Lew's: Feel the Difference

Lew Childre was born to fish.  His passion for the sport was quickly made evident by how deeply entwined it was with his experiences growing up along the Gulf coast of Alabama; every turn of a corner lead him back to fishing. He and his wife Vivian encountered many trials and tribulations during their early years of marriage while trying to make a living and raise their young family. First it was selling shrimp as bait to fishermen, and then that evolved into a small tackle shop. One day while pulling a bamboo pole out of the stack for a customer, Lew was disappointed with the inconsistency from one pole to the next. The moment of reflection triggered his insatiable thirst to build better fishing products than anyone else.

His quest for a better bamboo fishing pole took him from the heart of bass fishing country, Alabama, all the way to Japan. There, he not only found the desired grade of bamboo, but also a circle of manufacturers and businessmen who were interested in fishing and innovating in the US market. In 1970, that partnership lead to the introduction of the Lew's Speed Stick pistol-grip graphite performance fishing rods, and the first low-profile "teardrop-shaped" casting reel, the Lew's Speed Spool baitcaster, a design that forever changed bass fishing. Decades years later, Lew's continues to innovate in the spirit of Lew Childre with the Speed Spool, Speed Spin, and Speed Stick product lines.