Okuma's 2010 Flagship Reel - Makaira

skip · February 15, 2010, 21:21:04 CET

Check out Okuma's latest range of lever drag reels that have been in development for several years and you can really see Tiburon's involvement (helical cut gears, Cal's drag grease) etc.

http://www.okumafishing.com/family/284012

Makaira Reels Feature-

6061-T6 Machined aluminum frame with forged side plates
Proprietary hybrid corrosion resistant stainless steel gearing
Helical cut gears for extreme smoothness and gear meshing
Makaira reels all feature Two-speed gearing systems
Gold anodized two-speed gear shifter housing
Cold forged, Type-II anodized, machined aluminum spool
CRC: Corrosion Resistant Coating process
Patented spool pin system for use with braided or mono lines
Carbonite Dual Force drag system featuring Cal's universal drag grease
Custom designed thrust bearing: Alleviates side load on heavy drag settings
4-pcs ABEC-5 precision Sapporo stainless steel rubber sealed ball bearings
MA-80WII features 6-pcs of Sapporo ball bearings
Double dog, proprietary silent anti-reverse system
Ratcheting drag lever and drag cam for precise drag setting
Patented T-Bar handle with Easy Roll graphite insert on all models
Heavy duty stainless steel ratcheting clicker system
Heavy duty, precision stainless steel drive and spool shafts
Type-II gold anodized frame, side plates, spool, drag lever and handle
Open top frame design on MK-5II, 10II, 15II, 20II, 50II
Lug and plug system on all open top reel models
Machined thumb rest on rear cross bar for improved ergonomics
Forged aluminum full hard anodized reel foot and reel clamp
Machined etched Marlin logo on left side plate
Precision placement of drain holes maximizes water removal from reel
Special screw ports around side plate screws reduces water/corrosion buildup
Makaira lever drag reels are backed by a 5-year warranty

Check out the Makaira presentation online http://www.okumafishing.com/makaira/

twoutes · February 16, 2010, 05:01:18 CET

looks the goods!
I can sure use the MK-80WII when l go chasing blue marlin next week.

benri · February 16, 2010, 08:40:36 CET

i wouldn't mind a an MK-10 and 30 :-) these reels look great but will surely be priced on the high side!

OKUMA-1976 · February 16, 2010, 09:48:13 CET

hi guys

anyone interested in a particular Makaira model we can quote a pre-order price; please contact us first even by PM here.

i can say it will be competing with the best and the price is a bit on the high end.

skip · February 16, 2010, 12:42:53 CET

US Retail price of the MK-30II is around $499 so they're competing with the Penn International 30VSW which are around $550 and the Shimano Tiagra A 30 $529

skip · February 16, 2010, 19:53:43 CET

Quote from: benri on February 16, 2010, 08:40:36 CET
i wouldn't mind a an MK-10 and 30 :-) these reels look great but will surely be priced on the high side!

Top of the range Bryan, in terms of specs much better than the Penn International VSW and even the Shimano Tiagra A's but those are specs on paper. The real test would be in the field and to see how smooth the reel and drag feel, something that the Tiagra is well known for.

The_Gaffer · February 17, 2010, 14:01:15 CET

According to most US and Australian Charter Captains, in terms of durability and reliability, Shimano Tiagra reels are the BEST...no doubt about that. Okuma hit the charter scene with the Titus, especially the Gold series, and were recieving some great reviews, until their drags started to fail when reeling in the giants (BFT and marlin). The great Peter Pakula also had some good words for the Titus range, and stessed that although not as pricy as the Shimanos and the Penns, they still stood up to the punishment of daily charter activity. I must admit I've never used okuma on the boat while trolling for Alongi, however, from my personal experience using the Okuma cedros jigging reel, I'm seriously considering investing in one reel this season. I am inclined to rig up an Okuma MK-II 30W range for this season. I'll position the rod on one of the outriggers, where more then likely I'll expect it to get hit very often. Am sure looking forward to the coming season, with the upgraded electronics on the Gaffer, the probable BF Tuna trade ban, and the promise of calmer seas during summer. We all know what happened last season when the Tuna fishing closed very early in the season. Tuna could be seen splashing on the surface as near as 5 miles out on the 1st ridge on the west coast. This year promises to be more productive, as with the tuna trade ban in force, fishermen will be relectant to go out for BFT. The result, more BFT in the seas, and more chances for us to practice Catch & Release. So guys, don't kid yourself, if you're not rigged up with a serious rod and reel, and you hook into a BFT, expect your reel to go up in smoke after the 1st run, when I know the BFT can make a 200 to 350mtr initial run after hookup. If your tackle (rod and reel, amount of line spooled) is not appropriately matched up to the fight, then expect dissapointments.
I've been hearing great things about this new Okuma flagship reel on most foreign boards that I visit, so I'm inclined to try one out this season as part of the set up on the Gaffer.

shanook · February 17, 2010, 14:08:08 CET

To tell you the truth Joe if ur reel gets hit with a 150lb tuna it has little chance of holding it especially if, and knowing that u are sporty enough to do so, u spool it with a 30lb line. The reels we use for Alungi are as nick says an overkill, but they will hold a decent sized tuna like a 50lb one but above that i dont think the chances of stopping a tuna are very likely.

