Okuma Tcs Rods

[robster80]

anyone use these?. found some for around 100 a piece thinking of trying the 6'9mh for maybe spinnerbaits and topwaters. ive handled em in store and they feel nice

[J Francho]

I have the APC 6-9 caster, and I love it. It's got a "not so fast" taper that makes a great everything rod. Lately I've been slaying fish on it throwing a Popmax. It's currently saddled with a Daiwa Sol. Not a bad package.

[robster80]

I have the APC 6-9 caster, and I love it. It's got a "not so fast" taper that makes a great everything rod. Lately I've been slaying fish on it throwing a Popmax. It's currently saddled with a Daiwa Sol. Not a bad package.

medium heavy?

[J Francho]

I think it's a medium. I'd have to double check.

[smalljaw67]

anyone use these?. found some for around 100 a piece thinking of trying the 6'9mh for maybe spinnerbaits and topwaters. ive handled em in store and they feel nice

 

Remember, these rods are just about all mod to mod fast actions so no stretch line is your best bet with single hook presentations.

[Cgrinder]

I have the 7'3" HF Frog and Swimbait. It's a nice rod. The locking nut foregrip is a little big.

[Grantman83]

I can tell you their softness runs true in the spinning rods as well. The shakey head rod I bought has a parabolic action which makes it more than able to pull drop shot duty.

These rods were obviously made with braid in mind. The softer action sure helps prevent you pulling the bait away. For the price, they are light sensitive and look awesome IMO. However, the action needs to be taken into account when buying them so you don't feel dissapointed

[Montanaro]

I'm thinking of getting more. I have 7' MH apc and is great for small to medium cranks and moving single hook lures.

Yes it has slow action but that doesn't mean you need braid! Some of their models are fast action but most are modfast or moderate.

They look really sharp and are lightweight. They have a model for every tournament technique too. Jacob Wheeler and Scott Martin use these rods almost exclusively and have had numerous top 25 finishes since their release even a win at bassfest.

The performance simply CANNOT be beat by any other rod at the $100 price range! At the msrp of $150 it has more competition but still stands it's ground.

[Glenn]

I have several and want to get more.  Super light rods built for heavy-duty action.  I can pitch all day long and not tire out.

[shawnmc]

I have the 7'mh. Use it for squarebills but it's definitely multi purpose. Great rod and like was said before can't be beat at that price.  Feels like a higher end rod.

[Montanaro]

I'm half tempted to sell my new daiwa s frog rod for a tcs. Daiwa s is a $100 rod and has large guides and pretty much no handle or features. Just a large (albeit light) blank.

[robster80]

ill go back and put my hands on the rod again in store. i dont plan on using braid but surely the mod fast would be fine for topwaters and spinnerbaits,etc.

[J Francho]

You don't need braid. Total nonsense purported by someone that hasn't used the rod. I'm literally at nearly 100 fish on chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, squarebills, traps, and now most recently poppers. I dig that it ISN'T overly specialized. Great for kayak trips, and for keeping in the truck for you never know what.

I also have the Mat Daddy. Both are fully reviewed in the article section.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

How would the TCS fair compared to the C3-40X rod at the same price???

The C3 6'10" MH/F is $100 at a big tackled dealer it has 40ton blank with Titanium guides zirconium inserts. The TCS is SS guide aluminum oxide inserts.

[Montanaro]

How would the TCS fair compared to the C3-40X rod at the same price???

The C3 6'10" MH/F is $100 at a big tackled dealer it has 40ton blank with Titanium guides zirconium inserts. The TCS is SS guide aluminum oxide inserts.

Tcs has smaller guides and different reel seat. Never held the c3 but it looks less comfortable. Also they come in fast actions. Not a bad rod but the tcs appears to have taken its spot.

[smalljaw67]

How would the TCS fair compared to the C3-40X rod at the same price???

The C3 6'10" MH/F is $100 at a big tackled dealer it has 40ton blank with Titanium guides zirconium inserts. The TCS is SS guide aluminum oxide inserts.

