Thread: Okuma spinning reels?

I was looking to get a new spinning reel to use for offshore and on the pier for kings, is the Avenger 65 a good reel for such purpose? I think it holds 390 yds of 15lb. mono, has a 4.5:1 ratio, 6 ball bearings and weighs in at 270z (seems a little heavy). I'm guessing that I would need a 6.5'-7' rod to match up with it. Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,

David

I tried replying earlier but it didn't work. I have an avenger abf 50 combo that I use for kings and I love it. And I really like the bait drag. The rod that it comes with is nice too (ABF-701M-50). Plus it's really cheap

I had 2 of the 65's and one of the 80's none were bait feeders at the time....wore them out in 2 years or so...Had a Coronado that didnt last long as well.

I had a fina that crapped out quickly, but it wasn't designed for salt so can't really blame that on the reel; however had 3 coronado's that supposedly were designed for salt that lasted less than two years. Just not very durable reels overall. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Personally I would track down a 706 and fish it. I have had one of mine for 16 years without any major mechanical failures, not to mention the three I also have that are older than I am.

It doesn't matter if its Penn, Shimano, or Okuma cheap reels were not made for everyday use. From my experience Okumas high end reels are as good as any Penn or Shimano I have fished.

I thought the Avenger series was their low end reel?

Sometimes a simple search will yield the answer to your questions without ever having to ask. It can also eliminate having to sort through through the answers and having to decide which ones are valid or not. I remembered this post from last year and typed in 'okuma' in the search box to relocate it. Based upon the countless thousands of reels this guy has sold, bought, serviced, repaired and fished with over the years; I'm not going to disagree.
[quote author=john g link=topic=398.msg3486#msg3486 date=1324582912]
I would stay away from a 705 because you can't manually flip the bail, you have to crank the handle.Do the kid a BIG favor and get him one of the following reels with the bait runner feature:Old model Shimano BTR 4500(used price around $75),Penn 560L(new around $145) [size=14pt]and the best reel for the money is the Okuma Avenger ABF65 and we sell it for $62.[/size]
[/quote]

Do yourself a favor, call, PM or go see John and explain your expectations of a reel or any fishing gear for that matter and he'll advise you in the right direction. Because I also remember him posting this,
[quote author=john g]I sell fishing tackle for a living and I've looked people in the eye a thousands of times and asked"do you want to buy once and be happy or do you want to buy twice because you weren't".[/quote]

[quote author=the original pier pest link=topic=1970.msg18642#msg18642 date=1346977811]
Personally I would track down a 706 and fish it. I have had one of mine for 16 years without any major mechanical failures, not to mention the three I also have that are older than I am.
[/quote]

I have a 706 that I have had for 20 years it has never been serviced or had the drag replaced until this year when I finally decided it was time for some TLC