I used to do technical stuff, so I can throw a bit of info dump here for you- A lot of reel manufacturers will have that 500 step-up in their sizes because they tend to be using the same housing casing- but they'll maybe change the ratios and there will be a spool size increase along with the armature on the bail arm. Essentially, it saves them some money! So when they go from say 2500 to 3000 or 3500-4000 they can just use a lot of the same components and its not an inconsiderable saving either when you're making 1000's of the things and having to do another casting for a different housing. Most reels these days are full of ball bearings because modern manufacturing made them cheap, like even the one you've got for about 100 bucks is probably going to have maybe 6 or 8 of them in there, whereas 'back in my day' we'd get reels full of bronze bushings and maybe 2-4 bearings on some of the better ones. Hence they roll really smooth, they're very quiet and very low maintenance, with the added bonus that they're not having to machine as many components in terms of gears. They're more or less sintered metal alloy powders that get cooked in a casting at many 1000's of degrees, they slop them out in the millions, throw them in a tumbler to knock off the sharp bets and other crap- huge savings over having to machine things like pinion and helical gears. They are not as strong technically as a machined gear, but for realistic purposes, its a fishing reel and not a car gearbox so it doesn't have to drag 1000's of kilos through it! Anodizing is basically an electrical etch treatment for aluminum and titanium. Why its better than say, paint or a baked on enamel is that it doesn't change the dimensions of a machined or cast aluminum component, you can scratch it but it won't chip off either so that's why its usually the preferred way of treating aluminum. Things I liked reading- There's a DLC on the roller which is 'Diamond Like Coating' and thats a comparatively high tech addition, it is literally baked diamond hard coating over the metal, it won't corrode and its super slippery so always good to keep the friction down on anything that contacts your fishing line and especially for something like braid which is a bit abrasive. It won't wear through. A lot of the important bits are still machined- the spool and the pinon gears, the crank arm are all things which are good for two reasons They essentially chop them out of a big billet of aluminum or brass, this means they come from a homogeneous, single chunk of metal that's been melted, formed and forged into a shape through drawing dies and what that does is that it makes the metal stronger than a casting, which is just melted and poured into a form to shape it. So it doesn't necessarily have that drawing/forging process on the metal to give it a more solid density. Plus when its machined like the spool, that will be more 'accurately round' than if it was cast Things I liked less- There's a lot of mostly other meaningless crap like 'gear stabilization systems' and 'oversized high density gearing' and 'flite drive' which really is just word salad rubbish! No nice way to put it, its there to make up someone's word count for the day... and yes I did time in the trenches as an engineering documentation and technical process writer. You could never tell that :) Oiled felt drag- its not the worst thing in the world, but they do dry out, they also grind themselves out in the clutch plates so it is a 'wear item' and it would be good to know if there's a source of new ones if your drag ever stops working properly. Most of the modern systems will use carbon plates these days which are harder wearing items and last much longer, but got to save some bucks on manufacturing somewhere its all built to a budget! Overall though, its good for the money in that lower-mid tier of engineering anything so I think you got a good deal for how much you paid
WOW that really is technical. Thanks so much for the info, I really enjoyed reading that. I've never been great with tech specs, which is why I keep my reviews basic, in a way that people will understand. I'm more than happy to leave the tech stuff to the guys like yourself that actually know what they're talking about. 👍 Thanks for the great info mate.
Great unbiased review, I usually go for the high gear reels also. I get a lot of tangles when using spinners that don't have a swivel built in, the line just constantly twists.
Hey mate, just to extend on the gear ratio for anyone that doesn’t know. 6:1 means that the spool will do 6 full rotations, in 1 rotation of the handle. Same for 5:1, 4:1 etc. I also use a 1000 size reel for my trout setup. Perfect in my opinion.
@@robbiefishing a drop in the ocean compared to the knowledge I have gained from your vids mate! I’m relatively new to fishing and any questions I have I just search “robbiefishing xxxxxxx” depending on what I’m looking for. Your channel has been a great help for me.
Haven’t tried Okuma spinners yet. I was into Shimano (surf) and Daiwa (light) and now I am using a couple of Penn reels for multi purpose. But I've found that if you put a small reel with a small bail, on a big rod with a big first guide. You will tangle and break a lot of line. And same with a huge bail arm on small rod guides.
