Loss of Pflueger BCs?

[MN Fisher]

For several months now, the only casting reel that shows up on Pflueger's site is the President XT.

 

I've tossed e-mails at them several times asking about this...finally got a response.

 

 

This is a shame as I love my Patriarchs and am very happy with my Supreme.

 

With Mitchell downgrading their line to only 2 models of spinning reels, and Pflueger working to remove the AR switch on their spinning reels - I'm starting to look at other brands for my upgrading.

 

Anyone else disappointed that Pflueger seems to be getting out of the casting reel business?

[J Francho]

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Anyone else disappointed that Pflueger seems to be getting out of the casting reel business?

Not really, they've basically been rebranded Abus for years it seems.  I realize they're all from Doyo, but to me Floogers were gold trimmed Abus.  You can probably get the same user experience switching to Abu.  As far as your AR switch goes, you can try Okuma.  I have a couple and they work very well.

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Not really, they've basically been rebranded Abus for years it seems.  I realize they're all from Doyo, but to me Floogers were gold trimmed Abus.

I'll have to do some investigating. The Patriarch 6-centrifigul combined with the magnetic is a joy to fish. I've looked at others, but the 4-centrifigul w/magnetic reels don't 'wow' me.

[throttleplate]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

For several months now, the only casting reel that shows up on Pflueger's site is the President XT.

 

I've tossed e-mails at them several times asking about this...finally got a response.

 

 

This is a shame as I love my Patriarchs and am very happy with my Supreme.

 

With Mitchell downgrading their line to only 2 models of spinning reels, and Pflueger working to remove the AR switch on their spinning reels - I'm starting to look at other brands for my upgrading.

 

Anyone else disappointed that Pflueger seems to be getting out of the casting reel business?

no

[casts_by_fly]

20 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'll have to do some investigating. The Patriarch 6-centrifigul combined with the magnetic is a joy to fish. I've looked at others, but the 4-centrifigul w/magnetic reels don't 'wow' me.

 

Looing at the TT review of the Patriarch in 2015, they show the insides and controls.  Its basically a gen 3 Revo STX or a gen 4 Revo SX centrifugal/magnetic combo.  I have both of those reels (not the patriarch) and they are quite similar to each other in control and use.  The gen 4 SX is a bit heavier but feels a little tighter in tolerance.  That might be because its a brand new SX vs 8 year old (but well taken care of) STX.  The Pfleuger has the carbon handle which is a nice upgrade.  In the Revo line you have to go to the Ike, Premier, or MGX to get that.

 

The Gen 4 STX has IVCB-6 which I think is a better brake system, but for 3/8-1.5 oz I think its a moot point. 

 

thanks,

rick

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, casts_by_fly said:

The Gen 4 STX has IVCB-6 which I think is a better brake system, but for 3/8-1.5 oz I think its a moot point. 

I looked over the STX...a number of people have complained about the palm-side plate just 'falling off'. One stated that the Abu tech he talked to told him to 'just use some tape to hold it on'.

 

Ahhh...no....

[casts_by_fly]

I've read that too and don't see it happening.  I've never had it happen or had a close call.

 

On the Gen 3 STX it is impossible.  They still have a physical screw to start with, not a switch.  Then, the whole side plate has to twist 45 degrees while you hold the spring loaded screw out.  If you don't know how to do it, you're going to struggle to get it off.

 

The Gen 4 STX has a gull wing design with a hinge pin.  You flip the switch on the back corner and the plate comes out about 1/4", then swings on the pin.  it can't be removed easily.

 

The Gen 4 SX (and the MGX for that matter) have the switch but no other locking mechanism.  Flip the switch and you can pull the plate off.  You'd have to clip the small switch on something without noticing and in one motion bump the rod/reel hard enough for it to pop loose.  The switch isn't easy to slide accidentally and you'd have to have an odd hand position to do it inadvertently.

 

thanks,

rick

[J Francho]

51 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I looked over the STX...a number of people have complained about the palm-side plate just 'falling off'. One stated that the Abu tech he talked to told him to 'just use some tape to hold it on'.

 

Ahhh...no....

Mine never did, and I don't see how it could.  I can think of a ton of other reasons I don't like the reel, but this is not one of them.

[newapti5]

Not really. Besides build quality, I am also equally interested to see innovation on reel designs and materials, and I don't see much of that on Pflueger reels, BC or spinning.  As a consumer, I would be a little disappointed if Okuma and 13 were out of the BC business though. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

Not really, they've basically been rebranded Abus for years it seems.  I realize they're all from Doyo, but to me Floogers were gold trimmed Abus.  You can probably get the same user experience switching to Abu.  As far as your AR switch goes, you can try Okuma.  I have a couple and they work very well.

You can throw Lews into the bc category too. 

[Blaine Donders]

5 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I looked over the STX...a number of people have complained about the palm-side plate just 'falling off'. One stated that the Abu tech he talked to told him to 'just use some tape to hold it on'.

 

Ahhh...no....

I have 4 gen 4 STX’s, a Revo Ike, and a gen 4 Rocket. The side plate cannot come off.

