Anyone have any experience with these? Look for a light weight reel to match with my trout rod.
I have owned some Okumas in the past from their mid tier to high end. I got tired of paying for high priced Shimanos so I left Shimano and gave Okuma a try. Bottom line is the Okuma is not a bad reel, however if you are looking for a reel to last for more than 3 years then Okuma is not for you unless you are fishing freshwate. I have since gone back to Shimano.
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30
im going to disagree with C Tackle. Take care of your Okumas and they’ll take care of you. I fished the Trios in my kayak guide service for 3 years and had one failure. The one that locked up is back in service after a complete tear down/cleaning/lube.
All of mine have taken multiple dunkings and suffered more routine splash than any reel deserves. That’s just a result of kayak fishing.
I compared several models in the Okuma line and went with the Trio. Good capacity, OUTSTANDING DRAG, smooth operation, and a great price.
I couldn’t find a reason to spend the extra money on a Helios. It’s lighter than a Trio, be sure to check the balance on whatever rod you want to pair with it.
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I’m with Too Busy. My first experience with Okuma was an $18 Avenger 30. For what I paid for it, I have been very pleased. It has been dunked twice off my kayak, cleaned, oiled and been put back in service and is still working fine. Looks a little rough at this point but what do you expect? I have since bought 2 more to put on inexpensive rods for the youngsters to use but often find myself using one. After hearing Tommy’s input about the Trios, I asked for and got one. I must say, I was impressed with the construction. Seems very solid and a nice action. I have only caught small stuff (my fault) so can’t say how it performs with a big red on the line but, I am really impressed with it so far.
I also have a couple of Shimanos and Penns. I like all of them though the Penns seem to show wear and tear sooner than the others.
Too Busy makes a good point. Another thought would be to go to Haddrells and talk to the folks that repair and work on reels and get their thoughts. One more thing that I will add is that I but braid on my reels which if your are casting vs bottom fishing you will tend to experience wind knots. I do not have that problem with my Shimanos. Either way what counts is tight lines and time on the water.
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30
I’m a Penn guy and love my Battles and Spinfishers. But, I have a couple of 30 Avengers and a trio high speed (orange) that are great. I bought the avengers as loners for friends and they’ve held up very well for the past 2 seasons. I’m convinced that the avenger is the best quality reel in that price range. The trio is new but I find myself using it all the time. Okuma makes good stuff. Just take care of them and they will take care of you. You can buy an avenger for around $20 on sale. It’s definitely worth a try. If you beat it up over a few seasons you still got your money out of it.
If two wrongs don’t make a right, try three.
quote:
Originally posted by Too Busyim going to disagree with C Tackle. Take care of your Okumas and they’ll take care of you. I fished the Trios in my kayak guide service for 3 years and had one failure. The one that locked up is back in service after a complete tear down/cleaning/lube.
All of mine have taken multiple dunkings and suffered more routine splash than any reel deserves. That’s just a result of kayak fishing.
I compared several models in the Okuma line and went with the Trio. Good capacity, OUTSTANDING DRAG, smooth operation, and a great price.
I couldn’t find a reason to spend the extra money on a Helios. It’s lighter than a Trio, be sure to check the balance on whatever rod you want to pair with it.Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Looking at the Helios specifically for the light weight. I’m using a st croix legend elite 7’ med/lt rod that weighs nothing. It’s an awesome rod but feels unbalanced with my current reel (sustain fe). I’m a little concerned about the durability since I’ve already gone through multiple repairs on a quantum smoke (which I would never recommend to anyone). The other alternative is moving a reel size down but don’t want to sacrifice the drag capacity or line retrieve with the smaller size reels.
By the way, the Helios has a $30 mail in rebate offered through Okuma and the reel can be purchased on eBay for $100. That’s pretty cheap even if it only lasts 3 yrs.
The Helios rocks, I just didn’t need to upgrade for the guide service.
That Legend Elite is light as a feather. Nice rod choice.
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quote:
Originally posted by Too BusyThe Helios rocks, I just didn’t need to upgrade for the guide service.
That Legend Elite is light as a feather. Nice rod choice.Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Yeah, I love that rod. Any idea if the Helios 25s is the same size/dimensions as the 30? The 30 puts out more drag but the 25s has a faster retrieve. However, the 2 weigh the same. I more inclined to go with the 25s but don’t want anything that is smaller than the 30 in actual size.
The 25S is the same size as the 25 with a different gear set. The 30 is a little bigger spool. They have a LOT of common parts.
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