I'm addicted to vintage tackle. I guess because it's what I grew up with. I fish Penn 710 reels and Mitchell 300 reels for most fresh water species though I do keep a Shimano Summer Solstice lightweight reel for trout. I use a Montague Flash fly rod with a Pflueger Medalist reel. Not for everyone and new tech has better offerings but I enjoy the nostalgia of it all. Nice review of the Okuma. I hear they make pretty good gear.
That's awesome. I love.vintage cameras, but sadly they're not cheap to use any more. Film is expensive and so is processing. Mitchell reels were amazing back in their day.
@@robbiefishing I used to have an eBay store so I know shipping to Australia was quite costly. Some of the very rare cameras, mostly those from Japan, can be quite expensive. Others are still pretty reasonably priced here. Again, internet purchases can get costly due to shipping costs. Older cameras tend to be heavy. Then as you said, the price of film, development and printing if you're not doing that yourself just gets cost prohibitive. My own Nikon F2 has not seen daylight in about 2 decades now.
G’day Robbie. Great review mate. I have an Okuma, bait runner 2500 size that I’ve had for years and it’s actually one of my go to’s. I really love it and never had any problems with it.
Zeps won 2 tournaments using okuma fishing reels. Between we have 6 of there reels and truly love them on everything bream and flathead fishing and took them on a trout trip. Love love love em
Good morning Robbie, I just watched your review on the okumo spin reels ,I have had a 1ooo and a 3ooo for a couple of years now I haven't had any troubles with the line getting caught under the spool though I use braid on the spool and mono for the leader as I only use them in salt water up here ,when I fish the fresh waters out west in qld I have other reels spooled with mono ,thanks for the review on the okumo reels mate .Gary.
If you’re looking for a cracking reel, the shimano sienna is the one to do the job for me. Bought it 3 years ago, never had a line issue. Dropped it into the saltwater, it was a bit rusted, cranked it a couple of times, running perfectly normal and it was 70 bucks at a local tackle store. Most reliable reel ever!
NO..... don't even compare that Shimano reel with any Okuma. Especially any Ceymar madel. That's simply ignorance and that's being very nice. Glad you're happy with it , but you are definitely comparing apples and oranges. Bearings , drag , gear ratio....everything is on a lower level . It's not even a comparable opinion. At the Sierra's price....if that what you want to spend , that's up to you. I have a Okuma Ceymar OTD 1000 with a lower gear ratio than the one on the video with 22 lbs drag , 10 bearings that cost less than $20 more than the Shimano Sierra.
I've been using a light and an ultralight Pflueger for years. After quite a few reels breaking for one reason or another, for decades, I bought a Pflueger. They are bulletproof and smooth! Just my opinion and 45 years fishing XP. I'll have to check out the Okuma's eventually, Pflueger's are still working like Swiss watches, until then, nice review!
Hi Robbie, Good, honest review and glad to hear it's not a sponsored review. Use to get peed off watching main stream fishing shows, and 15 minutes of a 30 minute show would be sponsers plugs. Quick question, is the handle interchangeable for left handers as well as righties?
Hi mate I hope this is helpful I watched a video on the line going under and apparently if you take off the spool and I think move the nut on the shaft up a bit or down gee not sure anymore but there is a video on it hope this helps
@@robbiefishing now that I remember it was about the spool not evenly spooling so the bottom of the spool had more line meaning the line found its way under the spool
Hey Robbie. I bought the same reel from the same fishing shop and I would have to say I'm not a fan of the reel, however the shop is A1. My first fishing session I spent the entire couple of hours untangling line. Also, I had that same metal bit fall out of the reel but fortunately I was onto it thanks to one of your earlier videos. I had a couple of short problem free sessions but on another session had another tangle, just as a trout took my cricket and I lost the fish. I suspect the 4lb line is not a good match for this reel and it may be better with braid or heavier line. I'll be taking the reel back to the shop this Friday for some advice and hopefully a good deal on a replacement.
I normally go for ones I know work, (curados, sedonas and vanfords) I know I can trust them to land a big fish. I’m headed up to negambie for a couple nights so I’m aiming to get a Yella on my spin combo and a cod on a lure!
