Fin Nor Lethal Review

In this review of the Fin-Nor Lethal spinning reel, I will talk about the features that make it an excellent option for everything from inshore fishing for trout, redfish, and snook up to hard-fighting species such as the smaller tuna, tarpon, and sailfish.

The Fin-Nor Lethal spinning reel is available in several different models, from the LT25, weighing in at 10.3 ounces with a max drag capacity of 19 pounds, to the LT100, which weighs in at a hefty 30.8 ounces with 45 pounds of maximum drag.

The Fin-Nor Lethal LT40 weighs 12.9 ounces, which is surprising considering it delivers 23 pounds of drag. This model is a testament to Fin-Nor’s effort to get the weight of their reels down to smaller sizes.

Traditionally, Fin-Nor has been known for producing heavy reels, so I’m impressed that they’ve managed to keep the weight down in smaller sizes while still using an all-aluminum body.

What’s interesting about the Fin-Nor Lethal series of spinning reels is that the LT25-LT80 dramatically differs from the largest LT100, which seems to be getting the majority of the press and reviews.

The Bottom Line

An excellent choice for both inshore and offshore fishing, starting at around $100 retail.
It is a very smooth reel with a great drag system.
High-quality manufacturing, fit, and finish similar to much more expensive reels.
It has a very durable aluminum body and side plate.

The Fin-Nor Lethal is a great budget-friendly spinning reel and is available here.

Features

Sealed Drag and Clutch

On the Fin-Nor Lethal spinning reels, you’ll find a simple but effective seal under the drag knob. Additionally, there is a clutch seal beneath the spool.

The clutch seal comes with a washer designed to reduce friction between the seal itself and the main shaft, which, of course, has a big impact on the overall smoothness of the reel, especially when it’s under pressure.

The three screws that hold the clutch seal together are noticeably longer than those found in other spinning reels, which is nothing more than an extra precaution to ensure maximum smoothness. The clutch seal is thin enough not to be too tight or get in the way, but it effectively keeps any water out.

Strong aluminum body and side plate

While aluminum isn’t as light as carbon fiber, it does have one significant advantage: strength. As we’ve mentioned, Fin-Nor is slowly gravitating toward making lighter spinning reel models for inshore fishing, and even though the Fin-Nor Lethal uses aluminum, they have been able to keep the weight down to a respectable level.

I love the attention to detail on this reel, such as the use of small washers on the gearbox screws to reduce the possibility of water intrusion.

Aluminum Rotor

The Fin-Nor Lethal models, LT60, LT80, and LT100, all have an aluminum rotor, which adds to the reel’s overall weight and strength for your larger species. The smaller LT25, LT30, and LT40 have a plastic composite rotor.

One additional design note to consider is using a closed rotor nut that provides an additional layer of protection, keeping water from seeping down around the shaft into the main reel housing.

MegaLock™ infinite anti-reverse clutch

The MegaLock anti-reverse clutch on the Fin-Nor Lethal spinning reels gets top marks for its performance and will get the job done 99% of the time. When fishing larger fish, you want to ensure a second point of failure protection.

Fin-Nor has addressed this issue on the Fin-Nor Lethal LT100 by adding a secondary stainless steel pawl and ratchet anti-reverse should the clutch slip for any reason, ultimately eliminating the possibility of any backward slipping. This adds a certain level of peace of mind when you have that big tarpon or tuna on the line and want to ensure that your personal best does not get away.

Gears

The main shaft of the Lethal goes all the way through the gearbox, which is essential in reducing torque when the main gear, which is made of brass on the LT100 and of a cast zinc alloy on the smaller models, is engaged. The pinion gear is made of stainless steel on the LT100 and showed no signs of wear after fishing with this reel for over 50 hours.

On the smaller Lethal models, the pinion gear is made of brass.

MegaDrag™

The top stack MegaDrag system of the Fin-Nor Lethal is a combination of carbon fiber brake washers sandwiched between oversized stainless steel drag washers. This drag system is designed to provide you with high levels of drag ranging from 19 lbs. to 45 lbs., depending on the reel size.

In addition to providing you with a high level of drag, the drag has proven smooth.

We noticed that the drag tends to get pretty warm on long runs. Some might even say hot, which causes the grease to liquefy, and in several cases, we need to adjust the drag slightly while fighting the fish. That said, the drag is better than many reels with a price tag of 3–4 times as much.

Changeable Right or Left Hand Retrieve

As with most reels, the handle can be swapped right or left, depending on your preference. This is a screw-in handle system for strength, and there is a seal where the handle meets the body to protect the gearbox from water intrusion.

The LT100 has a few additional features, such as the use of a hex head screw to fasten the handle joint vs a cross pin that is used on the smaller models. Typically, we only see a hex head used on much more expensive reels.

Forged and machined Braid-Ready spool

The machined and forged braid-ready spool is lightweight and is set up to take braid directly. While this is a very convenient feature that I have used on many smaller reels, I am still leaning more towards mono backing after reading a review from Alan Hawk a few years back where he mentioned the added benefit of the mono protecting the spool from water and adding to the life of the spool.

7 Bearings (6 + Clutch)

With seven bearings, or six plus the anti-reverse clutch, the Fin-Nor Lethal spinning reels gearbox is built for tough play. All the bearings are double-shielded stainless steel to ensure they will last for years.

