Opinion on baitcast reel

I am looking at adding a relatively inexpensive baitcast reel to my arsenal, pairing it up with what is basicaly a ‘found’ Abu Crossfire rod my dad found at a second hand store for 4 bucks.

I think people have talked about the Okumba baitcasters before, but anybody ever use the OKUMA CLASSIC PRO XP-452L? If so, any reviews? What else would you suggest? I know, I know, spend more and get the Abu 7000 series or Calcutta. I am really just looking for reviews of this particular reel or if anyone has other ideas or opinions, I am open.

Thanks!

It’s not a bad reel for 50 bucks, casts pretty well and has a strong drag. I think the 452 would be huge, I have an xp-302 and its a little bigger than a 7000.

Thanks for the input. I think I’ll order the 302L. Merry Xmas to me!

are these left or right hand retreive?

Right hand retrieve.

Just a quick update. I ordered one of the XP-302s from Amazon, about 45.00 with free SH.

I got it about a week ago and last weekend spooled it up with 65lb Power Pro. I like it so far. LOUD clicker, smooth drag. Will take some getting used to as it does not have the release button the 6500s do, just a lever like the Tekotas. Seems pretty solidly built, but we’ll see how it holds up to a summer of hard fishing.

Don’t worry about the lever. I think you’ll find you like it better then the 6500 style release.

Doug, you fish the mighty woody MN River. I would be nervous fishing 65 pound line there.

Our Family Flathead caught on Fathers Day a couple years might not have made it to the boat! Maybe you don’t fish this situation, but I wouldn’t have thought I would have either until we were out there.

There was a long stretch of wood that blocked an entrance to a run. The left rod was just lobbed to the left. The back left just a bit further down stream, the right back rod was a decent cast slightly to the left and then the right side rod was cast back a good distance.

I told the FW and FD if we get bit on the right rod then fish would go into the wood and we would have a very slim chance of catching her. There just wasn’t any way to pull her away from the snag.

Well, guess which rod went off? My daughter set the hook and it was fish on…and a good one. Then as thought she went into the wood and was stuck. The rod was handed to me.

I would let some line out and pull it back in all the time feeling it was a very good fish, but it would hit some wood and stop. I did this 7 times hoping she would swim free or pull her out some how. After the 7th time I felt something break (I think), thought it was the 80 pound Tug O War line, but the fish was still there.

Then it was the FW’s turn and she ended up bringing in the 45 pounder.

I know you fish a LOT and know what your doing. Just wondering why you went with 65 pound and not 80 in that tangled mess of a river.

I’ll be interested to hear what you think of it after you’ve had a chance to use it. I recently purchased two new baitcasters. I got a Shimano Tekota and an Abu Garcia Alphamar. They both look like very good reels but of course they cost a lot more than the Okumas. I’ll be putting them to the test this spring on some big Lake Mendota Channel cats.

You know, I really didn’t give it much thought as I always use 65lb on my baitcasters. Haven’t really run into many situations like the one you describe, but I could definitely see it happening in some of the spots we fish on the MN.

Here is a pic of a wood encounter on the Croix this fall. My buddy pulled this saturated log up out of about 30 FOW with a 6500 and 65lb test. I bet the log weighed quite a bit!

I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot and who knows, I could have been using 10 pound line and brought that brute in.

In that pic, my buddy thought it was a sturgeon right up until the last moment. Humpback sturgeon, no doubt!

Oh no Brian, I am sure the first time I can’t haul one out of a woodpile your post is going to pop up in the back of my mind and haunt me forever

I’ve pulled some pretty good fish out of timber with 65lb PP. What I don’t like about 80 is sometimes I want to break it.

A few wraps around a wooden dowel will snap it.

I’ve had a few break offs over the years. More so with PP then either the Team Catfish line or the Courtland line. But then again I used PP for 6 years and other lines for 3.

Doug, just forget this was ever posted.

Hey – I got nothing against your opinions BK! At least there’s people posting ont he cat forum in January!

Since I switched reels (again) this year, I’m spooling on 80 lbs Team Catfish Tug O War. Generally there’s enough to do a couple extra reels. If you remind me when your down this summer, lets switch one out for the heck of it.

You must have some old line on one of your rods?

Trilene Big Game