@@robbiefishing Usually you can tell because they are a lot lighter and cheaper feeling. It won't feel very smooth when reeling and it will rattle when shaking it. Basically it just feels cheap. At 100 bucks I would expect all metal parts.
Is a good reel the only thing the body is carbon which may good okuma is designed in japan but made in malasia any way im here in London I can get the 3000 for about 50 English pounds which is good any way my friend good luck ah the best reel is okuma makeira bit expensive over 500 pounds but is the best super quality just to let you know okuma is better than SHIMANO daiwa penn and others 👌👌
I used to do technical stuff, so I can throw a bit of info dump here for you-
A lot of reel manufacturers will have that 500 step-up in their sizes because they tend to be using the same housing casing- but they'll maybe change the ratios and there will be a spool size increase along with the armature on the bail arm. Essentially, it saves them some money! So when they go from say 2500 to 3000 or 3500-4000 they can just use a lot of the same components and its not an inconsiderable saving either when you're making 1000's of the things and having to do another casting for a different housing.
Most reels these days are full of ball bearings because modern manufacturing made them cheap, like even the one you've got for about 100 bucks is probably going to have maybe 6 or 8 of them in there, whereas 'back in my day' we'd get reels full of bronze bushings and maybe 2-4 bearings on some of the better ones. Hence they roll really smooth, they're very quiet and very low maintenance, with the added bonus that they're not having to machine as many components in terms of gears. They're more or less sintered metal alloy powders that get cooked in a casting at many 1000's of degrees, they slop them out in the millions, throw them in a tumbler to knock off the sharp bets and other crap- huge savings over having to machine things like pinion and helical gears. They are not as strong technically as a machined gear, but for realistic purposes, its a fishing reel and not a car gearbox so it doesn't have to drag 1000's of kilos through it!
Anodizing is basically an electrical etch treatment for aluminum and titanium. Why its better than say, paint or a baked on enamel is that it doesn't change the dimensions of a machined or cast aluminum component, you can scratch it but it won't chip off either so that's why its usually the preferred way of treating aluminum.
Things I liked reading-
There's a DLC on the roller which is 'Diamond Like Coating' and thats a comparatively high tech addition, it is literally baked diamond hard coating over the metal, it won't corrode and its super slippery so always good to keep the friction down on anything that contacts your fishing line and especially for something like braid which is a bit abrasive. It won't wear through.
A lot of the important bits are still machined- the spool and the pinon gears, the crank arm are all things which are good for two reasons
They essentially chop them out of a big billet of aluminum or brass, this means they come from a homogeneous, single chunk of metal that's been melted, formed and forged into a shape through drawing dies and what that does is that it makes the metal stronger than a casting, which is just melted and poured into a form to shape it. So it doesn't necessarily have that drawing/forging process on the metal to give it a more solid density. Plus when its machined like the spool, that will be more 'accurately round' than if it was cast
Things I liked less-
There's a lot of mostly other meaningless crap like 'gear stabilization systems' and 'oversized high density gearing' and 'flite drive' which really is just word salad rubbish! No nice way to put it, its there to make up someone's word count for the day... and yes I did time in the trenches as an engineering documentation and technical process writer. You could never tell that :)
Oiled felt drag- its not the worst thing in the world, but they do dry out, they also grind themselves out in the clutch plates so it is a 'wear item' and it would be good to know if there's a source of new ones if your drag ever stops working properly. Most of the modern systems will use carbon plates these days which are harder wearing items and last much longer, but got to save some bucks on manufacturing somewhere its all built to a budget!
Overall though, its good for the money in that lower-mid tier of engineering anything so I think you got a good deal for how much you paid
WOW that really is technical. Thanks so much for the info, I really enjoyed reading that.
I've never been great with tech specs, which is why I keep my reviews basic, in a way that people will understand.
I'm more than happy to leave the tech stuff to the guys like yourself that actually know what they're talking about. 👍
Thanks for the great info mate.
Great honest review
I’ve got a 4000 Okuma which I use on my Boat rod it’s excellent for that purpose
Great unbiased review, I usually go for the high gear reels also. I get a lot of tangles when using spinners that don't have a swivel built in, the line just constantly twists.
