Lew's Hyper Mag Speed Spool SLP Casting Reel Product Review

Reel Review

Lew's Goes Mg with their Hyper Mag SLP

Date:	9/5/19
Tackle Type:	Reel
Manufacturer:	Lew's
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.25 + BEST VALUE AWARD

Introduction: Introduced during ICAST 2017 as Lew's new top end reel, the Hyper Mag SLP casting reel had barely any time to shine when just one short year later the company introduced the Pro-Ti SLP as their new flagship. What did the Hyper Mag SLP do or not do to deserve such an abrupt demotion? We decided to take one out for a spin to find out.

Lew's Hyper Mag SLP Casting Reel Specifications
Line Capacity - Rated	12/110
Line Capacity - Spool Volume	15 cm³
Retrieve Ratio	7.5	8.3
Inches Per Turn (IPT) - calculated	14 - 30	15.5 - 33.5
Weight	5.4 oz
Spool Weight	11 g
Handle Length	95 mm
Bearings	10 + 1
Bearings per Knob	2 bearings
Levelwind Bearings	2 bearings
Rated Max Drag	20 lbs
Origin	Made in Korea
MSRP	$299.99

Introducing the Lew's Hyper Mag SLP casting reel

Impressions: Lew's Hyper Mag SLP casting reel features a magnesium frame (hence the "Mag" in its name) with carbon sideplates. It shares the same "super low profile" or SLP size and shape as the Pro-Ti SLP and Custom Pro and is offered in two gear ratios both available in left and right hand retrieve. The reel features a bright silver finish reminiscent of another magnesium reel from a different manufacturer's JDM market.

SLP stands for Super Low Profile

The Hyper Mag SLP comes with a 95 millimeter, swept carbon handle and a micro-click enabled cast control knob and dragstar. It weighs in at a very minimal five point four ounces (5.4 oz). That's the first thing you notice when taking this reel out of the box is how light it is. The second thing you notice, is its compact size. By then, it's just a matter of figuring out what line to put on the reel so you can get it out on the water for some real world tests.

The Hyper Mag SLP features centrifugal brakes with an adjustment dial on the outside

Real World Tests: My intent with this reel was to match it up with its cousin, the Speed Stick Lite LCLMCR 7'-11" cranking stick, so I spooled the Hyper Mag SLP with some 16lb Sunline FC Crank and set the combo aside in anticipation of our next on the water field test.

Centrifugal brake systems with flying arms like the four in the Hyper Mag SLP's consistently deliver super free casting performance

Casting: The wait was all of four days and first up for the Hyper Mag SLP was wake bait duties with Bull Shad Swimbait's Bull Wake. The reel comes with a four pin centrifugal brake system that's adjustable via an external dial with twenty seven (27) micro-clicks. Before my first cast, I set the reel's brake dial close to the maximum setting as a precaution against ending the Hyper Mag SLP's day of testing prematurely. It's a good thing I did because I did not expect the 2.3oz Bull Shad Wakebait to fly through the air as easily as it did on my first cast!

I put this reel to work right away casting and cranking a Bull Shad Wakebait

Centrifugal brake systems with flying arms like the four in the Hyper Mag SLP's consistently deliver super free casting performance. The downside to systems like this is they can be finicky. If you don't take precautions during your first few casts to familiarize yourself with how they perform, you run the risk of blowing up your reel prematurely.

The Hyper Mag SLP is offered in two retrieve ratios, we tested the 7.5:1

The Hyper Mag SLP's brakes are easy to adjust via the outside dial and once dialed in, is pretty close to a "set it and forget" it system. The only variable that affected me with this reel was the wind. I did have to occasionally adjust the brake force depending on the intensity and direction of the wind.

One of my favorite features of this reel is the stock, 95mm, swept carbon handle

From the 2.3 oz Bull Shad Wakebait, I ranged down to a 7/16 ounce balsa wood crankbait (Bagley's Balsa B2) to test both the rod and reel's lower end limit. The LCLMCR's lower lure rating limit is 1/2 ounce, so I was stretching things with this lure. Thanks to the Hyper Mag SLP, however, it really was no issue at all. Its free casting performance enabled the LCLMCR to handle the Balsa B2 as if the lure was right in the rod's wheelhouse. On a different rod and with the right line, I'm pretty confident this reel will cast lure combos down to at least a quarter ounce.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the shape of the knobs

Next Section: A more lively retrieve with magnesium...