Okuma?

[Zeeter]

Does anyone use these rods? I'm dead-set on getting a G. Loomis 900 series flipping rod but then I looked at a video of Scott Martin saying how great the Okuma is. Of note is that there's a huge Okuma logo on Scott's vest, so that may have something to do with it.

 

I'm looking for backbone with sensitivity (kind of what a girl looks for in a guy). In my experience there's no rod that has more sensitivity than a G. Loomis, and any rod can have backbone but they rarely have the sensitivity.

 

I wouldn't say price is a major factor, but they are around $150 apart. If they are pretty close I would consider the Okuma, but I think I might always regret not spending the extra money on the G. Loomis.

[Steveo-1969]

Sounds to me like you've already answered your question...

 

Signed,

Loomis Fan Boy

[WRB]

 Martin has a line of Okuma rods!

Dobyns 805 flipping rod is very popular in the Delta.

Tom

[Big Swimbait]

Big fan of Okuma rods. Their swimbait rods perform well above the price point & Scott Martin's "Matt Daddy" is an awesome flippin' stick.

[IndianaFinesse]

Don't buy anything just cause a pro says it's the best, that big logo on his vest is there for a reason.  They're payed by their sponsors, so of course they're going to support they're sponsors.  Stick with what you think is best and ignore Scott martens.

[soflabasser]

3 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Don't buy anything just cause a pro says it's the best, that big logo on his vest is there for a reason.  They're payed by their sponsors, so of course they're going to support they're sponsors. 

 

Well said!

 

[Raul]

Most Bill Dance endorsed gear ( rods and reels ) is almost trash.

[Glenn]

Yup, I have several Okuma TCS rods, as does my wife and several mods.  Yes, they're lightweight, sensitive, and functional. I was a little tepid about trying out my first one, but like I said, I have several now.  Happy to answer any questions.

 

Here's a few reviews:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/mat-daddy-helios-review.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/okuma-tcs-rod.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/Okuma-rod-review.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/tcs-cerros-reel.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/tournament-rod-reel-okuma.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/okuma-tournament-concept-series.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/okuma-helios-tcs-rod-reel.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/tcs-mat-daddy-helios-review.html

 

 

 

[WRB]

Good write up on the flipping rod Glenn, should help the OP!

Tom

[roadwarrior]

Okuma rods are a great value! 

 

[fissure_man]

12 hours ago, Glenn said:

Happy to answer any questions.

 

Here's a few reviews:

 

 

Weren't these reviews performed within a sponsorship agreement with Okuma?  I imagine it's not a coincidence that you and all the mods decided to 'try out' Okuma .  Is it really much different than hearing about the rods from Scott Martin?  lol

 

Not saying they're bad rods, but there are lots of good rods out there.  At the end of the day, whether you catch fish or not is rarely ever going to depend on the brand of your rod (within reason).  Pick something in your price range with generally positive reviews, appropriate specs for your technique, and you'll be fine.

 

[Jeff H]

15 hours ago, Raul said:

Most Bill Dance endorsed gear ( rods and reels ) is almost trash.

 

  Is he with Lew's now?

[Zeeter]

Yeah I don't like to listen to the pros when it comes to gear. That's why I'm coming here - to see if anyone has first hand experience with Okuma. The only thing I like about them is that they are rated for a slightly heavier lure and have a $150 price break on the G. Loomis. Yet the G. Loomis is a G. Loomis, and it's rare that would ever fail me. I think I would have more confidence fishing the Loomis than the Okuma unless someone came on here and said that the Okuma is actually a better rod than the Loomis for this application (flipping/pitching).

[Glenn]

3 hours ago, fissure_man said:

Weren't these reviews performed within a sponsorship agreement with Okuma?  I imagine it's not a coincidence that you and all the mods decided to 'try out' Okuma .  Is it really much different than hearing about the rods from Scott Martin?  lol

 

Like I've said many times before here, our reviews are based on personal experience, and are honest.  When a company comes to me and asks us to reviews, I do so on my terms, meaning they'll be straightforward and honest, and will not walk the company line, follow branding, or regurgitate marketing messaging.

 

I tell the company that if we like the gear, we'll say so. If we don't, we'll say that too.  If we really like a certain feature/function, we'll be sure to call that out. But if something needs improvement or doesn't perform as advertised, we'll call that out too.

 

I also tell the mods to put the product(s) through the paces as if you bought it yourself, and through the lens of "would I buy it again, or not?".  And then tell it in your own words what you think of it, like your talking to you friend about it. Would you recommend it?

 

I do provide them with as much info about each product (when available) to help them understand what the product is designed for (and NOT!), as well as to know what the marketing claims are, because, you know, we'll definitely want to test out those claims.

 

Every company that has asked for reviews has agreed to those terms, and have steered clear of influencing those reviews.

 

As I've stated many times before, our integrity is NOT for sale! 

 

It's critically important to me that we provide you with the right information you need to make the right decisions for your situation. The last thing I want is to lead you guys astray and provide bad advice. Our credibility would be lost, and you would never return here.

 

This is why I have set forth the terms above, and will always stand by them.

 

Glenn

[Zeeter]

19 hours ago, Glenn said:

Yup, I have several Okuma TCS rods, as does my wife and several mods.  Yes, they're lightweight, sensitive, and functional. I was a little tepid about trying out my first one, but like I said, I have several now.  Happy to answer any questions.

 

Thanks for this. Given the budget, would you take this rod over the equivalent G. Loomis IMX rod?