A Great honest review Mate. Thanks for sharing.
to robbie fishing please send a easter parcel of lollies and lures hope You Holly Lorretta and and all had a lovely easter
Hey mate, just to extend on the gear ratio for anyone that doesn’t know. 6:1 means that the spool will do 6 full rotations, in 1 rotation of the handle. Same for 5:1, 4:1 etc.
I also use a 1000 size reel for my trout setup. Perfect in my opinion.
Awesome, thanks so much for the great info mate.
@@robbiefishing a drop in the ocean compared to the knowledge I have gained from your vids mate! I’m relatively new to fishing and any questions I have I just search “robbiefishing xxxxxxx” depending on what I’m looking for. Your channel has been a great help for me.
Haven’t tried Okuma spinners yet. I was into Shimano (surf) and Daiwa (light) and now I am using a couple of Penn reels for multi purpose. But I've found that if you put a small reel with a small bail, on a big rod with a big first guide. You will tangle and break a lot of line. And same with a huge bail arm on small rod guides.
Ah very interesting info. Thanks mate. 👍
Hey Robbie, gr8 review. I purchased the 5000 size last year for high speed spinning at sea & happy with it to date. Also has 10 year warranty. Cheers
Solid review Robbie. Thanks buddy
Thanks for watching mate. 👍
I'm addicted to vintage tackle. I guess because it's what I grew up with. I fish Penn 710 reels and Mitchell 300 reels for most fresh water species though I do keep a Shimano Summer Solstice lightweight reel for trout. I use a Montague Flash fly rod with a Pflueger Medalist reel. Not for everyone and new tech has better offerings but I enjoy the nostalgia of it all. Nice review of the Okuma. I hear they make pretty good gear.
That's awesome. I love.vintage cameras, but sadly they're not cheap to use any more. Film is expensive and so is processing. Mitchell reels were amazing back in their day.
@@robbiefishing I used to have an eBay store so I know shipping to Australia was quite costly. Some of the very rare cameras, mostly those from Japan, can be quite expensive. Others are still pretty reasonably priced here. Again, internet purchases can get costly due to shipping costs. Older cameras tend to be heavy. Then as you said, the price of film, development and printing if you're not doing that yourself just gets cost prohibitive. My own Nikon F2 has not seen daylight in about 2 decades now.
G’day Robbie. Great review mate. I have an Okuma, bait runner 2500 size that I’ve had for years and it’s actually one of my go to’s. I really love it and never had any problems with it.
Fantastic, thanks Wayne. 👍👍
Is it from the "Epix" series? If so , great reel.
@@victorbitter583 yes it is,mate 👍🏼
I have a few okuma reels …no okuma rods yet because I can’t find a store who has a good range in store locally .
Zeps won 2 tournaments using okuma fishing reels. Between we have 6 of there reels and truly love them on everything bream and flathead fishing and took them on a trout trip. Love love love em
Awesome Matt, and well done to Zepp, what a champions effort.
Good morning Robbie, I just watched your review on the okumo spin reels ,I have had a 1ooo and a 3ooo for a couple of years now I haven't had any troubles with the line getting caught under the spool though I use braid on the spool and mono for the leader as I only use them in salt water up here ,when I fish the fresh waters out west in qld I have other reels spooled with mono ,thanks for the review on the okumo reels mate .Gary.
Thanks so much for the great feedback Gary. Maybe this reel is better suited to braided line?
If you’re looking for a cracking reel, the shimano sienna is the one to do the job for me. Bought it 3 years ago, never had a line issue. Dropped it into the saltwater, it was a bit rusted, cranked it a couple of times, running perfectly normal and it was 70 bucks at a local tackle store. Most reliable reel ever!
NO..... don't even compare that Shimano reel with any Okuma. Especially any Ceymar madel. That's simply ignorance and that's being very nice. Glad you're happy with it , but you are definitely comparing apples and oranges. Bearings , drag , gear ratio....everything is on a lower level . It's not even a comparable opinion. At the Sierra's price....if that what you want to spend , that's up to you. I have a Okuma Ceymar OTD 1000 with a lower gear ratio than the one on the video with 22 lbs drag , 10 bearings that cost less than $20 more than the Shimano Sierra.
