Reel Review

[Gregoire]

I purchased this reel a few months ago with the intent of focusing on fines fishing for bass, and maybe the occasional walleye if I get the chance.

I got the chance to take this rod out fishing a few weeks ago at my in-laws cottage. I was restricted to shore fishing as I do not own a water craft of any sort, but was able to make my way along the shore line for a bit as no neighbours were around, and I have already cleared going on to there property on previous trips.

Overall I was impressed with the reel. It is by far the lightest reel that I have ever owned. I was particularly impressed with the lightweight spool that came with the reel, as it looks awesome. The spare aluminum spool is significantly heavier, but would come in handy if I ever wanted to spool up with mono or fluoro. Here are a few pics:

I was also impressed with the handle of the reel, as it is made form quality materials and is extremely lightweight.

I used two spinning reels on my first trip with this rod. I wanted to see the difference between the higher end patriarch and a lower end reel, in this case a shimano sonora fb. I had the patriarch paired up with a loomis bronzeback ML rod and the sonora with a st croix avid ML. The patriarch was spooled with 5lb green power pro and the sonora with 6 lb mono.The difference between the reels was more than just the weight. Casting was easier and I was able to cast much further and more accurately with the patriarch. I also noticed a big time difference in feel between the two, but that may have been because of the difference between braid and mono.

I was casting light reaction baits, and soft plastics all day and had a little bit of luck, mostly catching 1-2 lb bass that looked like this:

Overall I would say that the Patriarch is a great reel. This was my first experience using a higher end reel and I noticed a significant difference in quality and ease of use. The one thing I will say is that the Patriarch's magnesium frame means that it will scratch easily. I was not as careful as I should have been when laying it down and it already has some rash on it, however this is not a big issue for me as I plan on using the reel, not keep it in a glass case. I liked this reel so much and noticed such a difference between it and the Sonora that I found a deal on ebay and bought a Stradic FI. I am looking forward to comparing the two reels. I would have purchased a CI4, but I wanted a reel that was a bit more robust, and also think that if I am spending over 100 bucks on a reel I should get a spare spool. I switched the 5lb power pro from the patriarch to the stradic and spooled the patriarch with 3lb red power pro. I think I am going to pair the patriarch with my avid, and the loomis with the stradic. I look forward to comparing these reels soon.

I also recently pruchased a Daiwa Pluton and paired it with a Daiwa VIP musky rod. I look forward to getting out to chase some big girls soon in order to do a review of the rod and reel.

 

If anyone is interested I could give a review of the rapala r-type casting reel, the abu garcia revo toro 50, or the abu revo winch as well. I have all summer to waste time. I figured I only have to start working on the house right before my wife gets home.

 

Thanks for reading

[Steve_R]

I just bought that reel myself and love it...i got it matched up with a one Piece Quantum Tour Edition PT 6'6 Medium what a great smallie reel and rod...

[Gregoire]

I feel like I could cast all day with the patriarch. I'm looking forward to catching a fish that will test out the drag so I can see how smooth it is.

[FrankTheRabbit]

I just picked up a R-Type baitcasting setup. I'm giddy like a kid in a candy store. I've got the R-Type spinning mated with a Shimano Convergence medium action rod. The spinning setup was the cheapest and very happy with it. The reel was $100 and the rod was $40 (was on sale from Gagnons). I spooled with with half mono and half Sufix 832 30lb line.

 

I haven't caught any monsters north of 5lbs, but using swimbaits, dropshot, weightless plastics, spinners, have been quite good. The only thing with the rod is, because it's a medium action, accuracy is not its forte. You have to adjust to how the rod will react to get the lure/bait to where you want. But it's really fun reeling in a fish on a medium action rod. The sensitivity is definitely more noticeable when compared to my old bait casting setup (MH rod).

 

I'll let you know how the R-Type casting setup goes.

 

Nice feesh btw! Nothing feels more satisfying than deflowering a new reel/rod.

Edited July 15, 2011 by FrankTheRabbit

[rbaquial]

Thanks for the read FishGreg.

 

I also am comparing the Ci4 with the Patriarch - and I'm leaning towards the Patriarch for the spare spool, $20 cheaper price and lighter weight.I haven't quite figured out a nice Medium Action rod to match with the Patriarch though - but I like the idea of the Avid.

 

I'll get back to you in a couple weeks when I decide on the purchase and its 1st "Test-Drive"

 

Thanks for the read Bud!

