Are Shimano reels made by Okuma?

[Tony 1]

Have look at this review, web page Okuma/Shimano interesting virtual head to head review .

Steve, glad I could be of assistance.

 

Regards Tony.

[David Johnson]

Good review Tony, thanks. The reel in the review is the IBF 40 and IS the same weight as the Shimano 5000. However, the IBF 30 has all the features of the 40 but IS lighter and smaller than the Shimano.

 

Dave

[Newt]

We also have a Shimano thread running on the CAG forum. Started when I read an advert that was impossible and I said something. Turns out we have a member who works for Shimano Canada and he gave some insight. The advert part - it was in a BassPro catalog and BassPro wrote the blurb so can't blame Shimano. But some other information that may be of interest. Taken from This thread:

 

quote:

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from len perdic

Just to answer some questions... Shimano is fairly new to carp fishing and shore fishing in North America, and let me explain...Shimano Canada and Shimano America are two separate entities, and so is Shimano UK to Shimano Europe, we all develope our own products to suit our markets. We have field tested reels, and all that I can say at this point is that we are working on 3 issues with the old reels (even after we improved them in mechanics with better drag/dyna-balance/power roller), one is the size of the spool (in NA it was never needed to have 400yds of line for any specie prior to carp), two is the locking mechanisms for the bail arm (DAM FTS had a bail lock button and so does Daiwa XBR 500, we ran into legal rights infringement if we copied...so we have to come up with something different) and third is the size...down size one to 2500B for all the trout and salmon guys that want a baitrunner reels for the pier fishing, but not the weight (approx. weight will be 13.5oz.).

As for Stella, it was voted best all around reel in the world...it is a leader of technology in market reels (not custom)...personally I think a little overdone for an average angler like my self...as I said before in NA the bread and butter reel is Stradic.

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[ 17. September 2003, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[RED HILLBILLY]

Originally posted by Newt:

Sounds like you should have bought the US version of the reel. Very different than the UK one.QUOTE]

 

Interesting that, Newt. When the Shimano Baitrunner reels came out in the UK I couldn,t wait to get my hands on one. When they arrived in the USA I bought one straight away (only time I paid full price for a reel, albeit at a discount store). It was a 250GT model and was not a large reel. I have never seen this model advertised in the English angling mags which a good mate sends to me. I have recently bought 2 Okuma reels and the mags don't list these models either (Titanium 140 or something). I haven't used them yet but they seem OK and have 5 bearings but do not have quick release spools and you have to set the clutch every time you change the spool. Still the price was right ($20 & $25).

 

By the way, has Huricane Isabel hit you yet? I,m hunkering down in the shelter of the West Virginia mountains.

 

Hillbilly.

[dogfish]

Hi all

There has been some reference to shimanos being made outside Japan.This is not new.My new XTR 10000's were made in Malaysia and I have some others which were made in Singapore and these are not buget reels.It has always gone on.Even expensive japanese camera can be outsourced nowadays.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Hillbilly. I assume you mean its a front drag reel. I'ts quite deliberate. Front drags are way better for playing large fish. Theres a nice even flow off the drag when its at the front. It just takes time to get used to playing a fish because you have to be fully aware of where the rotor is when you go to adjust the drag during a fight. The other odd part is getting used to which direction to turn the knob when the reel is facing away from you. I know its obvious which way it goes but during a battle its easy to turn it the wrong way, allowing for slack line or a snap off.

 

[Peter Waller]

Steve Burke:

Good point, Peter.

On the other hand, is it just down to marketing, and the reels are almost identical but just priced differently?

Probably Steve. There are many, especially carp angling tackle tarts , who equate perceived quality with greedily inflated prices, prices that are blatently inflated for marketing purposes. We talk about 'mug' fish, 'mug' anglers are also easy to catch!

[RED HILLBILLY]

Originally posted by Andy Macfarlane:

[QB] Hillbilly. I assume you mean its a front drag reel.

 

Yes Andy, I'm talking about front drag reels. When I first used these reels, all of them had a spool that you removed by taking off the wingnut that adjusted the clutch. When I moved on to Mitchell reels they had a spool that had a quick release button so you did not upset the clutch setting. The Okumas I now have are like the old Intrepids. No big deal because I very rarely change spools, I just use a different reel. I've got lots of reels (definitely a tackle tart). It all goes back to the days when I could only afford one (very cheap) reel. Have you seen the new Mitchell 300X? It has a nifty way of removing the spool, just turn it anti-clockwise and off it comes.

 

Hillbilly.

[The Diamond Geezer]

quote:

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Originally posted by Peter Waller:

There are many, especially carp angling tackle tarts , who equate perceived quality with greedily inflated prices, prices that are blatently inflated for marketing purposes. We talk about 'mug' fish, 'mug' anglers are also easy to catch!

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Peter,

 

Does this also apply to guided sea-trout fishing trips on the River Yare etc. during the Coarse-fishing Closed-season ? :confused:

 

I've heard that they're over-hyped and over-priced on the basis that you might just catch a pike or two .... or is that just a load of old esox?

 

DG :cool:

 

[ 19. September 2003, 08:17 AM: Message edited by: The Diamond Geezer ]

[Peter Waller]

D.G., but do such trips have quality, perceived or otherwise?