I've been using a light and an ultralight Pflueger for years. After quite a few reels breaking for one reason or another, for decades, I bought a Pflueger. They are bulletproof and smooth! Just my opinion and 45 years fishing XP. I'll have to check out the Okuma's eventually, Pflueger's are still working like Swiss watches, until then, nice review!
Fantastic feedback, thanks mate. Maybe I will try one of those next.
Awesome review robbie!!
Great review. Clickers are best incorporated into the spool.
Hi Robbie,
Good, honest review and glad to hear it's not a sponsored review.
Use to get peed off watching main stream fishing shows, and 15 minutes of a 30 minute show would be sponsers plugs.
Quick question, is the handle interchangeable for left handers as well as righties?
Thanks Bruce, yep it sire is interchangeable mate. 👍👍
I have that reel.....but yet to use it. It's a backup. May give it a try given this review
Thanks mate. Good luck, just beware of tangles under the spool.
Hi mate I hope this is helpful I watched a video on the line going under and apparently if you take off the spool and I think move the nut on the shaft up a bit or down gee not sure anymore but there is a video on it hope this helps
Hi Jeff, thanks mate. I will definitely look into that.
@@robbiefishing now that I remember it was about the spool not evenly spooling so the bottom of the spool had more line meaning the line found its way under the spool
Hey Robbie. I bought the same reel from the same fishing shop and I would have to say I'm not a fan of the reel, however the shop is A1. My first fishing session I spent the entire couple of hours untangling line. Also, I had that same metal bit fall out of the reel but fortunately I was onto it thanks to one of your earlier videos. I had a couple of short problem free sessions but on another session had another tangle, just as a trout took my cricket and I lost the fish. I suspect the 4lb line is not a good match for this reel and it may be better with braid or heavier line. I'll be taking the reel back to the shop this Friday for some advice and hopefully a good deal on a replacement.
Thanks for the heads up Robin. Yeah there's certainly a design flaw with the drag, and the tangling issue.
I normally go for ones I know work, (curados, sedonas and vanfords) I know I can trust them to land a big fish. I’m headed up to negambie for a couple nights so I’m aiming to get a Yella on my spin combo and a cod on a lure!
Awesome, good luck mate. That's a great idea to stick with what you know, but I enjoy trying new things. Haha
@@robbiefishing im trying one thing knew, i am making a 3 piece glidebait for a friend of mine to target murray cod
Nice review Robbie
Thanks Dmac. 👍👍
i love the ceymar reels :)
The colour looks good but I usually go Shimano or Daiwa 🎣🙂
One thing I look for is a reel that doesn't have plastic gears. I use to really love zebco reels till they became more plastic than anything.
To be honest I wouldn't know how to tell without pulling it apart. I guess plastic is lighter, but not as strong.
@@robbiefishing Usually you can tell because they are a lot lighter and cheaper feeling. It won't feel very smooth when reeling and it will rattle when shaking it. Basically it just feels cheap. At 100 bucks I would expect all metal parts.
Good one mate 👍👍👍
Thanks Cam. 👍👍
Another good reel is the okuma jaw hope this helps someone.
Reels were spinnin' dude!
Hey Robbie I love ur content and was wondering if one day we could do a collab?
Thanks mate. Maybe one day, but I am very hard to pin down at the moment sorry.
Mad reel, I have one, and it destroys the daiwa legalis I also have. I dont even use the legalis now
I've got a few of their rods, rippa little rods but unfortunately they break very easily. Good thing they are cheap haha
Yes first coment
Well done mate.
REEL it in!
Best fish 1100mm barra.😂
2500 never look back.
2500. 2500 2500. 2500 2500 😂 better. Super line on my reels.
Is a good reel the only thing the body is carbon which may good okuma is designed in japan but made in malasia any way im here in London I can get the 3000 for about 50 English pounds which is good any way my friend good luck ah the best reel is okuma makeira bit expensive over 500 pounds but is the best super quality just to let you know okuma is better than SHIMANO daiwa penn and others 👌👌
Awesome, thanks mate. 👍👍
Okuma is focused on trout primarily.......and that's a good thing.