A2F (Rob)

[Gregoire]

I just picked up a R-Type baitcasting setup. I'm giddy like a kid in a candy store. I've got the R-Type spinning mated with a Shimano Convergence medium action rod. The spinning setup was the cheapest and very happy with it. The reel was $100 and the rod was $40 (was on sale from Gagnons). I spooled with with half mono and half Sufix 832 30lb line.

 

I haven't caught any monsters north of 5lbs, but using swimbaits, dropshot, weightless plastics, spinners, have been quite good. The only thing with the rod is, because it's a medium action, accuracy is not its forte. You have to adjust to how the rod will react to get the lure/bait to where you want. But it's really fun reeling in a fish on a medium action rod. The sensitivity is definitely more noticeable when compared to my old bait casting setup (MH rod).

 

I'll let you know how the R-Type casting setup goes.

 

Nice feesh btw! Nothing feels more satisfying than deflowering a new reel/rod.

 

I have a r-type baitcaster paired with a r-type MH 2 piece rod. Overall I like the rod more than the reel. I found that the reel is made with some cheap parts, and is nowhere near the quality of the other baitcsters that I own. Having said that the baitcasters that I have are twice the price. Also the customer service by rapala is great. I had an issue with the rod and reel last year and I sent an email and made a trip to the factory in Oshawa and had them both replaced.

If I was looking at another baitcaster for bass fishing I would look at the shift, but I have found that I enjoy lighter spinning outfits.

[Gregoire]

Thanks for the read FishGreg.

 

I also am comparing the Ci4 with the Patriarch - and I'm leaning towards the Patriarch for the spare spool, $20 cheaper price and lighter weight.I haven't quite figured out a nice Medium Action rod to match with the Patriarch though - but I like the idea of the Avid.

 

I'll get back to you in a couple weeks when I decide on the purchase and its 1st "Test-Drive"

 

Thanks for the read Bud!

A2F (Rob)

 

When I went for the patriarch I was also considering the CI4 microline. What really got me was the difference in weight between the CI4 and the 9525, but when you look at spool capacity the CI$ 1000 is actually closer to the 9530. The spare spool that comes with the patriarch is nothing special at all, but the price difference is noticeable. Try looking on ebay for a bit of a better deal.

[FrankTheRabbit]

I did find the reel to be heavy, but I was used to fishing an ultra light rod and centre pin setup. Ha. I was about to purchase the Shimano Caenan, but figured I just have to get use to it since they were engineered to be used optimally together. Just about to head out and give'er a test drive.

[Garry2Rs]

There is in fact very little to choose in spinning reels.

They don't help you cast!

They are there to hold and retrieve your line.

Better quality reels use better parts and are worth repairing...

Cheap reels have plastic parts and when they break, they become paper weights.

 

All rod blanks start as a Xmas tree shaped piece of cloth.

They are then coated with resin and rolled up on a mandrel (a tapered steel rod)and baked.

The mandrel is removed and the rod is sanded to remove the outside ridge.

That means that one side of the rod is stiffer than the other...

A rod that doesn't cast straight might not have the guides aligned with the spine.

This is part of what you are paying for on better quality rods.

[Gregoire]

There is in fact very little to choose in spinning reels.

They don't help you cast!

They are there to hold and retrieve your line.

Better quality reels use better parts and are worth repairing...

Cheap reels have plastic parts and when they break, they become paper weights.

 

Don't you think this is a bit simplistic? Weight, smoothness of drag and smoothness of retrieve would be areas that I would think are improved with better quality reels.

I may have been biased, or blinded by the marketing but I found there to be a huge difference between the higher and lower quality reels when I compared them head to head.

Judging by your post I'm guessing that you have a preference for baitcasting.

[Garry2Rs]

Don't you think this is a bit simplistic? Weight, smoothness of drag and smoothness of retrieve would be areas that I would think are improved with better quality reels.

I may have been biased, or blinded by the marketing but I found there to be a huge difference between the higher and lower quality reels when I compared them head to head.

Judging by your post I'm guessing that you have a preference for baitcasting.

 

I'm not trying to pick a fight. Most of my spinning reels are Stradics, but a few years ago I bought some BPS reels on sale along with a couple of CTC combos to use as loaners for non-fishing friends and for beginner-clients to abuse.

 

I was surprised at how good these basically $30-$40 reels were. They had nice smooth drags and cranked smoothly as well, at least when new...grin. I suppose this is because plastic castings can be made to quite close tolerances without any machining and it is more cost efficient to make one drag system that fits all size 2500 spools than to build separate systems for each model.

 

However over the next couple of years most of these reels broke down and needed parts.

