Pflueger Supreme XT or Abu Garcia Soron STX?

[divadkab]

I have spent some time looking at these 2 reels and I am undecided and hoping I can look for some advice here.

I am looking for a quality spinning reel which I will primary rely on when steelheading.

However, there are certain things I have read or conversely not read that have made me cautious when considering either reel.

I have read this comment before:
"The only major "con" to the Soron? It doesn't have a "click bail" feature and eventually the bail won't completely trip........a serious nuisance. "
Is this nonsense, an issue that is also going to occur on Supreme XT, or true?

I have also watched a video review on Youtube of the Supreme XT.
The reviewer comments on the spare spool, and states that it does not have the same drag system. Again, is this nonsense? The spare spool on the Soron actually looks quite close to the regular one save for the rubber gromets and o-rings, but does this mean that it has the same drag system?

I am a little more weary of purchasing the Pflueger only because it hasn't been released for as long and hence hasn't been able to receive longer run reviews. The reels are quite comparable; I'm not sure whether I would really care about the higher weight of the Soron, both have similar features, and both looks quite sharp in my opinion. I guess the main thing that is bothering me is the bail comment on the Soron which hopefully someone can clear up.

[divadkab]

Reading into more of this thread (http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/ ... =abu+soron) which the OP does a review of the Soron, I have read that in fact the Soron is susceptible to the bail closing prematurely leading to some people removing the trip bail mechanism or removing the bail arm completely. I remember having a cheap Zebco reel a while ago, and after a couple months use, unless the handle was in a correct position, the bail would close prematurely which was a big pain. I since have had a Pflueger President and I have not have any problems with it, including that one.

Unless someone can confirm to me that the the Supreme XT is susceptible to this problem as well, I think that may have tipped the scales to my preference of the Supreme XT. I read some comments of owners of the Supreme XT on other threads here on TT, and most seem favourable, as well as the limited ones on sites like BPS and Cabelas. I just have this wariness as with cars to not buy them within the first year or two since typically the flaws are revealed, but I am tempted to because of how good the Supreme XT looks!

[Basswrangler]

I presume your talking about the new release of the supreme xt. If you are I can't comment directly for that reel, but I own one of the older gold ones. On that model the spare spool does have a different drag, its not the carbon washered one that comes on the good spool. The spare is also very plain looking and although aluminum it lacks porting and anodizing.

If the new models bail is anything like the previous version I wouldn't count on any bail issues whatsoever. I have a fair amount of pflueger spinning reels and there bails are definitely a strong point imo. Nice positive clicks every time and thick wire bail on the xt. The only down side I've found is the spare spool mentioned above, otherwise awesome reels for the price.

[uljersey]

You may have read elsewhere on this site my comments about Pflueger's Sure Clik bails (which are are on every model in their lineup) IMO one of the best out there. Without getting into a brand war, I've had bail trouble with just about every brand, that's what led me to Pflueger a few years back. Maybe the fact I ALWAYS close the bail by hand adds to the longevity, I don't know. I own several models of Pfluegers, starting with the "low end" Trion (it sure doesn't act low end !) up to the discontinued gold color Supreme XT. Never a bail issue with any of them, and although I take care of my gear, it doesn't get babied. I'll add that all models include a line roller bearing.

[divadkab]

Thanks for those comments.

Yes, I am referring to the newer Supreme XT.
It may seem then that the second spool for the new Supreme XT also has an inferior drag system to the standard one. Because the Abu spare spool doesn't look as plain as the Supreme XT one, I have a feeling that it may have the same drag system, which would be a definite plus. Hope someone can still answer than one for sure though.

As to the issue of the click bail, glad to hear that both of you have had a good experience, as I have also not had any problems with that on my President, and additionally have gotten into the habit of closing the bail manually. On the Abu Soron thread, the OP mentioned that he got in the habit of putting the handle in a specific spot that made it less likely for the bail to close prematurely, a habit I also developed when using that POS Zebco. I did not however enjoy the practice of doing that, while closing the bail manually is less of a hassle.

The Abu is still somewhat of a contender in my mind since the reviews on it have shown it is rock solid and the second spool may have the same drag system as the standard one, which again, someone can hopefully confirm.

[Mr SwimJig]

I love my Soron STX and both spools do have the same drag. The braid ready spool is very nice. The reel is a little on the heavy side but it is built like a tank and will hold up to anything you can throw at it. The reel is very smooth and I have not encountered any problems with the bail at all.

SJ

[divadkab]

I love my Soron STX and both spools do have the same drag. The braid ready spool is very nice. The reel is a little on the heavy side but it is built like a tank and will hold up to anything you can throw at it. The reel is very smooth and I have not encountered any problems with the bail at all.

SJ

Good to know, thank you for that. Also, glad to hear that you haven't had any problems with the bail.

If anyone else has had any experiences with either of these reel, please chime in and share your experience.

[taylor5877]

I only have lower reels on these platforms (original Supreme and Cardinal 700's), but I like both.

The Soron is all metal everything and just feels solid. Not had a problem in 3 years of using the bejesus out of a Cardinal 701LX.

The supreme is just so light. Good value for that feature. Also it is nice that the rotor is metal (and magnesium too). Both of these reels are good values for reels with a metal rotor.

[divadkab]

I only have lower reels on these platforms (original Supreme and Cardinal 700's), but I like both.

The Soron is all metal everything and just feels solid. Not had a problem in 3 years of using the bejesus out of a Cardinal 701LX.

