Power: I have no complaints when it comes to power. Most of my time with the Pinnacle Producer XT is spent throwing small finesse baits—not exactly the harshest test— however, I never experience fatigue or discomfort when reeling in a bulkier bait or landing a solid fish.

Bail Operation: Operating the Pinnacle's bail is an easy task. There is no extra-assuring click when opening the bail, but it opens solidly and never once tripped closed during a cast. Although I always close spinning reel bails by hand after a cast is made, a modest turn of the handle will quickly thunk the bail closed.

Somewhat funky looking, the handle knob is actually quite comfy.

Line Twist: Line twist with this reel never posed a problem for me. Pinnacle uses a titanium-coated ResistTwist line roller that features a special channel to help keep the line from twisting. It seems to work as the lines I used always laid down nice and flat with no obvious signs of twist.

An up-close look at the line roller assembly.

Features: At this price point, Pinnacle offers consumers a nice list of features that some other more expensive reels may lack. The full list (some already mentioned) includes an RCF2 body, machined spool, ResistTwist roller, QuickFold handle, FatWire bail, waterproof carbon drag system, and FinGrip textured knob. Internally, you'll find a bearing-supported line roller and spool, and two bearings within the handle knob. There is no spare spool or reel cover included.

Design and Ergonomics: At 9.9 ounces in weight, the Producer XT is a tad on the porky side. Aside from the reel's weight on the scale, the form factor as a whole is executed nicely. The body is relatively compact and features a narrow waistline. It's plenty comfortable to hold and use for a day of fishing. How about that funky handle knob? Comprised of rubber, the FinGrip handle sports soft, raised ridges for added comfort. It looks like one of those add-on knob grips that were somewhat trendy several years ago, but it actually does feel really good and provides a sure finger hold—even when wet.

To fully remove the handle, a screw must be undone from the opposite side.

The Producer XT never let me down during its months of testing and handled everything I threw at it without any hiccups. The Pinnacle's resistance to scratching is also worth mentioning. Of course the body can still become dinged up if treated clumsily, but even when purposely subjected to rubbing on a hard, sharp object it takes a fair amount of effort just to cause a noticeable mark.

Application: Carrying a regular MSRP of $79.99, the Pinnacle Producer XT PRF 30 is quite an attractive deal. There is a solid value here both in terms of performance and physical design if you are willing to try a brand that's still a bit outside the norm for most anglers.

A Lake Lanier spot was coaxed while fishing a wacky-rigged Senko.

Spinning reels of this size are very, very, very versatile. Check this reel out if you fish for bass, large trout, redfish, snook, schoolie stripers, steelhead—you get the point! Longer-running fish may require you to spool up with braid to increase capacity, but the main idea to come away with here is that there are a lot of opportunities out there to use this reel.