Review: Pinnacle Swimbait Rod 7'11"

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I won my rod in the last give away.

Before receiving my rod, I had the opportunity to handle the Carolina Rig stick won by BadKarma42. Needless to say, I was very excited to get mine in the mail. I got the rod on a Thursday and immediately hit the lake. In the time I've had the rod, it has been used on 5 trips. The rest of this review will be notes from my experiences. I threw jigs, frogs and swimbaits on the rod.

-This is a big stick, considerably larger than the C-rig rod.

-It is rated as a Fast taper and it is definitely fast to x-fast.

-Fit and finish on the rod is impeccable. Very nice accents on the guides and I love the look of the winding checks on the blank. Blank color is a deep blue in the sunlight.

-The rod is very sensitive. IN MY HANDS (so no panties in a bunch), the rod felt as sensitive as my BCR 854 GLX while pitching a jig. No joke.

-For jigs and frogs, I found the rod to be perfect. Pitches were accurate and distance was great.

-I found it less favorable for throwing swimbaits as I prefer a little slower rod for loading up and launching baits. The accuracy on shorter casts was still nice.

-Fighting fish is not an issue. This thing is a beast.

-The telescoping portion of the rod felt very secure and locked in place nicely.

I paired the rod with a Revo STX/braid and a Curado 301d/P-Line CXX for the testing. The rod handled both reels and lines without a problem.

Overall, I really like the rod. I can see it used for flipping and pitching more than swimbaits in my boat. It is a fine stick and for the price point, it will be MORE than competitive once people start using them.

Will I buy more? Yes, based on the sensitivity alone.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to try the rod. Good luck with your endeavor.

Wayne

PS: I will be waiting to see a large capacity reel from Pinnacle.

[senko_77]

Wayne, Loomis is so overrated.  I'm about to post my review and when I tested it, I felt the same thing.  This thing is as good if not better than Loomis IMO

[oprcsr]

Loving my rod, glad you like yours. I wish I had some extra money around to pick up the crankbait rod when they go on sale.

[Pinnacle1]

Speedbead.

Thanks for posting an excellent review.  We're glad you're impressed with the quality and performance of your new Perfecta rod.  In your review, you noted that this heavy action swimbait rod was as sensitive as your G. Loomis BCR854 GLX.  That really says something about the Perfecta DHC5-7112CAHSB, especially since the G. Loomis model mentioned is a 7' casting rod, compared to our rod...a 7' 11" heavy action model made for swimbaits, flipping/pitching and frogs!  You can imagine how sensitive our lighter 7' Perfecta casting rods are.  Also, it should be noted that the price of the Loomis rod mentioned is $395 (at Amazon.com).  Our Perfecta rods retail for $159.99 to $189.99.  You could buy two Perfectas, and still have some change left over for line and lures!

Best regards and Good Fishing!

Pinnacle1

[roadwarrior]

Hey Wayne!

Excellent review.

[mctech]

hey senko77 what rod did you get give me a call well go fishing and try eachothers out.i mean fishing rod by the way.ha ha i got the 7 foot frog/wormand jig rod and its a great stick just wish i had a new pinnacle reel to put on it.   

[Randall]

Good review. First thing I noticed in looking at the Pinnacle reels was that there was not a wide spool model and all my baitcasters have to have more line capacity.

[l3rd]

Speedbead.

Thanks for posting an excellent review. We're glad you're impressed with the quality and performance of your new Perfecta rod. In your review, you noted that this heavy action swimbait rod was as sensitive as your G. Loomis BCR854 GLX. That really says something about the Perfecta DHC5-7112CAHSB, especially since the G. Loomis model mentioned is a 7' casting rod, compared to our rod...a 7' 11" heavy action model made for swimbaits, flipping/pitching and frogs! You can imagine how sensitive our lighter 7' Perfecta casting rods are. Also, it should be noted that the price of the Loomis rod mentioned is $395 (at Amazon.com). Our Perfecta rods retail for $159.99 to $189.99. You could buy two Perfectas, and still have some change left over for line and lures!