Edited February 11, 2017 by Zeeter
Clarification

[Deeare]

5 hours ago, Jeff H said:

 

  Is he with Lew's now?

Bill dance would sell you his **** and tell you it catches fish!!!!    

[Oklahoma Mike]

If price is important, get the Okuma. If you aren't that concerned with price I would probably go with another option. I had the TCS Mat Daddy and thought it was a decent rod but just wasn't what I was looking for and ended up selling it.

 

The IMX is a better rod but is double the price. The Dobyns Champion 805 that Tom mentioned above is also a great choice, but is about $100 move up from the TCS. I'm currently using Hammer's 7'11" micro flipping stick and have been very happy with it - very light, sensitive, and plenty of backbone. I think it was right at $200. 

 

Really just comes down to personal preference and how much you want to spend. 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I'm a big fan of the Okuma rods and reels. The TCS Matt Daddy has been a great rod for me for flipping weeds. I feel like you're paying a lot extra for a name with G Loomis.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I have 2 Helios rods a Medium and Medium Heavy and think they are very good rods. Havent used Loomis IMX or above so cant say they are better. I do have a few upper end St Croixs and feel my Helios rods perform/feel better than my LTB(6'9"ML/XF) rod but not Legend Elite.

I know walmart has Helios rods for less than msrp making for an even better value. The 7'6" XH/F is $140ish the Medium Fast is just $107. 

[fishnkamp]

Hey Zeeter take a drive to Hunt Valley. Take 83 North to Padonia Rd. Get in the lefthand lane. Turn left at the light by the Irish Pub. Go one block to Old Padonia RD. Turn left and turn in the next strip of stores on your left hand side. Anglers Express is there. Ask Eric to show you the Irods, Powells, Dobyns, Cashions, St Croix, Shimanos, Ducketts and others. Put them in your hand and even ask to put a few reels on them. See what feels best to you.  All of them make quality rods.

As for G Loomis, I was a huge fan of the brand, heck I started to use G Loomis before IM6 was out. My wife and still have 96% graphite, IM6, GL2, GL3 and IMX rods from them. I have experienced what I believe is a cheapening of the product since Shimano bought in and I think other competitors have closed the gap, even surpassed them in overall quality for the money. I am not speaking of the NRX as my wallet and I will never see one!

[Zeeter]

Thanks for all the replies and I'm getting some good feedback. 

 

Here's how I look at it. When I get a rod I intend to use it for years to come. So do I want to get a less expensive good rod or a very expensive great rod? 

 

It's not that money isn't a factor; it's more that should I get an inferior rod because it is cheaper rather than wait a month or two to save up for the better rod. This is why I lean toward the G. Loomis. 

 

The point in asking the original question was that I wanted to know if the Okuma was as good a rod. Not a better value. 

5 minutes ago, fishnkamp said:

As for G Loomis, I was a huge fan of the brand, heck I started to use G Loomis before IM6 was out. My wife and still have 96% graphite, IM6, GL2, GL3 and IMX rods from them. I have experienced what I believe is a cheapening of the product since Shimano bought in and I think other competitors have closed the gap, even surpassed them in overall quality for the money. I am not speaking of the NRX as my wallet and I will never see one!

 

I would agree that the lower end models may not have the same quality, but the IMX and above are just as good as they've always been. They're made by the same people who made the rods when Gary Loomis ran the show and in the same place. Some of the lower end models have moved production to Asia.

 

Interestingly, Shimano rods have seen a big increase in their quality since taking over Loomis.  

[fishnkamp]

Sorry, I was speaking about a problem with the quality of the last G loomis IMX rod I purchased. It's components were junk and I did not realize how inferior to my older IMX rods it was till I fished it.  I ended up taking it to my friendly neighborhood custom rod builder. We stripped the entire cork handle and defective reel seat, then chose a high quality American Tackle Comfort reel seat and a set of Winn spit grips. He did a beautiful job and now the rod blank is more sensitive and much more comfortable.  Most important my reel will not fall off or loosen up. I could have sent it in as a warranty, but they use the same plastic reel seat and locking nut/hood. This should not happen on a rod that cost between $200 to $300 ever. The rod was not 6 months old.   The cost of the parts we chose to use was less than $30.

If you intend to spend $200 to $300 look at the Dobyns Champion rod lines. I have a Champion DC705C that i purchased for frogs and larger jigs. You are welcome to cast it and even go over to a piece of water to fish it for a bit.  Take a serious look at the Sierra line.  I know he has a bunch of those there, and a bunch of Furys, not sure how many Champions  he had in stock.  He had a big rod order coming in soon.  That was as of last week when I was there. If handle the Fury 765flip and like the overall feel then get it in the Champion 765flip.  If you like the Sierra 766 Flip then there is a Champion Dc 765 and 766 to choose from.

[fishnkamp]

If you are still interested in a G Loomis then go to Susquehanna Fishing Tackle in York PA. He has an IMX904C in stock.  He also has an Okuma TCS 731 frog/swimbait rod in stock so you could look at all of them if you take a nice Saturday drive.  Once you are at Anglers it will take you probably 40 minutes to an hour to get to Susquehanna Fishing Shop.  Of course you will know all of my secret stores. Oh well.

[WRB]

Zeeter you are a dyed in the wool Loomis fan, your mind was made prior to posting this inquiry.  Pay the Loomis premium price, including warranty and don't look back. 

Tom

[Guest]

I think the Helios is dew for an update it came out 2011 it's 2017 now that's a long time in the fishing industry, nowadays. I always wanted one.