Lew’s Super Duty LFS 2nd Gen

The Super Duty name has been Lew’s shorthand for “this reel isn’t going to let you down when it matters” for a long time now, and the 2nd Gen LFS is where that reputation gets its most all-round expression. It isn’t the widest-spooled or highest-capacity reel in the Super Duty family – that’s the 300 and Wide models – but it’s the one built to be genuinely versatile heavy tackle, equally at home flipping a jig into cover as it is working a big swimbait through open water, without asking you to compromise on gear strength to get there.

Solid brass Speed Gears, supported by the P2 Super Pinion and an 11-bearing system of double-shielded stainless steel, give this reel the kind of drivetrain that shrugs off the punishment heavy cover fishing dishes out. The 34mm double-anodized spool is machined and braid-ready with real capacity behind it – 150 yards of 12lb mono or the same of 65lb braid – and a fast 8.3:1 gear ratio recovers 35 inches of line per turn, which matters when you need to get a big swimbait or jig back to the boat quickly after a missed strike. The genuinely distinguishing feature here, though, is the flipping switch, purpose-built for the vertical, boat-side presentations – dropping a jig straight down a dock piling or a bridge column – where a standard reel’s gearing gets in the way of a controlled, thumb-managed fall.

Detailed Specifications

• Retrieve: Left Hand
• Gear ratio: 8.3:1
• Line recovery: 35in per turn
• Bearings: 10+1, stainless steel double-shielded
• Frame: One-piece aluminium
• Gears: Solid brass Speed Gears with P2 Super Pinion
• Spool: 34mm, double anodised aluminium, machined, braid-ready
• Drag: Up to 20lb max
• Line capacity: 150yd/12lb mono, 150yd/50lb braid
• Weight: 8oz
• Handle: 95mm aluminium
• Extras: Flipping switch for vertical presentations

Where to Use It

• Vertical flipping and pitching jigs tight to docks, pilings and bridge columns
• Big swimbait and glidebait work needing both gear strength and retrieve speed
• Anglers wanting one heavy-duty reel that isn’t a single-technique specialist
• Structure fishing where controlled, thumb-managed drops matter as much as the cast

Gerry’s Pro Tip

Get comfortable with the flipping switch before you need it on the water, not mid-fight. Engaging it takes the reel out of standard retrieve so you can feed and control line by thumb alone for a vertical drop – practise it a few times on dry land dropping a jig off a dock so the motion is automatic when a fish is actually watching that bait fall.

FAQs

Q: What does the flipping switch actually do?
A: It disengages the standard gear-driven retrieve so you can pay line out and control the fall entirely with your thumb – built specifically for vertical presentations like dropping a jig down a piling, rather than a normal cast-and-crank retrieve.

Q: How does this compare to the Super Duty 300 or Super Duty Wide?
A: This is the standard-capacity Super Duty, with a 34mm spool built for all-round heavy work. The 300 and Wide models step up to 39mm and 35mm large-capacity spools respectively, aimed more specifically at big-line, big-bait applications.

Q: Is 8.3:1 too fast for jig fishing?
A: Not with the flipping switch engaged for the actual drop – the fast ratio comes into its own on the retrieve afterwards, getting a bait back for the next cast quickly, which matters when you’re working fast down a stretch of cover.

Q: Is this reel available right-handed?
A: This particular listing is the left-hand retrieve version.