Best regards and Good Fishing!

Pinnacle1

Don't know about buying 2, but the one I bought should be here Friday! ;-) Hope it's as good as everyone says they are.

[Pinnacle1]

Don't know about buying 2, but the one I bought should be here Friday! ;-) Hope it's as good as everyone says they are.

Boat flipped this girl and also 3' of lake Falcon's finest tree limb with the Heavy 7' 11" with 65lb Vicious braid. Hope you enjoy the new stick 13rd..

[l3rd]

Boat flipped this girl and also 3' of lake Falcon's finest tree limb with the Heavy 7' 11" with 65lb Vicious braid. Hope you enjoy the new stick 13rd..

If I get one like that every time I fish it, I am going to be a BIG time customer! How long do you stock parts for your reels. I like the Shimanos, but I understand they dump parts as soon as it's legal, making often pretty new equipment only good for boat anchoring if any part of the reel breaks. I was talking to a guy who repairs reels today and he told me he can get parts for 20+ year old reels most of the time, unless it's a Shimano....

[00 mod]

If I get one like that every time I fish it, I am going to be a BIG time customer! How long do you stock parts for your reels. I like the Shimanos, but I understand they dump parts as soon as it's legal, making often pretty new equipment only good for boat anchoring if any part of the reel breaks. I was talking to a guy who repairs reels today and he told me he can get parts for 20+ year old reels most of the time, unless it's a Shimano....

You need to talk to someone else, because this is truly an opinion and NOT FACT!!! But I am sure Pinnacle will answer your other questions!

Jeff

[J Francho]

I was talking to a guy who repairs reels today and he told me he can get parts for 20+ year old reels most of the time, unless it's a Shimano....

Hmmmm....Shimano at least publishes a list of reels they do not have parts for anymore. Can't say the same for some others.

As far as Pinnacle goes, the three times I've needed parts, they've had them at my doorstep in days.

[Pinnacle2]

In regards to Pinnacle reel parts… We strive to keep adequate parts inventory on our reels 5-7 years after the final production run. That being said, some of our reels have had very lengthy production runs due to their continued popularity. In such instances it is not uncommon for us to still carry parts inventory on reels produced 10 years ago, or beyond. Bottom line, our Service Department does everything we can to help customers keep their new and/or older equipment maintained and working.

[l3rd]

Hmmmm....Shimano at least publishes a list of reels they do not have parts for anymore. Can't say the same for some others.

As far as Pinnacle goes, the three times I've needed parts, they've had them at my doorstep in days.

AS FAR AS I KNOW, and my knowledge about this person is limited, his only ax to grind is keeping his customers happy as he does no warranty work for anyone. Good to know Pinnacle is so good about their gear! He said Zebco can supply parts from the glacial age (my personal embellishment), and that Quantum and Abu Garcia was also great about parts for antique gear. He did not mention any others, other than to slight Shimano for making relatively recent vintage high dollar reels obsolete due to a lack of parts. I had taken in 2 Daiwa reels, both less than 2 years old, because the bails would not close automatically. Apparently they used an assist spring that was of an excessively small gage, and he is going to make 2 new ones out of spring wire of a larger gage. One might think that a company which has manufactured reels for as long as Daiwa would properly size springs.... One I got on sale for about $100, and the other I previously paid full price for $135. Really? Just over one year of reasonable use before needing service? I have 30 year old Shimanos which I have maintained that have never needed repair... Anyway, I am shopping for a company that makes a good product and supports it. Sounds like Shimano may no longer be that company, though their track record of not needing serious repairs for me is compelling. I have purchased 3 new Shimanos this year, and 2 of them have now been replaced, so if they do fail, parts may soon no longer be available. Who have you had issues with?

