Does the Patriarch have the guts to reign at the top of Plfueger reels? (continued)
 

Drag: When Zander tested the President and Supreme, he found that those reels didn't produce a whole lot of drag pressure, the President coming in at only 5.5 pounds while the Supreme gave a tad more at 6.2 pounds of starting drag. With the Patriarch our test machine showed a good improvement in the drag system having a starting drag force of 8.9 pounds and dynamic drag of 7.5 pounds, which is plenty for the majority of bass anglers and those using it for light saltwater use.

The stack of drag washers, a tad larger than a US Quarter, produces 7.5 pounds of drag pressure when buttoned down

The drag system, which consists of a stack of three pair carbon plus metal disks, produced smooth pressure throughout the settings. It has a fairly low start-up and did not feel jerky at all. During battle I was able to finely adjust the drag with the help of the clicking drag star giving me control of incremental settings.

The low profile design is easy to palm all day. The reel grips are ergonomic and holds nicely

Ergonomics: At 8.4 ounces, the Patriarch weighs only 0.1 ounce less than the Supreme putting it about average in its class prior to the 2009 reel releases where suddenly, the trend was to go lighter. Pflueger hasn't redesign this popular reel because it has been doing well but perhaps they will give it a weight reduction in the coming year. We just hope that if they go this route, that this does not effect the reel's performance.

Here's a look at the aluminum frame of the Patriarch

The Patriarch gets minimal porting on the frame but some of its weight can be attributed to the cosmetic detailing that give the reel its killer appearance. In addition, don't forget this reel features an all aluminum frame and sideplates, and a dual brake system. All of this adds weight but if you want both centrifugal and magnetic cast control, there's just no getting around this fact.

This is the wide spool version

Otherwise, 8.4 ounces is really not bad as this baitcast reel feels good in hand and is very comfortable to palm especially when compared to the Supreme and President reels. The handle knobs are super and very welcoming to grip all day.

Both sideplates are made of aluminum

Durability: Pflueger gave the Patriarch all they've got, making this reel as durable as it can be. First the frame and both sideplates are fabricated out of lightweight aluminum giving it a solid construction. The frame and sideplates are then Titanium coated for pure protection. Out of the six plus months that I've been fishing this reel the overall construction has been holding well, and the coating does its job against boat rash and knocking against other reels on the boat. But if you want to ensure no scratches, you can use the provided neoprene reel bag when the reel is not in use.