Fishing Forum

Every spring Costco carries a spinning rod and reel combo along with the camping and outdoor gear. Usually it's not that great. Last year's was an Ugly Stik and a super cheap Shakespeare reel. This year's setup is much better. It's a Berkley 6' ML Lightning Rod IM6 with a Pflueger President 6925X reel for $65.

I haven't seen any reviews on the Lightning Rods, but the President is a great reel and retails for $60. It's a solid combo and a nice setup for the price. Certainly a step up from last year.
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Thanks for the heads-up.

I haven't really looked at them to see the brands, but they also carry some float tubes, pontoons, and pdfs in the spring.
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I got that Pflueger President 2 years ago. In my opinion, what a piece of crap. Lasted less than one season before the drag quit functioning properly. Then the handle came loose and wouldn't tighten up. My 6+ year old el cheapo Shimano has survived 2 kids and is still going strong. I will never waste a dime on another Pflueger.

I have owned a Berkley lightning rod for over 15 years. It still shows no signs of wear. I really like this rod. Is ultra sensitive and works well on lakes and rivers.
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I bought the 10 bearing president two years ago. It was super smooth for a year then last year it got a little catch in it. I haven't been able to figure out what the problem is.

It depends which president comes with the combo. There are several different models with different #s of bearings.

Windriver
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I have a president and it is retired but I loved it.. I retired it because something went wrong inside one of the barrings keeps sticking. But by no means did that reel have an easy life in the 2 years it served... I replaced it with a tioga sierra... and that is a cheapo. Used it for about 6 most Before I replaced it with another pflueger.. replaced with a pflueger echlon which is a cheap pflueger
And it is fantastic. Been a year now with zero problems..picked it up as a rod and reel combo from sportsman's in pocatello Before it closed for 50$ the rod is amazing also one of the best I've had, as far as sensitivity and strength goes.. I'm a pflueger fan for sure..like them better than everything else I've ever had and I've been through a ton of different makes.
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I have 11 Pflueger reels and I have been very happy with all of them. The only problem I have with them is if I get them wet. Then they do kind of start catching and not reeling smoothly. It's an easy fix though. Just take the handle off and blow it out and put a little new grease in it. They work fine after that. The drags have all been great, and I've never had a problem with any parts flat out breaking.
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i personally have had bad luck with the lightning rod twice...two identical breaks between the first two guides two yrs in a row
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I have four Pflueger reels (two Supremes and two rebranded as Cabela's models) and they have all been very good to me. The one Costco has is the base model President, not the XT. Any manufacturer is going to have some bad ones, but the reviews for the President are overwhelmingly positive on the Cabela's and Bass Pro sites.

If you have a kid in need of a new setup, it's one to look at at least.
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[quote windriver]

It depends which president comes with the combo. There are several different models with different #s of bearings.

Windriver[/quote]

Sounds like you got the Obama package. It never works[laugh][bobhappy][cool]
Ron
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That's a great deal! I have had the 10 bearing President for 3 years now and I LOVE it! It functions flawlessly and I have abused that poor reel - even through ice fishing. I may go snag one of those set ups - even if you aren't crazy about the rod, it'd be real tough to beat as a backup rod for the money. Sounds like a great loaner set up or maybe even an inexpensive way to get a primary one to somebody on a budget. Thanks!
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[quote jeremypeace]I have a president and it is retired but I loved it.. I retired it because something went wrong inside one of the barrings keeps sticking. But by no means did that reel have an easy life in the 2 years it served... I replaced it with a tioga sierra... and that is a cheapo. Used it for about 6 most Before I replaced it with another pflueger.. replaced with a pflueger echlon which is a cheap pflueger
And it is fantastic. Been a year now with zero problems..picked it up as a rod and reel combo from sportsman's in pocatello Before it closed for 50$ the rod is amazing also one of the best I've had, as far as sensitivity and strength goes.. I'm a pflueger fan for sure..like them better than everything else I've ever had and I've been through a ton of different makes.[/quote]


So, you're saying you're easy to please and you love a ....broken reel?! LOL Just kidding ya.
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I was back at Costco today and just wanted to make a couple of corrections, since I was going off of memory last time.

The reel is the 6930, not the 6925 and the rod is 6'6" not 6'. The reel is the newest model with 10 bearings.





Product page for the reel:

http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/products/...s.php?p=12

Product page for the rod:

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/...ng-rod-im6

It's the LR662MLS model.
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Bumping this because I went to Costco today and the combo now has an instant $10 rebate through Sunday, so it's only $55 now. That's less than MSRP on the reel alone, so I finally broke down and bought one.

I did see a couple of rods with broken tips, so of you do decide to spring for one, pick one from the center of the display that still has the rubber bands around it. That way you know it hasn't been whacked and and manhandled.
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I have a Pflueger 6730 9bearing reel, and I love it. It's the best reel I've ever owned. It casts far, the drag is smooth and it reels like silk. Mine is going on 4 or 5 years now, and is still like brand new. I do keep it with my rod in a rod case when not in use, and I think that helps keep it in good condition.
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