[l3rd]

In regards to Pinnacle reel parts… We strive to keep adequate parts inventory on our reels 5-7 years after the final production run. That being said, some of our reels have had very lengthy production runs due to their continued popularity. In such instances it is not uncommon for us to still carry parts inventory on reels produced 10 years ago, or beyond. Bottom line, our Service Department does everything we can to help customers keep their new and/or older equipment maintained and working.

So, the best bet is to wait for the latest production gear rather than buying something that has been made for a number of years... At least then you have a shot at getting parts 8 or 9 years down the road.

[J Francho]

Your guy is full of it. Quantum is so good at supplying parts because they need so many repairs. Abu has been around forever with few changes to the round reels and parts are everywhere. Daiwa and Shimano are brands I not only recommend, but also own. You can add Pinnacle to that list, recently. All three have people answering the phone calls and emails - something I can't say for all the others. They've also NEVER let me or any of my customers down to date. But stick with your guy if you must. He must know something I don't.

[l3rd]

Your guy is full of it. Quantum is so good at supplying parts because they need so many repairs. Abu has been around forever with few changes to the round reels and parts are everywhere. Daiwa and Shimano are brands I not only recommend, but also own. You can add Pinnacle to that list, recently. All three have people answering the phone calls and emails - something I can't say for all the others. They've also NEVER let me or any of my customers down to date. But stick with your guy if you must. He must know something I don't.

Look, I don't know you, other than the fact that you are a moderator, or this guy I had work on a couple or reels for me. You could be God's gift to reel repair Mr. Francho, you could be a fishing pro, I don't pretend to know you or your credentials. I have 2 Quantum Kenetic spinning reels I bought upon recomendation, I am not a fan, but they have not broken as yet. Other than that, I have been a Shimano buyer and fan for years, but this guy is not the only one I have heard say this about Shimano lately. Several BPS personnel in Cincinnati have said that Shimano's customer service has been lacking of late while Daiwa's has been increasing, in their opinions....Honestly I have never needed a part from Shimano, so this has never been an issue for me, their gear holds up pretty well, IME. Anyway, I had no intention of getting personal here, so I suppose it's best to let this thread die...

[l3rd]

In regards to Pinnacle reel parts… We strive to keep adequate parts inventory on our reels 5-7 years after the final production run. That being said, some of our reels have had very lengthy production runs due to their continued popularity. In such instances it is not uncommon for us to still carry parts inventory on reels produced 10 years ago, or beyond. Bottom line, our Service Department does everything we can to help customers keep their new and/or older equipment maintained and working.

I think I have pretty much narrowed my options down to your Optimus XT (OP10XTHS) and the Shimano Curado (CU200G7). I do like your faster retrive rate...

[Jiggen]

I had both. Either is a good choice. You need to get both in your hands before you buy if that is possible. In my opinion their is quite a difference in the reels. I sold my Curado's and have upgraded some of them to Chronarchs. I still own my Optimus XT. I use it on my Dropshot rod. I will be upgrading some of my older reel to the Optimus if that tells you anything. In either case the curado is a good reel, just overpriced in my opinion unless you get some of those killer deals on the older model close outs. Jim

[l3rd]

I had both. Either is a good choice. You need to get both in your hands before you buy if that is possible. In my opinion their is quite a difference in the reels. I sold my Curado's and have upgraded some of them to Chronarchs. I still own my Optimus XT. I use it on my Dropshot rod. I will be upgrading some of my older reel to the Optimus if that tells you anything. In either case the curado is a good reel, just overpriced in my opinion unless you get some of those killer deals on the older model close outs. Jim

Thanks Jiggen. Even the good deals are only a bit less than the newer Curados, so it sounds like you would still recommend the Optimus XT... I sure wish I knew of a place near me that carried the Pinnacle line... I bought my rod based upon other people's experiences, I was not disappointed, but as you say, it's ALWAYS best to be able to check it out for yourself first!