The new Lew’s HyperMag baitcaster is the most impressive reel I’ve used in a long time. Built with cutting edge materials, this reel weighs in at a mere 5.2 ounces while still packing a punch comparable to any other heavy hitter in its division. As strong as it is though, it’s not just for power fishing techniques. This reel can fling a small bait a long way too. It’s chock full of innovative design elements that set it apart from the vast majority of other reels. I’m telling you, this thing has impressed me. Here’s why.
SPECS AND FEATURES
Let’s start off by looking at the basics of the HyperMag. You have two gear ratio options: 7.5:1 and 8.3:1. The reel comes in right or left hand retrieval (left only available in 8.3:1). Again, it weighs only 5.2 ounces. As a reference point, Lew’s states the HyperMag will hold 110 yards of 12 pound monofilament or 110 yards 50 pound braid. There’s 20 pounds of max drag, 10+1 bearings and a 95mm carbon handle.
The one-piece frame is made of magnesium. This frame paired with C40 carbon sideplates and the carbon handle is most of what makes the HyperMag so light. The “aircraft-grade Duralumin double anodized drilled and chamfered spool” and “hardened anodized aluminum alloy Speed Gears and P2 Super Pinion” help with the weight too, I’m sure. There are a lot of big words to describe this one. Despite the big words, here’s what really impressed me.
WHAT IMPRESSED ME MOST
There are two key design features of this reel that truly set it apart from most others in my opinion. The first is the Speed Dial line indicator. On top of the spool tension knob, there’s an adjustable dial that you can set to indicate the pound test of the line on the reel. This is super helpful. I’ve spooled reels up dozens of times with 15-, 16- or 17-pound test fluoro and couldn’t remember within a couple trips which it had on it, especially now that I’m testing out so many different lines.
With a penny and a quick twist, you can set the Speed Dial to indicate a wide range of pound tests in any of the three main line types: braid, fluorocarbon or monofilament. I have a 40 pound braid on this reel. The B stands for braid and the box around the B tells me that the numbers in the boxes are there to indicate braid sizes. Thus, I set the Speed Dial to land between the 30- and 50- pound braid indicators. Pretty neat.
WHAT IMPRESSED ME MOST, PART 2
The second thing I want to point out, and the feature I like the most, is Lew’s new Speed Knot line-to-spool attachment system. With most baitcaster spools, you have to tie a slipknot around the spool and then cinch it down tight to start spooling your line. This works okay with mono and fluoro but with braid, the line just slips on the spool.
There are ways to rectify this with braid (use a little piece of electrical tape to secure the line, use mono backing first, etc). However, even with mono and fluoro, the process is cumbersome, as you have to work the line around the spool and then cut the tag close to the spool—without damaging the knot or the spool.
With the Speed Knot, just tie a simple overhand knot in your line, slip it into the hole in the spool and slide your line up into the slit. Then, start spooling. It’s that easy. This is a massive answer to an age-old problem—one of the simplest but most impressive design elements introduced in a long time.
TESTING
I’ve had the HyperMag for a couple months now. I’ve used it to throw power-fishing baits (a frog and a spinnerbait) as well as finesse presentations (a floating worm). It performed flawlessly with each bait, even allowing me to throw the floating worm (which weighed 0.2 ounces with the 4/0 hook) about 86 feet when testing the range on the sidewalk in front of my house.
This was with a 40-pound braid and a 7-foot, 3-inch medium heavy rod too. If I dialed the line back to 30-pound braid and put the reel on a 7-foot medium heavy rod, I’m fairly confident I could have cast the floating worm at least 30 yards—which is nearly a third of a football field from end zone to end zone.
For the final stage of testing, I put the reel through the ringer at a buddy’s pond. Throwing the new Berkley Swamp Lord Popping Frog, I was able to catch half dozen or so 3-pound-plus fish. The reel stuck them strong and hauled them in. I could heave the frog and skip it well too. A strong and capable reel for sure on the water.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The HyperMag is a fantastic baitcasting reel, as good as (or better than) any I’ve ever personally tested. For the price tag of $350, it ought to be. This is a reel that’s probably a little out of the price range for most, but if you’re in the market for a $350 reel, I don’t think you’ll find any better.
*Quick side note, if you’re in the market for a good $100 reel instead of a $350 one, the Lew’s LFS Speed Spool is about 70% the reel the HyperMag is for about 30% of the price. I’ve owned a couple dozen of these reels over the years; you can’t beat it for $100. It’s currently on sale for $80 at TackleWarehouse.
Back to the HyperMag, the two key new design elements in the Speed Knot and Speed Dial really set the reel apart. The overall lightness and crispness of the reel are worth noting as well. The power the HyperMag has (without compromising on finesse) really just further emphasizes my point of this being a top notch reel. We didn’t even talk about the external lube port, recessed external centrifugal brake adjustment and Winn grip knobs on the handle, nor the patented Speed Keeper retractable hook keeper.
The HyperMag is packed with well-thought-out, well-designed features. Features that solve problems that have been around since the first baitcaster was invented. In case you can’t tell, I’m impressed by this one. Kudos Lew’s on a job well done with the HyperMag Casting Reel.
