Amelia Island Fishing Product Reviews

The Okuma CL 200C Conventional Reel - I read about this reel someplace on the internet a couple weeks ago, and the guy said he accidentally put it on a surf rod and it casted like a bullet, 110 yards on the first try. So I thought I'd get one and try it out. The reel is about the same size as a Penn 525 Mag (left), but doesn't hold as much line as the 525. The Okuma CL 200C is on the right.

I stuck it on an 8' stump heaver, spooled with 17lb Trilene XT, with a 3oz sinker and two baits. Tossed it easy a couple times. No problems. Ripped it a few times. No problems.

Then I stuck 4oz on it and ripped it a few times. Still no problems. The guy was right. It casts like a bullet. Amazing.

Specs:

No bearings
No magnets
Holds 190 yards of 18lb test line
5.1:1 retrieve

I adjusted the spool so it had no tension on it at all, slight knock. Only overrun I had was one time when the sinker/bait hit the water I failed to put my thumb on the spool because the sinker/bait went so far, I didn't see it land.

Downside:

It's a bit noisy when casting, but with no spool bearings that's to be expected. The drag wasn't designed for huge fish, but it seems OK for whiting, trout, and other smaller fish.

Upside:

I think it casts so nice because it doesn't have any bearings. With no tension on the spool, it's just tight enough to heave it hard with no overruns, and just loose enuff so you don't miss out on any distance. Nice loud clicker. The body of the reel is graphite, so there's no finish to fall off.

Good reel to carry along as a spare if you blow up the 525 beyond field fixing. And the really good news is that you can buy six of these and still have lunch money left over for the price you paid for your 525 Mag; I paid $24 for this one on Ebay.

Not the best casting reel you can buy by any means, but for less than the cost of half a tank of gas, it's a fun little reel and well worth the price.