As if the wait for ice out hasn't been bad enough, I got my hands on the Okuma X-series reel. I'm looking forward to putting it through the motions. First impressions, it's light weight and has a small profile which translates to all day comfort. Come on ice out!
Let's talk about value. The next generation Helios by Okuma expands on the reputation of the original reel that I reviewed for BassResource several years ago. Great right out of the box, but even better after years of hard fishing. My expectations for the Helios SX HSX-273V are very high indeed. ...
The new Okuma continues the innovation we have come to expect from this premier company. I own the 7' 2" medium PSY-S-721M spinning rod and the 7' 5" medium-heavy PSY-C-751MH casting rod. These rods compare in many ways to the St. Croix Legend Elite, which I have fished for over a decade (Avids before then).
I currently throw all my swimbaits and A-rigs on a 7'3" Zodias that's rated up to 3oz. I've been told that a longer rod on these heavier baits helps with fatigue. I've noticed after throwing an A-rig all day I definitely have some soreness in my wrist. Will a longer rod help this? Found this Okuma rod that's a 7'9" and rated 1-3oz.
Okuma Azores Z80S hooked to a nice mud marlin. Unfortunately it went under the dock, rubbed my line and cut it. The Azores is an awesome reel, strong drag. A couple of things I don't like about is the auto bail closure. Don't know why even make reels with auto bail closure, when it's so easy to manually close the bail.
With it Okuma listened & incorporated the in demand Thrust Bearing on Alijos! An "HD Thrust Bearing marking is visible on the bottom handle side of the reel to distunguish it from the 1st series.(see pic). Btw Okuma did an exemplary Customer Service in dealing with the affected Alijos customers.
I have a Penn VISX-20 paired with a 80-150LB Penn Carnage III Boat rod. It is a really good combo and have it spooled up with 100LB braid. If you are willing to spend a little more between Penn and Okuma, I would personally go with the Penn. @tunanorth will be there are the PCS Show I believe representing Penn but he made a response in another ...
Recently, Okuma has come out with the newest installment to their line, the Alijos 2-Speed Lever Drag Reel. This reel takes big power and performance and puts it into a much smaller package than we've been used to without diminishing quality. The result in their words is a "compact bodied, big fish stopping machine", and we agree.
The Okuma Serrano actually won a best Value award from Tackle Tour, so that reel will serve you well ...
This is the Okuma Komodo SS a "400" sized LP baitcaster that uses an all stainless steel gear train and makes ~30 lbs of drag. I put "new" in parenthesis because this is simply a larger version of the Komodo 364P that has been out for …