# Pflueger Spinning Reels



## James F (Jul 2, 2005)

I have been using Shimano for many years now and was shown a Pflueger President 30,any opinions? Feels like a nice reel and was told the store has never had one returned!


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## HookBender (Apr 2, 2012)

I have had Shimano reels my entire life, that was until I used a Pflueger.
I own a couple Supremes but have heard the president are essentially the same but a tad heavier.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I have two u rigged up for walleye Jigging and perch fishing 3 seasons well worth the money great reel


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Pflugers are great for your average angler that gets out maybe once ever two weeks .

If you're die-hard, and fish 2-3 times/wk they will wear out on you in 6 months (or less).


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## HookBender (Apr 2, 2012)

acklac7 said:


> Pflugers are great for your average angler that gets out maybe once ever two weeks .
> 
> If you're die-hard, and fish 2-3 times/wk they will wear out on you in 6 months (or less).


Not true in my case. An annual cleanout and some fresh grease goes a long way.


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## strongto (Apr 1, 2013)

I had a couple. I dropped one in the river and it stopped working right so I cleaned it and oiled it and after that it seemed to work fine except whenever it got dipped in the water and then I'd have to clean it and oil it again. Since the I have replaced it with a Penn battle 3000 which to me feels smoother and its more durable.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

4 years ago, I bought my first pfleuger president series spinning reel....I have since replace every rod I own with a pfleuger reel...awesome reels, affordable, smooth drag...I love em!


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

acklac7 said:


> Pflugers are great for your average angler that gets out maybe once ever two weeks .
> 
> If you're die-hard, and fish 2-3 times/wk they will wear out on you in 6 months (or less).


I only use them about 10-15 times per year a few jigging trips and perch trips so they aren't my primary reels as say a bass fisherman would use them all year long every time they fish


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

acklac7 said:


> Pflugers are great for your average angler that gets out maybe once ever two weeks .
> 
> If you're die-hard, and fish 2-3 times/wk they will wear out on you in 6 months (or less).



I have had my pfluger president for about 2 years or so useing it at least 4 times a week (if I get the chance to go) everywhere from ponds to rivers


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## poncho 79 (May 12, 2012)

Don't know which Shimano models you are using, but in my experience my shimanos feel more refined, use better components and last longer. It is also easier to get parts over a longer period of time. I had a president that needed parts. Pflueger was still making that exact model president at the time. I called pflueger to order the part (a rotor) and was told they didn't have any and won't have any period. Hmmm and the reel was still in production? I have had other problems at times with obtaining pflueger parts for reels that were not that old. The only problem I've had with shimano is a part being on backorder and having to wait a few weeks. Just think shimano is a better reel and a better company. Just my 2 cents.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

The problem to me with Shimano is price. If you want a reel that is comparable to the President, you're going to pay almost twice as much...


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Sahara is $20 more and will outlast 2 presidents.I use one still that I bought 12-13 ys ago.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

James F said:


> I have been using Shimano for many years now and was shown a Pflueger President 30,any opinions? Feels like a nice reel and was told the store has never had one returned!


Returned to them they probaly ment,but sure the manufacturer sees plenty of there returns.ive had two presidents,and wont buy another...


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

James F said:


> I have been using Shimano for many years now and was shown a Pflueger President 30,any opinions? Feels like a nice reel and was told the store has never had one returned!


I have have used many different reasonably priced reels over the years they all worked and I caught fish. All my best bass have been on cheap combo's I bought on sale. I picked up a president on the store display several years back and liked the feel and bought one to see if it was better. I think I have seven presidents now replacing all my other reals. I Received a gift card for Christmas and I will likely pick up another Pflueger. I plan on buying the small Arbor for pan fish. I like having extra outfits ready to fish and loan for a day out on my boat. I like taking family fishing and like to outfit them with the same gear I'm using. I don't consider them throwaways but good value for the money. No failures on any of the seven.


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## BigFish614 (Jan 27, 2011)

Ive had a President for 5 years. It is the reel I use the majority of the time. Ive had it dropped in salt water, fresh water, sand, and mud. I cant think of a single problem ive had with it. Since then ive bought another president, and a supreme that are great as well.

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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

I've had two Pflueger's and I did not like them and swore I would never buy another. Month ago I bought a Pflueger SupremeXT spinning reel. Ha! so much for that "never" buy another. Liked the way it felt and I figured I'd give them another chance. Probably have used it dozen times. Do not care for the braid that is on it, and I am switching out to my all time favorite spinning line Fireline Crystal. Have better idea once I have line I am used to.


