

Daiwa with the Steez is still without question the top of the heap. But and here is where we get to the Hog Killin, Lew's, our home town company has come to this game with a big gun. That gun being quality and price. You can bet your last Alabama Rig that the "Big Boy's" know they are there and are working to stay a step ahead.

Lew's comes at us with a reel lineup that is frankly when you look at price, is second to none. Speaking of two of their fine family of products are the Tournament Pro at $199.99. This reel come at you with very exacting tolerance not the Steez mind you but exacting. It features 11 highly specific bearing and a MSB drag system that features both magnetic and centrifugal breaking. Once adjusted the reel holds it adjustments and does not vary.

New to the lineup is the Team Lew's Pro coming in at $299.00. This reel may be on the upper end of most of our price range, but it is a reel that is very competitive with the Steez, not only in quality but in weight featuring a titanium body and the MSB system It comes in at 6.1 oz compared to the daiwa Steez at 5.7 oz. The difference is in the pocketbook where the Steez is a $600.00 reel.

The Lew's comes at you with both right and left hand models and in 6.4-1 and 7.1-1 speed ranges. Do to the quality of the components and the extreme tolerances the reels are created with both the braking system and the drag will maintain there exact setting weather you are using it rain or shine or letting it set for months in the garage thru the Winter doldrums.

I have had other reels, Shimano included that had to be repeatedly adjusted on both braking and drag. This is due to the tolerances of the components used and the quality of the materials they are made from.

No one in Missouri sells a better reel than Lew's. In Fishing, they are for sure even without saying the next Big Deal.

Good Luck

You sure you aren't thinking of something else Bill?

[Bitethis]

I think Dave pretty much cut thru the bull and went right to the chase with the Lew's reels. I know we are talking about braking systems here and when you talk about leaders in the industry there up until about 5 yrs. ago had been only one. Daiwa by far leaps and bounds ahead of all the other, especially the Steez. "Boy what an investment however"

Every part of the Steez including the braking system that is composed of both a magnetic and centrifugal system along with parts that are machined to tolerances very similar to a watch made this reel by far and away the best freshwater reel in the world without competition.

A very informed person in the industry told me that the number one sale pitch for a reel, is how many bearing does it have. As he went on to tell me, that means about as much as teets on a boar hog. It is by far the number one tool to sell reels, but the worst possible reason to buy a reel.

He went on to say that there are three things when you speak of bearing that are in the reel that make or break so as to speak the product. Weight, hardness and exact size tolerance. "Yes we are still talking about reels."

Daiwa with the Steez is still without question the top of the heap. But and here is where we get to the Hog Killin, Lew's, our home town company has come to this game with a big gun. That gun being quality and price. You can bet your last Alabama Rig that the "Big Boy's" know they are there and are working to stay a step ahead.

Lew's comes at us with a reel lineup that is frankly when you look at price, is second to none. Speaking of two of their fine family of products are the Tournament Pro at $199.99. This reel come at you with very exacting tolerance not the Steez mind you but exacting. It features 11 highly specific bearing and a MSB drag system that features both magnetic and centrifugal breaking. Once adjusted the reel holds it adjustments and does not vary.

New to the lineup is the Team Lew's Pro coming in at $299.00. This reel may be on the upper end of most of our price range, but it is a reel that is very competitive with the Steez, not only in quality but in weight featuring a titanium body and the MSB system It comes in at 6.1 oz compared to the daiwa Steez at 5.7 oz. The difference is in the pocketbook where the Steez is a $600.00 reel.

The Lew's comes at you with both right and left hand models and in 6.4-1 and 7.1-1 speed ranges. Do to the quality of the components and the extreme tolerances the reels are created with both the braking system and the drag will maintain there exact setting weather you are using it rain or shine or letting it set for months in the garage thru the Winter doldrums.

I have had other reels, Shimano included that had to be repeatedly adjusted on both braking and drag. This is due to the tolerances of the components used and the quality of the materials they are made from.

No one in Missouri sells a better reel than Lew's. In Fishing, they are for sure even without saying the next Big Deal.

Good Luck

This was very insightful, Bill. Thanks!! Maybe I need to just up my game and expand the amount of money I am willing to spend on a reel. Im cheap...whatever you think cheap is, I am cheaper than that. So a $200 reel to me is just gross...especially when I have 4 baitcaster rods. Maybe a Christmas present request or something. I have heard a lot of good things about Lews, and since they have a reel with both Centrifugal and mag breaking, it will draw my interest and confidence in a strong way.