Your resource for Sonoma County fishing information
Review: The Plueger President is a smooth, affordable, and durable reel that works well for most freshwater fishing applications. After comparing this reel to my Shimanos, Diawas & Abu Garcias, I can say that this is the best spinning reel on the market at its price point. The President retails between $54.95 and $64.95, depending on the size you choose, and will perform well for years. This reel comes in 5 sizes (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40), but I only have direct experience with the size-25 (model PRESSP25X) and size-20 (model PRESSP20X) sized reels.
The size-25 is a superb spinning reel for trout and finessing largemouth bass. This model is a 10 bearing reel with a maximum drag setting of 8 pounds and a line capacity of 110 yards/6 lb mono. It does weigh in a bit heavier than other reels in this class, at 7.5 ounces, but it’s far smoother more durable than any other sub-$100 spinning reel that I have used. The drag on the size-25 reel can handle 5-7 pound fish with ease but I recommend you use braided fishing line in order to increase your line capacity and strength. If you don’t like to fish with braided line, I would recommend the size-30 as it will boost your line capacity to 130 yards/ 8 lb mono.
The size-20 is a perfect reel for ultra-light trout or crappie fishing. It is a 7 bearing reel with a maximum drag setting of 6 pounds and has a line capacity of 100 yards/ 4 lb mono. It is an extremely small reel that makes a 1-2 pound trout very exciting to catch. I use this reel when casting Rapalas for trout in small rivers and I spool it with 10 pound Crystal Braid and a 3 ft fluorocarbon leader. I use braided fishing line is used to keep my line capacity high, make casting easier and increase line sensitivity and strength. You definitely don’t need the added line strength to fight these fish but braided line does reduce the amount of tackle you will lose to snags.
Recommendation: Buy the Plueger President; you will not be disappointed! This is a reel that can be purchased for $60 and matches up well with reels in the $100+ range. In order to increase the life of this reel, make sure you are lubricating on a regular basis--specifically focusing on the line roller bearing as this part will wear out before anything else does.
Disclaimer: I tend towards under-sized gear for trout and largemouth bass, and my preferences for reels may be a little on the small side compared to other fishermen.