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## huntindoggie22 (Mar 28, 2008)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> Sahara is $20 more and will outlast 2 presidents.I use one still that I bought 12-13 ys ago.


Sahara's are to fast.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Too fast for what?


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## paddlejunkie1977 (Sep 19, 2014)

I bought the Pfluegar Presidential this past Summer. At first I hesitated with the purchase but after using it for an entire season catching everything from perch, walleye, to bass I'd do it all over again. I do agree one of the biggest determining factors in longevity of any reel is preventative maintenance...oil.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

I used to own Shimano spinnng reels for about 10 years +, no real compliants. My ONLY casting reel is a Shimano Bantam 100 SG, older reel but do not use it often. Anyways, about 4 years ago got my first Pflueger President and have since been a fan. I fish whenever time permits including winters so they get used; at the moment I own 2 President 6725's, 2 President 6735's and a 6730XT. I am satisfied with their performance and durability. Going to actually look into purchasing a Pflueger Casting reel and bigger Spinning reel(s) like the 6740. I'd say try it once with a lighter/smaller reel like for panfish and crappie; if you like it, your going to end up like me and upgrading thru the years.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

Dovans said:


> I've had two Pflueger's and I did not like them and swore I would never buy another. Month ago I bought a Pflueger SupremeXT spinning reel. Ha! so much for that "never" buy another. Liked the way it felt and I figured I'd give them another chance. Probably have used it dozen times. Do not care for the braid that is on it, and I am switching out to my all time favorite spinning line Fireline Crystal. Have better idea once I have line I am used to.


How do like the Fireline Crystal? I used the Fireline Fused Smoke last year and liked it, but realized I need something more tranlucent/transparent. I just placed Fireline Crystal on my 6735's; was leaning towards something like Sunline Super FC but the shop didn't stock it. May start another thread to get opinions. (Sorry, don't mean to deviate the original thread - just curious).


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

acklac7 said:


> Pflugers are great for your average angler that gets out maybe once ever two weeks .
> 
> If you're die-hard, and fish 2-3 times/wk they will wear out on you in 6 months (or less).


Not true. Ive fished so much with the same pflueger for 3 years now. They are good reels. Everything from bottom fishing for cats to wading to boat ans bank casting. Take care of them and they will last as long as you want them to last.


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## fishingmaniac (Apr 3, 2012)

I use shimano stradics and Pfluger supreme XT and patriarchs. Love them all no problems out of any at all. But I really like the stradic ci4 best.


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

I use a President as my primary cast and retrieve reel. I've used it two years on over 400 trips and haven't had any issues at all other than a bit of chrome is peeling and it's boat rashed pretty heavily. I can't recommend them enough.


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## Frankie G (Aug 18, 2014)

I've tried quite a few reels over the years. My two main reels now are a Pflueger Purist and a President. Everything from fish Ohio channel cats, Fish Ohio Largemouth's, and now they are on my Fenwick Ice rods and doing great. Both of them are on hundreds of trips and doing just fine.


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## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

Have four Presidents, two 6730s and two 6735s. Never a problem with any of them. Great reels for the money.


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## bassyakker (Feb 12, 2013)

HookBender said:


> Not true in my case. An annual cleanout and some fresh grease goes a long way.


I agree. I fish with mine avidly and have had no issues with them wearing out... Its a great reel. Take care of your reels and they'll take care of you...


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## seang22 (Mar 3, 2014)

I love pfluger, has an extra spool and all there reels r smooth. I got a president and want more.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

ok, ok, ok, I had an older President that was dead-reliable for years. That said i've had a number of friends chew-threw a number of the newer Presidents in months. Broken springs, Stripped rotors- nothing preventive maintenance would have prevented.

Also picked up a brand new Pfluger President combo from the Bargin bin @ Cabelas; drag is all kinds of messed up, in addition it wasn't nearly as smooth as it should have been, cracked the case open, grease was dry/rubbery, looked like it had been sitting for years. Have yet to diagnose the drag issue.

Also one of my buddies purchased the top-notch Pfluger (the $200 one) and it lasted him less then a year, he's sent it back 3x now for repairs, each time came back with issues. Finally on the 3rd try they got it perfect. He swears he'll never buy another one (Pfluger).

Again everybody I fish with pound the piss out of their equipment, and in our experience Pflugers just dont hold up. Same thing goes for Quantum. Nothing worse then spending $200 on a reel only to have significant issues within 6 months.