The main problem was beginners would step, sit, lean or otherwise force the crank or revolving bail assemble back against the anti-reverse lug. On better reels this part is metal, but on cheap reels it is a piece of plastic, which sears off.

 

In the case of the low end Diawa and Quantum reels, they were hardly worth fixing, and in the case of BPS reels no parts were available.

 

It's no secret that I like Shimano, and it's because of the availability of parts...I know I am paying a little extra because there is a parts inventory. I also admit that a low end Shimano would no doubt have the same faults. Other brands, in any price range, may or may not be easily repairable down stream. I have been told that many "name" brands are in fact built by third parties. It's a fact the the grey Curado was not built in Japan. Shimano had contracted that model out to another part of Asia where costs were lower...

 

Where do reels come from? Places like Cabela's and BPS contract for reels with certain spec's. The contract goes to the lowest bidder and a production run is made by someone like Tica. At the end of production, the moulds are scrapped or recycled and they go on to build for someone else. There might be a few parts out there when the design is new, but when the next model comes out it might be made in another shop all together. On the other hand, with most of these reels you are getting an awful lot for your money.

[Gregoire]

I guess I thought you were saying that there is little to no difference between cheap and expensive spinning reels.

I did not think you were picking a fight, nor am I. Just trying to engage in a conversation. I think it is important to talk about these topics as many people would like information about tackle because they need to choose between reels and don't have the experience with gear. I really like getting informed, unbiased opinions about gear before I buy it and find it hard to find sometimes, especially in terms of using it for fishing in ontario.

On one side I can see what you are talking about in terms on the difference between spinning reels not being as drastic according to price, especially when comparing them to baitcast reels. My first baitcaster was purchased at Canadian Tire as part of a cheap combo. There was a huge difference between that and the r-type I purchased and the abu revo toros that I own. I spent the most ever on the Pluton I just purchased and have noticed that it is vastly superior in terms of the way it is made.

I would argue with you that the smoothness of higher end spinned reels, and the anti reverse in particular are vastly superior than cheaper reels. A week ago I was using a shimano saros an abu specialit reel (i got the combo for 30$ at Canadian Tire, and I really like the M 7ft rod). I could feel a difference between the two for sure. I guess I could try comparing my abu soron to my abu specialist to see a difference as well. In addition the weight difference between some higher end reels makes a huge difference to me. I feel like I could cast with my patriarch all day, not so with the sonora. Now I may just be getting weaker in the wrists since got engaged, but that is what I noticed.

I'm not trying to pick a fight here, just get input from an angler with way more experience than me.

By the way what rods do you pair with your stradics? I remember reading in a previous post that you like the st. croix avid series.

[Garry2Rs]

I have had a few St.Croix rods, three musky weight casting and at least two spinning, a trio of high end BPS, a few Shimano and about a dozen G.Loomis, perhaps three spinning, but mostly casting rods. Last year I started building my own...

 

My favourite all time spinning rod, based on throwing senko-type worms and Flukes, which is what I do with spinning gear, is a 6'9" ML Avid. I don't know if they even make it anymore...This rod has landed many five pound bass, but it's soft enough that if a Fluke, catches on the edge of a lily-pad, it doesn't go into orbit when you pull/shake it loose.

 

I have a beautiful 7ft. spinning GL3 Loomis, but I don't love it...I had a 7ft. Mojo, and sold it quickly. When I started building my own rods, I had to learn more about the rod blanks and I realized that the Loomis, and many of the others I have been less than thrilled with, were too stiff for the style of fishing that I do.

 

I built a rod for my daughter, to throw senkos with, on an inexpensive Forecast blank. The action of this blank is more like a crankbait rod, so it is more progressive...I also built some casting rods for myself on crankbait blanks and found that the softer action suited me much better than the high modulus rods I had been using.

 

Ten years ago, when I move to the Kawarthas, I threw a lot of spinnerbaits. They were a great all around bait for bass and the small musky i was catching around the shallow weeds and rocky shoals. Being new to the area, I was still using HM bass gear. Today I have moved toward square billed cranks and other shallow diving baits to cover the same part of the water column and don't want to catch a musky unless I am using the proper gear.

 

In the past I wrote off a very nice crankbait rod because it was hard to get a good hook set on those small Musky. The problem was, although I like the rod, which was a G.Loomis crank-bait casting model, throwing spinnerbaits on it was all wrong! I needed the stiffness of a higher modulus graphite rod...At that time, I just didn't understand enough about the equipment I was using...None of us are born wise I guess...grin.

