ICAST 2011: Okuma Fishing

In the past Okuma was known for their spinning reels. The last few years they have been building some respectable casting reels and this year they are pushing the bar higher than they ever have. The new big cheese in Okuma’s product line is the Helios LP Casting reel. This reel weighs in at 6.3 ounces, has a 10 bearing system, carbon fiber handle, EVA foam grips and will be priced around $220.00. It will be produced in right hand retrieve only for the moment and in just one gear ratio. 

The Komodo is just a step down from the Helios and just a smidgen heavier. This reel has an aluminum frame with both side plates being made of aluminum. It has an 11 bearing system, will be offered in more gear ratios and will be produced in left hand retrieve. Internal gearing is aluminum and will be priced around $200.00.

The Krios casting reel is Okuma’s new, entry level offering which will feature right and left hand retrieve, a 6 bearing system with dual braking and will retail for about $100.00. All of these casting reels should be in stores around the same time.

Okuma is introducing a new line of rods to go with their reels beginning with the new Helios Mini Guide casting series. These rods are built on a 40 ton graphite blank, use the split rear grip with EVA foam, no fore-grip, a Pacbay minima reel seat, anodized aluminum winding check, micro guides and comes with a Fuji EZ hook keeper as opposed to one that is built onto the rod. This will allow the angler to position the keeper wherever works best for them. This series will retail for about $175.00 and should show up on shelves in the next couple of months.

The C3-40X carbon cone series of rods will be offered in both casting and spinning versions. This stick replaces the C3 in Okuma’s lineup. It starts with a 40 ton graphite blank, adds split carbon fiber butts for grips, a PacBay reel seat and uses the same Fuji keeper as the Helios. This series of rods will retail from about $150.00 to $190.00 depending on the model you choose.

The newly re-designed EVX casting series comes in several configurations with Alps hardware used throughout the series and should retail for about $110.00. These rods should be in stores as soon as the others are.

Finally, Okuma is introducing the Avenger B spinning reel. The Avenger has been Okuma’s most popular series and this upgrade should continue that tradition. This reel will come in a large variety of sizes, has a seven bearing system and is bargain priced at about $40.00.