The_Gaffer · February 17, 2010, 14:23:15 CET

It all depends what reels you're using Tony. While out trolling last season for Alongi with some German friends, we had a tripple BFT hookup. The middle, and both outrigger rods hooked up simultaneusly. The Middle rod has a Shimano Tiagra 30W II speed with over 800mtrs of line, the rigger rods where a Shimano TLD25 and Penn 114H, both reels holding about 500mtrs of line. All reels are spooled with Momoi diamond 40lbs. Needless to say, all hell broke loose on the Gaffer's cockpit. The amount of line peeling off those reels was amazing. My German friend who snatched up the Penn, tightened the star drag on the reel a bit too much before I had a chance to tell him not to, and the line just broke. I had more control over the shimanos, and in less then 45min, we had reeled in (catch and release) both BFT. One was 54kgs, one 37kgs.
My feeling is that this season we'll encounter more BFT due to the proposed BFT trade ban. If you really want to enjoy a good fight, then you need to be rigged up with the right equipment. Forget the classics and 113's, they don't stand a chance against the BFT runs and fights.

benri · February 17, 2010, 14:31:36 CET

as soon as the season starts approaching I start to feel this uncontrolled urge to get into the boat and out fishing. Your posts are not helping............ I'm dieing to hear the reels scream again........

skip · February 17, 2010, 15:00:46 CET

As Shanook mentioned most of the reels I have are an overkill for Alungi and I was starting to think wtf did I spend that money on 50 class reels, however with the promise of a much better BFT season this year and probably some big ones around I'm starting to think good things.

I have 80lbs line on my Penn International 50Wide (overkill except for decent Tuna), and 50lbs Diamond on my other two 50's, scaling down to 40lbs and 30lbs Momoi on the others.

Would be great to use a Makaira 30II and see how it holds up because it's touted to be better than the Penn Internationals and on paper better than the Shimano Tiagra's.

I read through this presentation http://www.okumafishing.com/makaira/ last night and whilst alot of repetition about their anodizing process the reel sounds incredible.

robby017 · February 17, 2010, 17:16:53 CET

what about a group order..... if a number of us are interested in these reels and we buy them all together, is there the chance of getting a serious discounted price or? I might be interested in the 30 or 50 for the upcoming season. still doing my research vis-a-vis Penn, Shimano and Okuma.

Jonathan · February 17, 2010, 19:08:29 CET

Good idea Robby. At the moment I'm just on the verge or purchasing a Shimano TLD 30 or Tiagra 30 but I might be tempted to consider something else if the quality/price match is right

skip · February 17, 2010, 21:37:00 CET

Jonathan - If you're looking for another 30 class reel for the big ones, Avoid graphite based reels, they simply aren't up to sustained heavy drag pressures from large 50kgs+ fish. You can check out on the web several failures of the TLD50II, the TLD30II seems to fair a bit better. Shimano have tried to address this and the revised models have an A designation in them (TLD30IIA)

You want an all aluminium reel and for most manufacturers preferably with a cross bar for additional support to prevent flex unless it's built extra thick which the Makaira apparently are, allowing some of their models to benefit from a topless design preferred by some anglers but without any flex.

Like for like you're basically looking at comparing the Tiagra 30AWLRS (Retail $569.99)

Shimano
Model Line Capacity (# test/yards) Max Strike Drag High Ratio Low Ratio
TI30WLRSA 50/570 25 lbs. 3.9:1 1.7:1

Okuma Makaira
Model Line Capacity (# test/yards) Max Strike Drag High Ratio Low Ratio
MK-30II 850/30, 700/40, 550/50 37 lbs 3.8:1 1.7:1

I will see about getting a special forum group price but I think it can definately be done if we find the right place. You will place an order with the forum and the forum will purchase as a group directly. The only thing I know so far based on what I've been reading is that the demand for these reels worldwide is very high and the factory has already filled it's 2010 order books from it's distributors, which makes getting hold of one for 2010 very difficult. Will see what the factory/European Distributor has; shall I go ahead and see what prices and quantities we can get for the Makaira MK-30II, Cavalla CA-30II and Solterra SLR-30 ? That way we should have a range of reels to suit everyone's budget as a group.

The other reel to look out for is the Okuma Cavalla CA-30II designed by Tiburon and built by Okuma this is the reel that Okuma had always wanted with the Titus Gold series and is the new replacement for the Titus Golds.

Okuma Cavalla
Model Line Capacity (# test/yards) Max Strike Drag High Ratio Low Ratio
CA-30II 640/30, 540/40, 400/50 27 lbs 3.8:1 1.7:1

And finally the Okuma Solterra replaced the Titus Silver range and I feel has been made to also compete with the TLD20/25 from Shimano, it looks to be extremely cost effective and less than the €200 retail price in Malta of the TLD-25 but having very similar features. A combination of Aluminium and Graphite, the Solterra is heavily reinforced with aluminium and stainless steel; here are the specs from the Solterra SLR-30

Okuma Solterra
Model Line Capacity (# test/yards) Max Strike Drag Gear Ratio
SLR-30 640/30, 540/40, 400/50 26 lbs 3.5:1

I will be adding one of these SLR-30 to my repetoire of reels this year as I had wanted to buy another TLD-25 but I'll see how things pan out with the new solterra and be in a position to compare it to the TLD-25 side by side when out fishing. Be prepared to read about this as our long term test reel and with any luck perhaps we'll review some of the other reels too.

Jonathan · February 18, 2010, 06:39:21 CET

Hey Skip, Thanks for the interesting read. Yep I read about the limitations of graphite. Although I don't intend targeting 50kg fish, it's true that it would be nice to get another reel which is reputed to be strong and would last a lifetime... on the lines of the Penn International which I bought from you. I find that you develop a special kind of confidence and pride in such reels, something similar to the feeling when you buy a fine piece of clockwork.

On the other hand, the truth is that I know very few people who have landed 50kg fish except for the guys who used to go livebaiting for BFT. In reality with the reel I'ld probably be largely targeting alungi in the 8-14kg range so that I dont want something which would be too much of an overkill or feels too heavy on the rod as it would spoil all the fun.

Count me in if you're getting any bulk quotes for 30class reels as I'm definitely in the market for such a reel.