The supreme is just so light. Good value for that feature. Also it is nice that the rotor is metal (and magnesium too). Both of these reels are good values for reels with a metal rotor.

I actually was considering the older Supreme since it has quite favourable reviews and shares many of the same tech`s that the new Supreme XT has, at a pretty competitive price. However, once I saw that new Supreme XT, it was all over. I thought about getting the old Supreme, and waiting to see how the long-run reviews turn out for the new one, but I don`t know that I will be able to control myself . Thanks for your comment.

[NYBASSIN]

If you have an extra $50 i would get pflueger patriarch.
I have never fished the Abu, but i know from using both that the patriarch is far better than the supreme.
I have already gotten rid of two of the supremes for the same reason.When i remove the spool and replace it the drag no longer works.I dont know how that happens but it does. On the same reel i use the spare spool and the drag works fine.Aside from that one MAJOR flaw it is a nice reel, its smooth,has smooth drag(when it acually works),its light and its a true mag reel for $150.
If you do decide to go with the Supreme XT remove the spool and put it back on before u buy it,if the drag still works its worth the money. However i would skip that step and buy a patriarch i have the 9530 and the 9535 and love them both.Also i have removed and replaced these spools with no problems as it should be with every reel

[uljersey]

If you have an extra $50 i would get pflueger patriarch.
I have never fished the Abu, but i know from using both that the patriarch is far better than the supreme.
I have already gotten rid of two of the supremes for the same reason.When i remove the spool and replace it the drag no longer works.I dont know how that happens but it does. On the same reel i use the spare spool and the drag works fine.Aside from that one MAJOR flaw it is a nice reel, its smooth,has smooth drag(when it acually works),its light and its a true mag reel for $150.
If you do decide to go with the Supreme XT remove the spool and put it back on before u buy it,if the drag still works its worth the money. However i would skip that step and buy a patriarch i have the 9530 and the 9535 and love them both.Also i have removed and replaced these spools with no problems as it should be with every reel

Am I missing something or are you saying the simple act of removing the spool and then putting it back on renders the drag useless ?

That's a new one to me....

[divadkab]

If you have an extra $50 i would get pflueger patriarch.
I have never fished the Abu, but i know from using both that the patriarch is far better than the supreme.
I have already gotten rid of two of the supremes for the same reason.When i remove the spool and replace it the drag no longer works.I dont know how that happens but it does. On the same reel i use the spare spool and the drag works fine.Aside from that one MAJOR flaw it is a nice reel, its smooth,has smooth drag(when it acually works),its light and its a true mag reel for $150.
If you do decide to go with the Supreme XT remove the spool and put it back on before u buy it,if the drag still works its worth the money. However i would skip that step and buy a patriarch i have the 9530 and the 9535 and love them both.Also i have removed and replaced these spools with no problems as it should be with every reel

Am I missing something or are you saying the simple act of removing the spool and then putting it back on renders the drag useless ?

That's a new one to me....

Yeah, I am a little confused as to what you mean NYBASSIN?

Either way, I think the Abu is going to end up being the winner for me. It looks like if I remove the bail trip, it won't close on me and has all of the other benefits and reliability I have been reading about.
Also, it is going for $108 on Amazon with shipping for the STX20, which is first off quite a bit less than the Supreme XT, and a lot less than the Patriarch.

I'm just a little upset/confused as to why they don't make the STX in 30, and while the 20 will be fine for most of my applications (steelhead in a stream where I can't get pulled out too far), I think it will be cutting it close for trolling on my buddies lake which is 40 feet deep where we troll for wallies. With the livetargets we use, which supposedly take you 28 feet with 50 yards out on 6lb diameter braid, we let a bit more out, and therefore I would worry a bit if I were to hook into a lunker and it ran. But because this reel will still be doing 10:1 of its work on steelhead, I'm not too worried.

[NYBASSIN]

If you have an extra $50 i would get pflueger patriarch.
I have never fished the Abu, but i know from using both that the patriarch is far better than the supreme.
I have already gotten rid of two of the supremes for the same reason.When i remove the spool and replace it the drag no longer works.I dont know how that happens but it does. On the same reel i use the spare spool and the drag works fine.Aside from that one MAJOR flaw it is a nice reel, its smooth,has smooth drag(when it acually works),its light and its a true mag reel for $150.
If you do decide to go with the Supreme XT remove the spool and put it back on before u buy it,if the drag still works its worth the money. However i would skip that step and buy a patriarch i have the 9530 and the 9535 and love them both.Also i have removed and replaced these spools with no problems as it should be with every reel

Am I missing something or are you saying the simple act of removing the spool and then putting it back on renders the drag useless ?

That's a new one to me....

No your not missing anything, thats exactly what happened. Dont ask me how. Maybe im the one missing something,but i have removed the spools from a ton of spinning reels and never had this problem if anybody out there has an answer im definately curious.

[Frying Pan]

Can't say that I have ever used a spare spool in my life but I get the idea behind having one. Do people actually use them for something other than an ashtray? If that is the deal breaker for you I am sure you can order a replacement spool from Pflueger or Abu's repair center and then just buy the reel you prefer. As for the Car comparison both of those reels have been around for some time in one form or another. The new Supreme looks to be built off of the previous model’s base with some obvious changes and the Soron has been on the market for a few years and looks like it was built as well off of an older Abu reel but I can’t think of model/name at the moment.

[uljersey]

I may be in the minority on this one, but I carry loaded spare spools with me. I'm not going to let a line mishap cut a trip short, especially if the bite is hot.