Okuma, one of the earliest brands i used when i started fishing back then. usability & durability, good. refinement and finesse, not so good. i still have my titus gold 30-ii, in good condition. a few Classic Pros died, and the Catalinas were a steal. had an Alumina spinning, forgot what happened to it.
but that was back then lah…
the new ones kind of impress me recently. the Salinas are known for their saltwater durability, and the VS (large sizes) are good for the money. The VS wobbles at high-speed cranking, but i doubt anyone wound turn the handle that fast to feel the wobble. mostly done at tackle shops to test if the counter balancing of the rotor is good or not. More ball bearings = more headache, as far as saltwater reels are concerned. so remember to care for your reels. the dual force drag on the salina & VS are a great feature but can be better implemented. for the money, i’d stick with the salina if its for general saltwater usage. cheap and cheerful.
recent okumas, especially the flagship Makaira series look and feel good for the price range.Teamed up with Tiburon Engineering, the reel impresses me. If you’re a conventional reel guy, go check it out. i like the small size 10-ii very much. at full lockdown of the lever drag cam, it still can freespool…
i cannot agree more that Okumas are being sidelined by us here in the recent past due to poor quality control, and after sales. in fact, in australia and US, many fishing charters use Okumas due to strong aftersales support and service, unprecedented 5 year warranties(or more). a lot of them swear by the Okumas for their robustness.
lets see how Rapala handles Okuma, before i decide to ‘invest’. Maybe its time i move out of my comfort zone to see what The Rock’s cooking. Its smelling great, and i hope it tastes as great.
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