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## jake222 (Dec 26, 2014)

I would recommend lews I own 2 of the speed spools and am going to buy one of their spining reals


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## Nick. (Aug 28, 2014)

Used a president half of last year and it was decent but switched to a Stradic 2500 and couldn't be happier. I put some braid on the president so I can throw it in my backpack for a back up if anything happens.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

acklac7 said:


> ok, ok, ok, I had an older President that was dead-reliable for years. That said i've had a number of friends chew-threw a number of the newer Presidents in months. Broken springs, Stripped rotors- nothing preventive maintenance would have prevented.
> 
> Also picked up a brand new Pfluger President combo from the Bargin bin @ Cabelas; drag is all kinds of messed up, in addition it wasn't nearly as smooth as it should have been, cracked the case open, grease was dry/rubbery, looked like it had been sitting for years. Have yet to diagnose the drag issue.
> 
> ...


I don't think any spinning reel is designed to have the "piss" pounded out of them...


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

I am a big Pflueger fan for river fishing. I've had many models and prefer the Supreme lineup for spinning gear. I only have one experience with Shimano spinning gear, I think it was a Sahara, their $100 model, it was horrible. I had to return it for a Pflueger Supreme. The Shimano always , and I mean always had the bail grab on to the fishing line because it's design was not seamless. Now I did notice on there higher end models the bail was totally different and I wouldn't expect it to have the same issues. Also, on the one I returned the bail would bust open 8 out of 10 times when I set the hook on a fish, totally unacceptable. This was my only experience with Shimano, it's limited but memorable. I have a Patriarch Pflueger baitcaster that is still performing exceptional. Pflueger isn't the gold standard but they are reliable and affordable, that's why I like them. 



jake222 said:


> I would recommend lews I own 2 of the speed spools and am going to buy one of their spining reals


Not sure about spinning but I have a Lew's Tournament Pro Baitcaster and that reel blows away all the other baitcasters I have.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Gonna have to try piss pounding my Pfluege'rs and Shimano's and Diawa bait casters and spinning reels, some of which are quite old and used but never abused. None of them ride around in the back of the pickup un-padded or bounced around in the boat. Maybe I just get lucky when I buy my rods and reels.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> Gonna have to try piss pounding my Pfluege'rs and Shimano's and Diawa bait casters and spinning reels, some of which are quite old and used but never abused. None of them ride around in the back of the pickup un-padded or bounced around in the boat. Maybe I just get lucky when I buy my rods and reels.


It was a figure of speech.

My buddy gave me his Presidential that had a stripped rotor after 6 months of use; you could hardly tell he'd used it.

Another thing to consider is we're using these rain/snow/sleet shine, and well below freezing. If I had to guess alot of guys in this thread that say "they'll last forever" hang there Reels up around late november and don't bring them back out until March, although I could be wrong.


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## paddlejunkie1977 (Sep 19, 2014)

Attention All Pflueger Fans...Cabela's currently has their Pflueger Supreme Spinning Reels on sale for $59.99 normally $99.99. Great buy!!


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## ROOK (Mar 6, 2010)

pflueger arbor,great reel for $80,i recommend the 40 size,got a bunch of em


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

Ive had problems with bail springs breaking on the lower end pflueger spinning reels(the ones that Dicks sporting goods sells for $40 as well as a pflueger model made just for dicks with a "claimed" msrp of $100. Over time the bail also doesn't "close all the way/stay fully closed" which can lead to issues (like a lost :B when your closed bail decides to open). Other than that nice reels. They got used a lot and I do feel like I got my moneys worth. Ergonomically very comfortable to my hand. Smooth reels despite numerous dunkings. Unless I find one on "super clearance" doubt I will purchase another. Lots of fish caught with those reels though.


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## musclebeach22 (Feb 15, 2012)

Pfluger supreme on sale at FinFeatherFur. $40 OFF!


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

Esq


acklac7 said:


> It was a figure of speech.
> 
> My buddy gave me his Presidential that had a stripped rotor after 6 months of use; you could hardly tell he'd used it.
> 
> Another thing to consider is we're using these rain/snow/sleet shine, and well below freezing. If I had to guess alot of guys in this thread that say "they'll last forever" hang there Reels up around late november and don't bring them back out until March, although I could be wrong.


You're wrong about me. I've been on the river in my yak through the winter months fishing with my plfueger this year lol this is the first year I've tried winter fishing though.


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## senoy (Feb 3, 2013)

I run mine year round. I spent most of this year ice fishing, but last year, I was on the river for roughly 120 hours in January and February with my President. Another 40 or so in Decembe. In March I'm out for so many hours that I can't keep track. This year I've only had it out for maybe 40 hours since the beginning of the year, but no issues with it.


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