Reels

Migrator Man

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Posts
3,961
Likes
22
Points
226
I have a variety of pflueger reels but I feel like the quality isn’t what it used to be. I have been checking out Diawa reels and they seem to be pretty smooth and solid. The next reel I buy will be a Diawa.
 


Ericb

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Posts
3,200
Likes
85
Points
278
Location
Bismarck
Wondered around Scheels a little today. President Xt are 59.99 and Purists are 49.99 for there Fatherday sale. Picked up one of each. Have a few older presidents and supremes that have held up fairly well.
 

JayKay

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
6,726
Likes
436
Points
348
Location
Southeast Bismarck
I like the patriarcks by fluger because they are light match with my Loomis great they are 200 bucks but I also have 200$ rod I do have a few presidents but they are a bit heavier I like to match the price of my rods same price for rod and reel no reason I guess just what I do

Same. My number one rod, for pretty much all but pike-specific fishing, is a lower-end Loomis with a Patriarch. Time after time, fish after fish, no troubles. Any mess-up is completely this guy's mistake.

Casting cranks into the wind, at night, especially when it's cold out, equals snarls. Sometimes. Otherwise, no issues whatsoever with Pflueger.
 

Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,474
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
I used to love Shimano reels, then I seemed to develop bail issues with them, one by one.

I've since gone the way of Pflueger, they really do feel different than the Shimano reels I once loved, but thus far they have been problem free. Someone up above also noted the "buy cheap and replace as needed" strategy. Yep...I once got a deal on some Mitchell reels years ago for some jigging rods and didn't even think twice about them until just this spring when the last one finally crapped out on me. Mentioned it to a very avid fishing partner who also bought a bunch of the same reels only to realize we got them roughly 12 years ago. For a $20 reel, that was a damn good purchase!

Anyway, I probably have nearly 20 rod/reel combos nowadays. There's something I liked about every single one of them and how they filled a particular niche or they wouldn't be in the rack. Some were $50 combos, some were worth closer to a couple hundred, but they each still fill a niche. I find I like line-counter reels a lot nowadays when fishing with the kids, by giving them a number I help ensure they have the crank or BB in the strike zone. Nothing worse than seeing a kid pull a BB around for an hour about ten ft up off the bottom. Speaking of which, I could probably use another BB rod/reel combo. ;)
 

MSA

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
2,013
Likes
92
Points
288
Location
Minot
Okuma avengers with or without the baitrunner option.
 


roosterfish

★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Posts
412
Likes
5
Points
128
used to use alot of diawa's way back, then switched to STRADIC"S as well and now really pissed off that i have bought a 2nd replacement thinking the first one was a lemmon and it sucks as well!!!! Actually my favorite reel i have now is one I purchased after having to many cocktails at a sport show. Believe it or not Abu Garcia Revo. paid 150 and has been awesome.
 

Vollmer

Founder
Administrator
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Posts
6,344
Likes
854
Points
483
Location
Surrey, ND
used to use alot of diawa's way back, then switched to STRADIC"S as well and now really pissed off that i have bought a 2nd replacement thinking the first one was a lemmon and it sucks as well!!!! Actually my favorite reel i have now is one I purchased after having to many cocktails at a sport show. Believe it or not Abu Garcia Revo. paid 150 and has been awesome.

I’m a Daiwa man now. I like the Pflueger’s too, but prefer the similar priced Daiwa’s. They seem smoother to me, and I like the drag better.
 

shorthairsrus

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Posts
8,422
Likes
486
Points
383
aNY OF yall hand your wife a spinning rod when your pitchin and she looks at me like wth is that. My wife told me last weekend -- i cant cast those spinning reels -- hand me my blue one . (she has a blue quantum bait caster that is hers and it is set in free spool mode no less).

- - - Updated - - -

I got a speed spool - its ok - i cant remember the speed but its a burner. Diawa -- somebody mentioned --- do you remember back in the 80s when one of the reels had a gear shifter on it. I had millionaire as one of my first baitcasters -- loaded with dacron -- those were the days. rippin reeds
 

Sluggo

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 14, 2015
Posts
2,574
Likes
415
Points
333
Location
Bismarck
Another question I thought I would throw out there. Does anyone use a baitcast reel for pitching jigs?

In my experience, I have more "feel" with a spinning rod then baitcaster and here's why. With a spinning reel, I am holding on to the rod and just the stem of the reel is betwixt my fingers whereas with my baitcaster, part of my hand is on the reel so when it comes to feeling bites, I think the spinning reel is better.
 


wslayer

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2015
Posts
2,253
Likes
384
Points
333
I just set up 2 pfluger president 6920's on 2 of my ice poles , so far I'm liking them at $35 apiece figured why not considering the 2 reels I replaced should of been replaced years ago
Where were you able to get for $35, everywhere has been $45 I looked? Nice ice reels!
Edit: old post my fault
 

Captain Ahab

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
10,528
Likes
441
Points
418
Location
Timbuktu
I've been running Patriarchs and Patriarch XTs. If one effs up, I send it to Pflueger. They used to send you a new one, but now you have to pitch them about $75 for a replacement. I haven't had to send any XTs in yet. Just the regular Pats.

- - - Updated - - -

BTW, I've always got the darn things for $125-175. It's hard to find a deal on them now days.
 

MuleyMadness

★★★★★ Legendary Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Posts
524
Likes
54
Points
155
Location
Dickinson, ND
I have a few presidents which are tough to beat for the money. I still have the old Abu Garcia ambassador bait caster for the dead man. that thing is about 18 year old and indestructible.
 

Fisherman25

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
1,351
Likes
4
Points
196
Location
Sawyer,
Almost all my pflueger reels are in a box getting taken to a guy that fixes them. Then they’re going up for sale. Top
to bottom, those damn reels don’t last for me. I’m pretty stuck on Diawa now. Mostly Tatula and Ballistic, but some kage’s and some of the lower end reels on my bait rods. I do like Shimano reels for the most part and have a few upper end Abu Garcia’s that are holding up so far.
 


bowcarp

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 15, 2015
Posts
670
Likes
163
Points
220
Location
was Minot now S.D.
Where were you able to get for $35, everywhere has been $45 I looked? Nice ice reels!
Edit: old post my fault

might of been on sale cant remember and the wife works part time at Runnings so I got her discount also
 
Last edited:

MSA

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
2,013
Likes
92
Points
288
Location
Minot
I've been using the same 3 okuma avengers for the last 4-5 years, even use them in saltwater once a year, still work like new.
 

WT2121

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 25, 2015
Posts
217
Likes
16
Points
130
Location
Bismarck
For durable baitcast I like Abu Garcia. They last many years. I will not buy another Shimano ever. Every one I have purchased failed prematurely. Sucks when you have a new reel on a Canadian or Alaska fishing trip and it fails within a few hours of use.
 

JayKay

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
6,726
Likes
436
Points
348
Location
Southeast Bismarck
Bought a Quantum Smoke yesterday. It appears to have been $160, but bought the last one (a 25 series size) for $59.99. Spooled her up with 10 lb power pro last night.

I will report back. Things like: How hard do you have to slam your liftgate, to snap off the tip? and: "After the last 10" are gone, how does it feel when snagged in rocks?". "how about other line?"

Discuss amongst yourselfs...
 

Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 159
  • This month: 133
  • This month: 114
  • This month: 108
  • This month: 102
  • This month: 86
  • This month: 82
  • This month: 75
  • This month: 74
  • This month: 74
Top Bottom