 

The C3-40X rods are the real deal, a much better rod in my opinion and were originally priced higher than the TCS.

[smalljaw67]

You don't need braid. Total nonsense purported by someone that hasn't used the rod. I'm literally at nearly 100 fish on chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, squarebills, traps, and now most recently poppers. I dig that it ISN'T overly specialized. Great for kayak trips, and for keeping in the truck for you never know what.

I also have the Mat Daddy. Both are fully reviewed in the article section.

 

I spoke to an Okuma Rep on the phone about the TCS rods as I loved the look but the actions weren't for me and here is exactly what I was told. They said Scott was given free reign over all the actions in the rod series and they were all optimized for the use of braid. It doesn't mean you need to use braid but if you are fishing jigs mono would not be a great choice, you should at least use 17lb fluorocarbon to maximize hook setting efficiency but todays hooks are super sharp so it isn't too much of a concern. They are considering expanding the line as numerous anglers, mainly from the northern sections of the country have expressed interest in the rods but with faster actions for lighter lines in clear water environments. I'm not wanting to make you made but I had a nice discussion about these when they first came out and what you said is true, you don't need braid but their product rep told me that the rods were indeed made for braid specifically which is why most of the rods have slower actions. The only rods with a fast rating are the Mat Daddy rods and they were made that way because Scott will often use fluorocarbon with the techniques he uses those rods for, so the rods were made with added strength to take the shock of braid but they are also faster than others because Scott likes a faster action with fluorocarbon. There were a couple rods I liked in that line but with me using mono for most of my fishing, it makes these rods an entire series of cranking rods and the product rep agreed and told me that he wouldn't recommend mono with those rods, only fluorocarbon but your best bet is with braid.

[J Francho]

Weird that it works fine for literally over 100, many of them smallmouth with what many here call stretchy CXX. Might need to work on your hooksets. Did you try any with line other than braid?

[Montanaro]

Scott Martin uses these rods will all sorts of flouro and copoly and doesn't have a problem.

But yes these rods do accommodate braid.

[Bassfink86]

have the 7'6" flipping/jig rod paired with a Lew's Tournament Pro using 15lbs. Invisx, great rod, super sensitive

[Cgrinder]

The frog and swimbait rod does not need braid. She fast!

[Grantman83]

I don't think people are saying that you have to use braid or that they don't work, merely that they were designed with braid in mind.

I don't think it's nonsense to repeat what passed on to consumers when the rods were released. I'm sure they catch fish fine with regular line however the action may not be what some imagine or prefer for their purported techniques.

[J Francho]

So, do you place more value in what a company sales rep says than what another fisherman that had used the gear?

Anyway, I have to take a few photos, and the review will be up in a few days.

[Grantman83]

Not trying to start a fight. Merely trying to present as much information as possible

[smalljaw67]

I don't think people are saying that you have to use braid or that they don't work, merely that they were designed with braid in mind.

I don't think it's nonsense to repeat what passed on to consumers when the rods were released. I'm sure they catch fish fine with regular line however the action may not be what some imagine or prefer for their purported techniques.

 

This^^^^  I didn't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and I never used the rod and I didn't say it wouldn't work with other lines. What I'm saying is that when someone asks about the rods, they should know the they were designed to be used with braided line and if you are going to use mono you may find the rods have more of a crankbait type action and more power or heavier line may be needed to set the hook. The information I posted came directly from a product rep as I like Okuma, I have a V-System 200 casting reel that I use for heavy flipping and frogs, I have an Inspira spinning reel for finesse tactics and I have an Induron 150 round casting reel that I used for deep diving cranks. I called about those TCS rods because I liked them and the guy told me the action were made braid specific and it isn't that other line would not work it is just that they were, in fact, made to be used with braid but if you prefer a slower action with mono then it would be fine but not my cup of tea and I think it is fair to let people looking at them know what they are going to get, I've seen people posting bad reviews on the rods because they didn't realize the actions were moderate. That is all I mean, nothing more.