The main shaft travels through the length of the spool and ends inside the internal support located at the end of the gearbox. Two bearings support the spool, which reduces the torque and contributes to the very smooth drag of the Lethal. Additional shielded bearings support the reel handle and main gear.

MegaShield™ Corrosion Protection

All of the Lethal models have the MegaShield corrosion protection system to ensure they are protected to the highest level possible against water intrusion and the buildup of salt and other harmful substances known to break a reel down over time.

I have to say I am very impressed with the amount of water protection that gone into this inexpensive reel.

Features at a Glance

Sealed Drag and Clutch
Strong aluminum body and side plate
Aluminum Rotor
MegaLock™ infinite anti-reverse clutch
Stainless Steel and Brass Gearing
Changeable Right or Left Hand Retrieve
Forged and machined Braid-Ready spool
7 Bearings (6 + Clutch) Double Sealed
MagShield Corrosion Protection

The Fin-Nor Lethal comes in a wide range of sizes that allow it to be used for everything from inshore fishing for smaller species such as trout and snapper to the highly coveted LT100 for targeting offshore species such as cobia, tuna, dolphin, and sailfish.

I also took the Lethal out for grouper fishing with a jigging rod and was very happy with its performance.

The Fin-Nor Lethal is just a well-built reel with many features you would expect to find in a reel 2-3 times the price. While this is not a waterproof reel, it is very well sealed at every point of possible water entry from the drag, the clutch, and the handles down to the body screws.

When looking at this reel in comparison to other reels that are much more expensive, such as the Shimano Saragosa SW, Shimano Twin Power SW, or the Penn Slammer III, you have a better drag system, waterproofing that is similar and overall construction with a full metal body that is nearly equal and in some cases, the drag is superior.

Field Testing

For the field testing, I ran two separate configurations. The first was an LT25 paired with a 7′ St. Croix Mojo Inshore. With the water warming up, we got after some trout and redfish in the Navarre Sound.

I landed about half a dozen smaller trout and a few redfish just under the slot.

Overall, I was very pleased with the reel’s performance. The line seems to be very even. I had spooled the reel with 150 yds of 20lb Suffix 832. In a few other posts, I read that people had some minor issues with line lay, especially with these thinner 0.009″ lines, but that was not my experience.

The drag on the reel never got much of a severe workout, but what it did get was handled very well and smoothly from start to finish.

The second configuration I fished was the LT80 paired with a 6’6″ Penn Rampage Jig Spinning rod I had lying around. I spooled the reel with just under 300 yards of 65lb Power Pro, and we headed out to the wrecks to see what we could find.

I wanted to try this configuration from jigging for grouper to casting to passing Cobia, Kings, and Barracuda. As luck would have it, we had an awesome day and got our limit of groupers, including these two guys and a 65″ King.

Both the Grouper and the Kings gave the LT80 a great workout. As you can see, I could land these fish without a problem, and the drag performed flawlessly.

The large handle made it easy for me to crank on these fish and return them to the boat.

I have to say that I am very impressed with the Fin-Nor Lethal in both sizes, especially for the price. I look forward to getting an LT100 and putting it up against some tuna and, if I am lucky, a tarpon this spring.

Pros

Price
Overall Quality of Manufacturing
Superior Drag System

Cons

Bail can be a bit tricky in certain positions
Some reported uneven line lay with narrow braided lines

Alternatives

The first spinning reel to compare the Fin-Nor Lethal with is the Quantum Cabo PTse. While the Quantum Cabo CSP40PTSE model has a higher maximum drag than the Fin-Nor Lethal 40, you will pay almost twice as much for this reel.

The same goes for the larger 100 sizes, where the Cabo offers more drag but at a larger investment. Overall, the two reels offer similar features regarding seals and manufacturing quality.

Next up, I would have you look at the Shimano Saragosa SW, one of my favorite mid-sized saltwater reels. The features are similar in the mid-size models up to the 1000, similar to the LT100.

When I say similar, I mean in terms of features, the drag is less on the Shimano, and the price point is 2.5 times as much.

The last would be the Penn Spinfisher VI, which is the closest in price and features. Both reels are similar in weight on the smaller models, but when you get above the Penn 6500, the Fin-Nor is considerably lighter.

Looking at the drag, there is no competition, and Fin-Nor wins with that drag again. I also have to say that I think the manufacturing quality of the Fin-Nor is superior to that of the Penn.

In Conclusion

After spending some time with the Fin-Nor Lethal in several sizes, I have to say I think I might have found a new favorite reel in what I would classify as a lightweight but not ultra-lightweight range of reels.

The overall quality of the price is nearly impossible to beat, and the drag system is superior to reels that are five times the price.

If I had a choice between buying one $400 reel or three to four of these, I would have to go with the latter, as I think they stack up to those much higher-quality reels.

I’ll be getting an LT100 and doing a full review on it later in the season when we chase Tuna and Tarpon.

Fin Nor Lethal Spinning Reel 30 -Size | Amazon

This could be one of the best values in high-performance saltwater spinning reels today. The all-aluminum body is packed with features from a braid-ready spool to a high lock-down carbon fiber drag. With a size for every application, lethal offers everything you need in a durable saltwater reel at a very affordable price.

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David Edwards

David is a freelance writer. He enjoys fishing as much as you do. He understands the challenge to pick the best fishing rod or learning the lifestyle. He provides a detailed review of the available products in the market. He wants to ensure you make the right decision for your next shopping day.