Are Shimano reels made by Okuma?

[Woodzzz]

Yes but such a lowly predator such as the pike does not deserve to be caught on anything BUT cheaper gear.

 

Apparently anyway...

 

I'm only messing, I'm not saying Okuma make bad reels, not by any stretch of the imagination, what I'm saying is that IMO a Shimano is better, and to say both are made in the same factory is, at best, laughable.

 

Well done on the big pike BTW, I don't fish for pike unless invited to do so by a friend, and I would have to say that a 20 is a big achievement!

[Andy Macfarlane]

Thank you Wooddzzzz.

You are a gentleman if nothing else...lol

 

[Tony 1]

Steve, with regards to servicing/repairs of okuma's try this link,http://www.reelvalue.co.uk/ although the workshop is closed at the moment due to high demand, i am led to belive it will be accepting reels in the not to dark distant, I know the guy's involved being just up the road in Exeter from them, good lads, especially Max in the tackle Trader.

Just a thought they may be able to help with Dam stuff?.

 

Regards Tony.

 

P.S If you think it is appropriate you may wish to post it on a a new thread.

 

[ 16. September 2003, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Tony C ]

[Peter Waller]

A number of people are very defensive about Shimano! Tackle snobs?

 

You buy an expensive ABU, it will probably be made in Sweden. You buy a cheaper ABU and it will probably have 'made in China' on it. In other words, I guess, ABU contract a Chinese factory to manufacture using Swedish tooling, or atleast Swedish designs. I don't think it unreasonable that Shimano do exactly the same. Infact I'm sure I once noticed 'made in China' on a budget Shimano reel!

[Newt]

Steve Burke:

... Instead I bought the latest Shimano Baitrunners but I can't get on with them. What I don't like is that they're ultra free-running, which for someone as hamfisted as me is not a good idea when fishing with the anti-reverse off (I don't like Shimano's anti-reverse switch anyway)....

Sounds like you should have bought the US version of the reel. Very different than the UK one. I've been eyeing the newer "B" design but my old 3500A just won't quit.

 

Not sure if I need to put it in the driveway and run over it a few times or put it on a rod I don't like and "lose" the rig in the water though. My Mrs. would have a fit if I bought yet another reel while I still have my present selection.

[Guest sslatter]

JUNE: Out on the local pontoon for the last half an hour of daylight and tide. When I get there, another angler is spinning for bass, all Shimanoed-up to the eyeballs. He looks at me with some disdain, as he runs his eyes up and down my Abu 704 and avon float set up. He turns his back without saying anything and continues to spin. I drop my line in right at the edge in about 12 inches of water, and hey presto! I hook and land a 5lb 6oz thicklip. He couldn't believe his eyes. He was NOT happy.

 

JULY: Out on the pontoon to fish the high tide, with my centrepin and avon float set-up. Along comes a pal, all Shimanoed-up, and has a good-natured dig at my reel. Next minute, he has the mother of a birdsnest as the wind catches his line when the bail arm was open. And guess who hooks and lands a 4 pounder within minutes? He was NOT happy.

 

AUGUST: Out on the pontoon with the same pal at a neap low just on the up, with my 704 and avon float set-up. The water is really shallow and we suddenly get excited as three large fish enter the swim. My float dibs under, I strike, and the fish makes an unstoppable surge under the pontoon, and stops about 40 yards the other side, with me bent double, over the other side of the pontoon. Only one thing for it: disengage the reel, pass it under the pontoon, hoping that the hook (barbless) doesn't fall out. (Yes I know it was a long shot). But when I try to disengage the reel, only one of the two pick-up pins disengages, the fish takes off again, and my line snaps as it catches one of the concrete pilings. This was the second time this had happened. I was NOT happy.

 

So..I guess you can have any type of reel, and still get problems. They all have their own idiosyncracies. I still prefer the centrepin and the closed face for estuary and river floatfishing. I don't like fixed spools for that style at all. Legering is where fixed spools are best IMO. But like people say: "horses for courses" I suppose.

 

[ 16. September 2003, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: Graham X ]

[Steve Burke]

aanthony:

Please keep me posted on the baitrunners Steve.

Will do.

[Steve Burke]

Tony C:

Steve, with regards to servicing/repairs of okuma's try this link,http://www.reelvalue.co.uk/ although the workshop is closed at the moment due to high demand, i am led to belive it will be accepting reels in the not to dark distant, I know the guy's involved being just up the road in Exeter from them, good lads, especially Max in the tackle Trader.

Just a thought they may be able to help with Dam stuff?.

Cheers, Tony. This is the first I've seen about service and repairs of Okumas.

 

So far I've had no problems with any DAM reel apart from the spare spool of one of the early free spool models not working when I bought it. I gather this problem wasn't uncommon but was soon sorted by DAM. My faulty spool was simply exchanged by the shop.

[Steve Burke]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Newt:

[/qb]

---

Sounds like you should have bought the US version of the reel. Very different than the UK one. I've been eyeing the newer "B" design but my old 3500A just won't quit.

[/QB]

 

I haven't seen the latest version. The older one I saw had a front drag which I'm not so keen on for the fish I'm after, and didn't seem to have such a good line lay as the European model. However, I've heard that it's extremely robust indeed. Couple that with a front drag for the catfish that you've shown us and I can see why you like it!

 

What attracted me to the DAM was the good experience I've had over the years with this brand. Additionally, the free spool adjustment is built into the spool and the anti-reverse is a sliding switch. This means no protrusions for line to get caught round, which I find especially important when fishing open bail arm on windy days. But as I said earlier I'm hamfisted!

 

For lure fishing and float fishing I've been very pleased for many years with my Shimanos, although I'm also now using a much cheaper DAM Futura 630. If it lasts as long as my expensive Shimanos it'll be excellent value for money.

[Steve Burke]

Peter Waller:

You buy an expensive ABU, it will probably be made in Sweden. You buy a cheaper ABU and it will probably have 'made in China' on it. In other words, I guess, ABU contract a Chinese factory to manufacture using Swedish tooling, or atleast Swedish designs. I don't think it unreasonable that Shimano do exactly the same. Infact I'm sure I once noticed 'made in China' on a budget Shimano reel!

Good point, Peter.

 

The spec on some of the cheaper Shimanos seems to be almost identical to the expensive models. Could it be that the former are made outside of Japan, or perhaps just to lower engineering tolerances?

 

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