 

At this point, I have a collection of G.Loomis rods that I plan to sell off and replace with my own home built ones. Not that mine will be better than Loomis! Mine will be good, because I will use very high-end guides and build carefully, they will have large diameter handles that are easy on my big old hands, and most important, I will think more about what I want to throw with each rod.

 

Today we have many-many baits that all do the same thing. I love new baits, but my goal is to simplify my tackle box to contain what I like to use, and have rods that are designed around those baits.

Garry

Edited July 16, 2011 by garry2rs

[Gregoire]

The fact that you are making your own rods is awesome. I would like to move into doing that, but first i want to educate myself about blanks and the materials. I find that I cannot often find the rod that I would like off the shelf. I am very interested in making 3 or 4 piece rods, as I like having the ability to pack up and travel with my rods. I also do not understand why one piece rods are seen as being vastly superior...if they were wouldn't there be a push to make fly rods one piece?

By the way I would be an interested purchaser in a loomis musky rod if you ever had one for sale.

[johnnyb]

You said....PLUTON That's a reel I want to try

[Roy]

I am very interested in making 3 or 4 piece rods, as I like having the ability to pack up and travel with my rods. I also do not understand why one piece rods are seen as being vastly superior...if they were wouldn't there be a push to make fly rods one piece?

 

??? This logic is underwhelming.

[FrankTheRabbit]

Well, had some time on Saturday to try out the R-Type casting setup and it's lived up to my personal taste. I feel the rod is quite good for the cost. I really do like the rubber butt and it gives me a better grip to cast with.

 

I didn't catch anything larger than a pound. lol So I think even a UL setup would've done the job. I did catch up some weeds with a jig setup so the 50lb Sufix 832 had no troubles pulling through.

 

Balance was quite good actually and felt solid jigging or retrieving my spinner bait.

 

The only thing I would like to have seen, is the brake cover to be implemented like Shimano casting reels. The cover just pops off and if you have butter fingers like I do, it's really easy to drop it in the water. I had to take a few steps away from the ledge just to be careful. hah

 

I'm looking forward to spending some more time with it and looking for some bigger fish. I may give this setup a whirl when the salmon start stacking up at the river mouths.

Edited July 18, 2011 by FrankTheRabbit

[Gregoire]

??? This logic is underwhelming.

 

Having done a bit more research I understand why one piece rods are more common, but I would like to see more options out there in 3 or 4 piece rods, at least in terms of flexibility in the price point. There are either low end rods that run to 60 bucks, or high end rods that run 350 or so plus. I guess this is all dictated by the market and there is not a huge demand for this type of rod.

[Gregoire]

Well, had some time on Saturday to try out the R-Type casting setup and it's lived up to my personal taste. I feel the rod is quite good for the cost. I really do like the rubber butt and it gives me a better grip to cast with.

 

I didn't catch anything larger than a pound. lol So I think even a UL setup would've done the job. I did catch up some weeds with a jig setup so the 50lb Sufix 832 had no troubles pulling through.

 

Balance was quite good actually and felt solid jigging or retrieving my spinner bait.

 

The only thing I would like to have seen, is the brake cover to be implemented like Shimano casting reels. The cover just pops off and if you have butter fingers like I do, it's really easy to drop it in the water. I had to take a few steps away from the ledge just to be careful. hah

 

I'm looking forward to spending some more time with it and looking for some bigger fish. I may give this setup a whirl when the salmon start stacking up at the river mouths.

 

I find that the sideplate comes loose very easily on my r-type as well. I do not spend much time adjusting the breaks though. I used the reel pretty hard last year so I should do some maintenance on it, because it does not seem nearly as smooth as it was when I got it out of the box last year.

[Gregoire]

You said....PLUTON That's a reel I want to try

 

Hopefully I'll get a chance to take it out on the water soon. I looks as feels like the best reel I've had. I'll let you know my impressions when I get it out on the water.

[FrankTheRabbit]

I find that the sideplate comes loose very easily on my r-type as well. I do not spend much time adjusting the breaks though. I used the reel pretty hard last year so I should do some maintenance on it, because it does not seem nearly as smooth as it was when I got it out of the box last year.

 

Well, at the pace I'm putting it through with 1 pounders, the reel should be smooth for the rest of its life. hah

[Gregoire]

I actually caught my PB pike using the R-type and it held up very well.

[glen]

I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Garry2rs you are wrong. "They don't help you cast!"

 

A good reel will help you cast because the line will lay better on the spool.