Brake wise, I prefer the pure centrifugal of the STX and the IKE over the dual like on the Rocket or the STX. I throw anything from 3/16oz to 1oz with it. 
 

I have mostly Tatulas with the Abu’s and a couple Lew’s mixed in. The Doyo reels are fine.

[new2BC4bass]

I am.  I really like my Patriarch XT (blue model).  Light, nice looking, and casts quite well.  As I've mentioned more than once, I can run the brakes lower on this reel than any of my other reels outside of a T3.  I picked up a Patriarch and Supreme XT when Pflueger was closing them out for about 50% or more off.  Still in boxes.  An Online friend (ex-tournament fisherman) liked his first Supreme XT well enough to buy a second.  And he has fished much more expensive reels.

 

I have a Gen1 STXL (magnetic only) that has been a good reel for me.  It went to Florida with me for 3 years before buying the Patriarch XT.  Have to spread the lovin' around, ya know!

 

They may be from Doyo, but many felt the Gen2 Premier was the best reel in its price range when it came out.

 

New reels are not all that important to me anymore as I've got more reels than I can use, and at my age I won't be looking to upgrade.  Just try to use what I have.

[QED]

Has Pflueger even been relevant in recent years?  Creative destruction is a good thing.

[Eric 26]

You should check out the bps carbonlite 2.0 reels. Dual braking system, aluminum frame, Carbon handle, light weight and at $120.00 it’s competitively priced with the other Doyo made reels.

[PressuredFishing]

12 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Anyone else disappointed that Pflueger seems to be getting out of the casting reel business?

To be completely honest they are nothing special for the price imo, I do like them and fish with their products but hindsight 2020 I'd just buy a cdm reel over them if i wanted to same quality.

[MN Fisher]

11 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

You should check out the bps

I stopped reading at that point.

 

I don't buy from BPS/Cabelas anymore...reasons.

[Eric 26]

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I stopped reading at that point.

 

I don't buy from BPS/Cabelas anymore...reasons.

Completely understand. 

[Bass Junke]

I have the Supreme, Supreme XT, and the Patriarch bait casters. They are fine. I will not be upset if they stop making them. I have moved on. I believe there is better quality in other manufacturers for equal pricing. It should be noted the most unusual thing about the XT and the Patriarch is they both use a titanium main gear. Feels different than brass. Keeps the weight down. 

In regards to the Revo SX gen 4, I have fished with it for 4 years, I don't find it an issue but I did manage to click open the side plate by accident once while fishing. So it is very possible. I palm my reel so it really wasn't a big deal, my hand covers the whole side so I can't see how it would fall into the water. I must have hit the switch when I went from casting grip to palming the reel. 

[Columbia Craw]

I always thought BPS exclusive label reels were just rebranded Pflueger platforms.  Spinning however have a similarity to Daiwa products. The Pflueger reels I had in the 90’s were good to me. 

[Eric 26]

36 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

I always thought BPS exclusive label reels were just rebranded Pflueger platforms.  Spinning however have a similarity to Daiwa products. The Pflueger reels I had in the 90’s were good to me. 

Doyo I believe. Compare the carbonlite 2.0 to a Lews Lfs same frame for sure. Specs are darn near the same also.

[Mbirdsley]

11 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

I always thought BPS exclusive label reels were just rebranded Pflueger platforms.  Spinning however have a similarity to Daiwa products. The Pflueger reels I had in the 90’s were good to me. 

The gander mountain guide series spinning reels were re-branded pfluegar’s.  
 

After trashing three pfluegars in the last year good riddance.  I did enjoy the supreme until the frame ears broke 

[FishTank]

I am not sure of the year but this generation and the next were about the last good Pflueger reels I remember.  They seemed to go down hill after that. I owned a couple of the President reels years ago and they just developed one issue after another.  The one with the wood handle was, like the one below, a good reel and a great value. 

 

 

It seems Pure Fishing has done this to a few of their lines.  I have noticed it with Fenwick, Penn, and Abu Garcia (a little bit). Something about them just isn't the same. 

 

 

 

[zell_pop1]

The ones like this Asaro I have from 10 years ago were really nice work horse reels, just as good as my Citicas and Lexas were that were similar sized. Made in the same Korean factories as Abu Revo reels but they had different frames, around 2014/15 they were on the same frames with small deviations so unless Pure Fishing makes them different again no reason for Pflueger reels sadly.

[MN Fisher]

52 minutes ago, FishTank said:

It seems Pure Fishing has done this to a few of their lines.

If you're worried about Pure Fishing products....get all the Plano boxes/bags you want now...PF bought them almost a year ago.

[FishTank]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

If you're worried about Pure Fishing products....get all the Plano boxes/bags you want now...PF bought them almost a year ago.

 

I think I'm good.  When I looked at their new stuff, I thought it was cool but too much for what it was. I do like the Edge boxes though.  But if I need a new bag, the ones from BPS have done well for me.  Makes me wonder how Fin Nor is? They use to make great salt water reels.

 

One things for sure, Berkley doesn't seem to be slowing down.