Does the Patriarch have the guts to reign at the top of Plfueger
reels? (continued)
Price & Application: Is the Pflueger Patriarch worth its $199 price tag?
In my opinion? Absolutely. This reel is Pflueger's top of the line reel and they put everything
in to it to make it so. It might be expensive to some since the Supreme and Summit retail
for $169, a $30 difference, but once you grasp the Patriarch you will feel the
difference as this reel is in a completely different class.
The reel
performs good in casting, even with weightless plastics
On the Pflueger website, the Patriarch is rated for medium freshwater and light saltwater use. It obviously does
a superb job used as a bass fishing reel, and though we didn't specifically fish
it in saltwater, the reel did double as a striper reel when we ran into schools
of them in the brackish waters of the California Delta. It had plenty of muscle to handle striped bass up to 15 pounds during the tests and I'm
are sure it will hold up to even more.
A good reel
for bass and can easily double for schoolie stripers
Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
Pflueger
Patriarch
Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality
Good
overall
construction
and
quite
durable.
Quality
and
tight
tolerant
components
8
Performance
Performance
that's
above
the
Supreme
with
good
casts,
improved
drag,
and no
flaws
seen
8
Price
Price
under
$200 for
a top of
the line
reel
7
Features
This
reel is
packed
with
features
such as
the
Ultimate
Brake
system
where
you can
use both
centrifugal
and
magnetic
brakes
to
control
your
casts.
It has
other
great
features
and for
a reel
of this
price it
also
comes
with a
neoprene
reel
cover
8
Design (Ergonomics)
Add
cosmetics,
features,
and a
dual
brake
system
will
surely
add
weight
but it
still
comes
out to
be only
8.4
ounces
7
Application
This
reel
does a
good job
for bass
and
light
saltwater
stuff as
we ran
into
schoolie
striped
bass.
Too bad
it can
only be
used by
right
handed
retrieve
anglers
7
Total Score
7.5
Ratings Key:1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus Minus
J
Dual
cast
control
L
No lefty
J
Aggressive
appearance
L
Feature
packed =
added
weight
J
Great
performer
J
Feature
packed
Conclusion:
When Pflueger first introduced the President a few years ago, that reel did extremely
well among those looking for an affordable reel packed with the goods. Then the
Supreme came along and finally the Patriarch, which now stands a the top of the
Pflueger series of baitcast reels. We asked ourselves if the Patriarch has the
guts to be at the top and from our results the answer is yes. The reel's
appearance is stunning, with a modern aggressive low profile design. The
performance really shines with its dual system cast control where you can
make your default setting with the centrifugal brakes first, and then use the
externally adjustable magnetic brakes for fine tuning when conditions
change. It is available in two speeds and a wide or standard spool size, but
unfortunately those who require a left handed retrieve reel will have to wait. Otherwise, for those looking for a topflight, sub-$200 reel, the Pflueger Patriarch should be
on your list for it's superb performance, excellent features, and aggressive
styling.
