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Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel Review

By: Author David Edwards

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Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel Review

In this review, I will look at the Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel, the next model based on the Pflueger President Spinning Reel.

One of the things that I like about this reel, other than its lightweight tackle, is that it has a sealed carbon fiber drag system, making it perfect for inshore saltwater fishing.  The extremely smooth reel utilizes nine corrosion-resistant, high-grade stainless steel ball bearings.

The body of the Pflueger Purist is a hybrid of aluminum and graphite, which provides strength from the aluminum and is lightweight from the graphite.  Combining this with the durability of the corrosion-resistant stainless steel main shaft and other features like the titanium-coated line roller gives you a very affordable quality reel.

For the money, this is a great little reel if you are targeting smaller species, such as small reds or spotted seatrout.  I like the drag on my Okuma Inspira 30, which is a bit better as it has 13 lbs vs. the 9 lbs on the Pflueger Purist.

The disadvantage of the Okuma is that I do not get the sealed drag system, which can be important for saltwater fishing, mainly if you are not diligent about rinsing and using a product like Salt-Away each time you go out.

Features

Hybrid aluminum and graphite body components

The Pflueger Purist has a hybrid body constructed of aluminum, which provides strength in critical areas like the stem, and graphite, which is lightweight for areas that do not receive as much torque.

Overall, the combination seems to deliver a lightweight and durable body.

Sealed hybrid carbon drag system

The carbon fiber drag on the Pflueger seems to perform well and is very smooth.  One thing I like is that this is a sealed drag system, so you do not need to worry about getting dirt and grime in the drag.

With that said, I still like to give all of my reels a light spray with Salt-Away after each trip, as I am convinced this extra step leads to reels lasting longer when fished in saltwater.

Machined aluminum spool

The aluminum spool is machined and ported to reduce weight.  The spool has ridges to grip your braided line, but it is not rubber-backed, so I think you still need to back it with mono.

The reel only comes with one spool, so you must order a second spool if you want to switch between mono and braided lines.

Nine high-grade stainless steel ball bearings

The Purist uses nine high-quality stainless steel ball bearings that are corrosion-resistant to deliver what I feel is a very smooth retrieve.  While the bearings are not sealed, they are corrosion-resistant and should stand up over time if cared for.

Titanium-coated line roller

The line roller is brass and is coated with titanium so that the line will slide smoothly over the roller.

Sure-click bail

The bail system is made of solid aluminum with an anodized finish called a Sure-click bail. It has an audible sound when it is tripped, which lets you know that the bail is in the closed position and you are ready to fish.

While the bail will trip automatically when you turn the handle, manually tripping the bail is always a good idea.  The reason I suggest this is so that you do not wear the bailout.

Instant anti-reverse

Pflueger uses a one-way roller bearing for the anti-reverse so that when you set the hook, there is no back play in the reel.  A smooth and solid hookset means that you will keep more of the fish you are lucky to have struck your line.

Features at a Glance

  • Hybrid aluminum and graphite body components
  • Sealed hybrid carbon drag system
  • Machined aluminum spool
  • Nine high-grade stainless steel ball bearings
  • Titanium-coated line roller
  • Sure-click bail
  • Instant anti-reverse

Field Test

For our field test, I paired the Pflueger Purist Model 1330X  with my 7′ St Croix Mojo Inshore rod and headed out to the pass on the Salted Angler.  We arrived on the backside of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge about an hour after the slack tide started to subside.

I found one of my favorite grassy patches, and we baited up with live shrimp and a float. We started to see what we could turn up.  Bam! I nailed a nice 20″ spotted sea trout in the first cast. This was looking like it was going to be a good day.

The Purist brought the trout in nicely and smoothly, and as the fish got close to the boat, it decided to take a run and test out the drag.  I was impressed with the smoothness of the drag; there was no jerky motion, just a smooth start and stop.

We fished for about 2 hours, and I landed a half dozen trout between 14″ and 20″.  Overall, the reel performed well and balanced nicely with the Mojo.  My reel was smooth and out of the box, and I will be interested to see how it performs over the next year.

From some of the other reviews I have read, it appears that there are some inconsistencies in the manufacturing of this particular model of the Pflueger brand.

Pros

  • Sealed drag system
  • Weight
  • Smoothness

Cons

  • Consistency in manufacturing

Alternatives

For the same amount of money, you can take a look at the Okuma Inspira.  I fish an Okuma Inspira ISX-30B paired with my 7′ St Croix Mojo Inshore rod and just love the combination as both are very lightweight and border on an ultra-lightweight setup.

The one thing you do not get with the Okuma Inspira is the sealed drag system. However, in model 30, the Okuma is 13% lighter, weighing in at 7.4 oz, compared to the purist model 30, which weighs in at 8.5 oz.

If you want to get an even lighter weight, I would say to look at the Pflueger Supreme XT, a magnesium body and rotor with the same sealed drag system as the Pflueger Pursuit.

This is an ultralight reel; a model 30 weighs just 6.8 oz.

In Conclusion

Overall, I think this is a good reel for the price point, as it is pretty hard to find a reel that has sealed anything for under $80.

The one reservation I have is that, after reading other reviews, it seems there are some manufacturing inconsistencies with the Pflueger Purist.

This is not the case for the entire Pflueger brand, as I have not heard of any problems with the Pflueger President, which is a less expensive reel.

I will update the post after I have used the reel for 6-12 months to let you know if I have had any issues or if the reel is still performing strongly.

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