Casting Rod – Pinnacle 7-foot, 3-inch Tournament Class Perfecta 7 DHC7-731CAH, paired with Pinnacle’s super-light Primmus Xi HS Hand-Tuned Casting Reel, 6.3.1 gear ratio.
This incredibly lightweight rod is balanced well and is great to look at. The construction is outstanding. It features a Double Helical Blank construction for strength and increased sensitivity. In short, the DHC is a process that layers of high-modulus graphite are wrapped in the opposite direction around the initial layers of high-density carbon. This process results in rods that are lightweight and powerful.
The micro guides are quality Fuji Titanium-SIC Tangle-Free K-Guides, making casting and retrieving a smooth venture. The low-profile Fuji ACS reel seats reduce weight and form a solid, comfortable base for the reel. The split-grip, high-density EVA handle is excellent in all weather conditions and feels good in your hand.
The reel is extremely light and built with an X-Bone metal frame to help distribute stress among four points. It features 10 Double-Shielded stainless steel ball bearings, a roller bearing, and an adjustable six-pin centrifugal brake system.
This brake system was new to me, so it took time to fine-tune it to fit my fishing style. It is found under the cover on the left side of the reel. It is easy to access and makes adjustments fast and easy.
It has a click spool tension knob to help adjust the friction on the spool shaft to control backlashes. This is not a reel anglers can pull from the box, add to a rod, and hit the water ready to go at a moment’s notice. You need to dedicate some time to fine-tune it to fit your style of fishing.
Another feature I like is the titanium-coated line guide. It is abrasion-resistant allows for a smooth retrieve and longer casting. NOTE: Do not put too much line on this reel. It will drag against the inside bar making it seem dysfunctional. I made this mistake, but it worked great after taking off some excess line.
The only negative observation from my testing is the reel made a faint whining sound when I was casting. It was not a significant cause for concern, but I’d prefer the reel to be quiet. Bottom line, the reel performed well and looked great paired with the Perfecta rod.
The reel feature I like is the free, one-time factory tune-up. The free tune-up is redeemable over the life of the reel.
As for the rod and reel combo, it is perfectly balanced. I was able to cast long distances with accuracy. The combined weight of the rod and reel is light. I was able to use it all day long without experiencing fatigue. I fish with a ¾-ounce spinnerbait a lot, and I have used other setups where my casting arm was tired come mid-afternoon. That is not the case here.
I recommend this to anyone looking for an excellent Rod-Reel combo for tournament fishing. Pinnacle states it's built for Frog, Casting Worm, Casting Jig, and Buzzbait fishing, but I found it to be a perfect Spinnerbait rod because I throw heavy 3/4oz spinnerbaits. The combo is very nice looking and performs well, making this another one of my new go-to rod and reel combos.
