Pflueger Supreme 8040MG

I was looking for a light but strong, all metal inshore spinning reel in the 2500/4000 size. Most of the all-metal reels I looked at were way too heavy, but I did not want to compromise and go with graphite parts; I hate the way they flex under pressure. Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum all use graphite rotors on inshore size spinners to keep the weight down. Penn and Finnor have all metal models but they are too heavy. Van Stahl and Accurate, well, who can afford them, besides again, too heavy. Well, a visit to Bass Pro Shops would soon lead to my next favorite reel, the Pflueger Supreme 8040MG.

It’s all metal (magnesium), light as a feather, and has 10 bearings. The magnesium frame and rotor have no discernable flex, it has loads of line capacity, and the copious number of bearings make it super smooth. As if that weren’t enough, it has a 6.2:1 gear ratio too!

This puppy is a pleasure to use, having a solid feel in spite of the super lightweight. But alas, like all reels, it isn’t perfect. On the down side, quality control seems lax on this Chinese made reel. It shows in the machining and the finish. The silver coat scratches easily and is starting to rub off on the stem sooner than expected. Also, watch out when changing spools! While it’s nice that they include an extra aluminum spool, swapping them will lead to shaft parts flying off if you don’t pay careful attention. In the field this can be critical with parts ending up in the water.

Then there’s the magnesium factor; magnesium is very susceptible to corrosion from salt water, but I knew this going in. Pflueger markets this as a fresh water reel but the paperwork says with proper care it will serve in the salt as well. After 10 ocean outings I can say the reel holds up well in salt water, but this is with plenty of TLC after each use, but hey, I do that with all my reels anyway.

Overall, I am very happy with my Pflueger Supreme 8040MG, and on a late night outing in March 2009, it proved its mettle on a big snook in a heavy inlet current. Loaded with 30lb braid, it handled this very powerful 20lb class fish without a hitch. The drag set to medium pressure performed flawlessly. The latest Supreme, the Supreme XT, has an improved carbon drag which is a nice plus, but standard Supreme’s is fine if you don’t fish real heavy settings. With an msrp of $99, the Pflueger Supreme 8040MG simply can't be beat as a bang-for-the-buck winner. Tight lines!

This was a review of the Pflueger Supreme 8040MG spinning reel.