Lamson reel questions

[Icastnblast]

I looking to replace some cabelas rls reels for some heavier duty reels that won't destroy my bank account. I really want to stick with large/wide arbors for quick line pick-up. I wish I could justify galvan torques or the ross evo LT but I can't so I have been looking into the lamsons, reddington and TFOs. But I have always been skeptical when it comes to the lamsons, simply because the spools are removed from the frame just by pulling them off. That scares me. Other reels secure the spools via a cam lock system or some sort of locking device.

So to all you Lamson boys, what are the possibilities of these spools popping off during a good fight or while heavily stripping line?

[JD]

On the Lamsons, the spools don't just "pop" off. They take quite a bit of directional force to pull off and I can't imagine ever having a problem with it coming off accidentally. That being said, what I don't like about my Velocity is the spool does not spin freely enough to pick up line quickly. While I find this annoying when fishing from a driftboat, I am otherwise quite pleased with this reel's performance.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

It is pretty hard to push off a Lamson spool.

[NVswitch]

I have been very happy with my Lamson reels. They have served me well. That being said, I also love my trout Galvan OB reels for trout fishing, and for steelhead and light saltwater, I am a huge fan of the Ross CLA reels. Mike

[Mark Kranhold]

Lamsons are sweet. You will have no problems with them. I have 3 of them and have used them in B.C. on some big steel. The drag on these reels blow away Galvin and i do not recommend the Galvin. I owned a Galvin and it let me down to many times. There drags get wet and cold and game over, complete drag malfunction ..slips ..catches..slips ...catches...backlash...Shit lost the fish. That has been my experience. They need to reconstruct there drag system. They will work fine out of a boat for dry applications and are a beautiful real tho. The Ross i don't have any time with, but my brother has one and seems happy with it.

[OceanSunfish]

The spools on my Lamsons require quite a bit of pressure to pop off.....

With that said, I often thought about whether or not this was a reel that I wanted to grow old with..... arithritis plus cold/wet/fog weather = spool might as well be glued on permanently..... :roll: then again, I haven't had to remove a spool on my Litespeeds in all the years......

Great reels tho..... How can you beat the Guru at their price-point?!

[jbird]

The spools on my Lamsons require quite a bit of pressure to pop off.....

With that said, I often thought about whether or not this was a reel that I wanted to grow old with..... arithritis plus cold/wet/fog weather = spool might as well be glued on permanently..... :roll: then again, I haven't had to remove a spool on my Litespeeds in all the years......

Great reels tho..... How can you beat the Guru at their price-point?!

The only lamson I own is a guru and I do not care for it. The drag is unpredictable and it has start up inertia.

[westslope]

Lamson's are great reels and the drag system is pretty bomber. I own (4) Lamson's of various line weights of both Velocity and Lightspeed models and have found them to be great. Super light, easy to switch L to R and they have a closed drag system that requires little maintenance if any at all. Generally a good wash down to remove any debris (sand, etc.) from the spool is all that is needed. I have fished Lamson's for the past couple of years with zero issues regarding the spool coming loose. As Bill said, it takes quite a bit of force to pop out the spool. My two cents........

Todd Gillihan (owner/guide)
West Slope Outfitters
530.417.1218
tjgillihan@gmail.com

[OceanSunfish]

The only lamson I own is a guru and I do not care for it. The drag is unpredictable and it has start up inertia.

Interestinig insight. I assumed the drag systems were the same on all the Lamson reels from Konic to Litespeeds..... Maybe not based on your experiences.

I was considering a few Gurus in the year ahead, but I'll have to reconsider..... I will say that I rarely catch a fish that tests any drags on my reels, but since I'm spending $$$, it's more about getting my money's worth, etc. Hence, the drags better work as marketed....

[jbird]

Its a handsome reel with a nice LA design. My experience may not be typical so you may want to do some deeper digging before deciding. I have caught some pretty nasty critters on it. The kind of fish you want a smooth drag for. I was pretty nervous each time the fish made a sudden surge and the start up inertia was quite noticable. It sticks a bit before it glides into smooth drag performance. I broke off a 30" steelhead the other day after having tired it out and had it in the frog water ready to land. I dont know if the sticky drag was responsible but it seemed like it at the time.

I have a bunch of other reels from way cheaper to way more costly and they all have a smoother drag.

[shawn kempkes]

Its a handsome reel with a nice LA design. My experience may not be typical so you may want to do some deeper digging before deciding. I have caught some pretty nasty critters on it. The kind of fish you want a smooth drag for. I was pretty nervous each time the fish made a sudden surge and the start up inertia was quite noticable. It sticks a bit before it glides into smooth drag performance. I broke off a 30" steelhead the other day after having tired it out and had it in the frog water ready to land. I dont know if the sticky drag was responsible but it seemed like it at the time.

I have a bunch of other reels from way cheaper to way more costly and they all have a smoother drag.

Have you tried sending your reel back to lamson and getting it fixed. You could have gotten a lemon. They have had some problems in the past.

[briansII]

Have you tried sending your reel back to lamson and getting it fixed. You could have gotten a lemon. They have had some problems in the past.

Exactly what I was thinking too. The Guru should have the newer drag assembly, but it could be you're having a serviceable problem. None(4) of my Lamsons have any noticeable start up inertia, and no sticking at all. My one experince with Lamson's service was very good.

briansII

[jbird]

I got the reel for 1/2 price from a shop that was closing. I think its lamsons lowest price reel so I just thought I got what I paid for. Maybe Ill give them a call and see if it is fixable. It would be a very sweet reel if the drag were better. I even got a spare spool for it.

[briansII]

I got the reel for 1/2 price from a shop that was closing. I think its lamsons lowest price reel so I just thought I got what I paid for. Maybe Ill give them a call and see if it is fixable. It would be a very sweet reel if the drag were better. I even got a spare spool for it.

The Guru is the lowest priced, _machined_ reel, but they have a lower priced, cast reel(Konic). The Guru drag should have the same drag as the high end models.

http://waterworks-lamson.com/products/lamson-guru/

Again, Lamson service is very good, and I'm sure they would be willing to look at/fix your reel.

briansII

[pvsprme]

I got the reel for 1/2 price from a shop that was closing. I think its lamsons lowest price reel so I just thought I got what I paid for. Maybe Ill give them a call and see if it is fixable. It would be a very sweet reel if the drag were better. I even got a spare spool for it.

JBird,
I had the same issue with one of 3 Radius I bought on close out. When I called Lamson and described the problem they sent me out 3 new (red) SS clutch/drag assemblies. No questions about receipts, where purchased. Had the replacements in 3 days and never another issue. Great service, great reels.

[jbird]

I just sent Lamson an email. We'll see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions

[MikeSBL]

I have had 2. Most recent a Velocity Hard Alox bought last year and loved it during a few good days at Pyramid and Almanor. The older velocity have used for at least 5 years prior and no problems. Be sure to store with drag all the way loose.

mike@sacramentoboatinglounge.com