Tackle testing Okuma in the Mackenzie country canals

Editor Mark Kitteridge removes his saltwater shackles to test some great new fishing gear in one of the world’s most exciting freshwater fisheries.

The chance to test light, freshwater spin tackle made a refreshing change. Sure, my preferred method of soft-baiting involves reasonably lightweight spinning rods and reels too, but this was another level. Instead of outfits typically possessing the 5-8kg capabilities required in saltwater, these rods and reels – mostly from the Okuma stable – suited 2-4kg line weights.

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To inject a bit of extra spice into the exercise, I would be fishing the world-famous Mackenzie Country Canals with big-trout specialist Bryce Helms. For those of you who don’t know already, the canals in this area produce monstrous trout that can weigh over 40lb (18kg), along with plenty of salmon, thanks to regular mass escapes from the many salmon farms dotted along these manmade waterways.

As for Bryce, he has largely been responsible for proving these trout do exceed 40lb, catching not just one but three of the beasts! He’s also the sales representative for Composite Developments, the company distributing Okuma and CD Rods tackle (amongst other things), so has an intimate knowledge of the outfits we would be using. Obviously, I was with the right man!

And so it proved to be: by the trip’s end, we’d fished the four spinning outfits over 3.5 days, catching around 30 trout and salmon to around 20lb in the process. The following are our comments and thoughts on the various tackle items and how they performed…

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Okuma RTX 802L rod and Okuma RTX 25 reel

As you might have gathered from the two items’ coding, they were designed to go together, so no wonder they make such a well-balanced combination…

Okuma RTX 802L rod

Bryce: The most obvious attribute of this rod is its length. Measuring 8’ (2.44m), the extra length allows more useful characteristics to be fitted in, including good grunt in the lower section and a nice, light, sensitive tip. These qualities enable lightly weighted lures and baits to be cast long distances, while hooked fish can be relatively effectively controlled (as much as some of these beasts can be when in the current!), with the powerful butt section helping to steer big fish away from various obstacles.

This rod is especially good when ‘rolling’ egg imitations, as plenty of line can be held clear of the water, creating more direct contact so bites are detected more easily.

The minimalist butt section keeps overall weight down, but is still very functional.

Mark: Apart from the extra length, the first thing to strike me is the rod’s power and structural strength: you can really haul back on this stick and move ‘swimming logs’ around if necessary – if you have a line that’s strong enough to handle the pressure. Consequently, this rod would certainly suit fishers who enjoy fishing the salt water, too, especially those casting and retrieving soft-baits.

The guides – well-designed single-foots with silicon-carbide inserts – are excellent, providing trouble-free casting over long hours of fishing. (How can they be incorporated in a rod costing $200? Not so long ago, the guides would have cost more than that by themselves!)

Length: 8’ (2.44m)

Number of sections: 2

Line weight: 3-6kg

Casting weight: 4-14g

RRP: $199.99

Okuma RTX25 reel

Bryce: This really is an unbelievably light reel, largely due to its C40X carbonfibre body. Other key features include: a smooth, powerful drag; a decent, comfy handle knob; and the apparent ability to be especially salt-water resistant, making them a big favourite of kayak fishers.

Mark: My thoughts on this reel echo Bryce’s. I found the overall performance nice and smooth, with the spool’s specialist braid lip helping to provide tangle-free casting. During the testing, it accounted for a nice salmon, and ticked all the essential boxes in the process.

There is a little flex in the reel’s handle and body when wrenched from side to side whilst on the rod – a test I give all spin reels for rigidity. (Minimal frame movement sees the internal gears remain in line so they wear more evenly and last longer.) Having said that though, the amount of force I exerted doesn’t (or shouldn’t!) occur while fishing fresh water – even when monster trout are involved. Besides, unless built from metal, making the reel heavier, complete rigidity is almost impossible to achieve.

Bearings: 7HPB plus 1RB

Gear ratio: 6.0:1

Line retrieve: 75cm, 29.5”

Weight: 190g (6.6oz)

Line capacity, mm/m: 0.20/200

Max. drag: 5.9kg

RRP: $179.99

Okuma Tournament Concept 792L rod and Okuma Ceymar C30 reel

Bryce: This versatile combo is a real ripper and, thanks to Okuma’s patented Unidirectional Fibre Reinforcement in the rod, it should prove durable over time, too. It’s great for canal and salmon fishing, but can handle light saltwater soft-bait work as well.

Okuma Tournament Concept 792L rod

Bryce: This Tournament Concept rod’s a pleasure to use, with good length, clever guide design and a sensitive tip combining to help lightly-weighted lures (even 1/16oz!) reach their optimal casting potential.

Even better, although this rod’s upper section might appear spindly, the uni-directional fibre reinforcement process used means the tip’s actually really tough and durable. In fact, I can deliberately bend and point-load the tip into scarily hard angles with my fingers, making onlookers cringe, but it doesn’t break. (Although no one should really be encouraged to this!)

Fortunately, this toughness was not gained at the expense of sensitivity, allowing me to feel the subtle bites of salmon when not that hungry and just gently mouthing the lures. Similarly, the rod’s high-vis tip provides a useful visual aid, alerting me to bites in times of low light. Then, upon hooking up, I believe you’ll be surprised by the amount of power available for such an apparently light rod. Consequently, salt water fishers would like this rod, too. Impressive.

Mark: The Tournament Concept 792L rod was a blast to use. Early on, while showing me the gear we would be using, Bryce invited me to haul back on this rather dainty looking stick; I couldn’t believe how it soaked up all the pressure and came out unscathed. No doubt about it, if a rod was needed to control and lift decent fish amongst current, this was the one!

I’m a massive fan of longer spin rods over 2.8m (7’6”), so the Concept’s 2.36m (7’9”) length suited my preferences. In addition to providing great casting and line-control capabilities, hooks can be effectively set from further away, and the extra length also helps keep the line clear of weedy edges when retrieving lures from the bank. I also found the line could be kept more elevated when fighting big, lugging browns that were intent on burrowing down amongst the boulders, reducing the chances of being taken under or around them.

The minimalist butt section was another star feature, reducing overall weight but still being practical, as were the coollooking guides with silicon-carbide inserts. Having the hook holder tucked nicely out the way got my approval too, as did the foregrip, which is a decent length and positioned perfectly for anglers to apply good fish-fighting pressure.

Niggles? Just one: the reel seat would be more comfortable if placed around the other way, so the adjustable-hood thread isn’t under the angler’s fingers.

Length: 7’9” (2.36m)

Number of sections: 2

Line weight: 2-5kg

Casting weight: 3-10g

RRP: $149.99

Okuma Ceymar C30 reel

Bryce: This reel is not just light to hold, it’s also great value for money – there aren’t many around with seven ball bearings and one roller bearing for under $100! The smoothness of the gearing and drag will also impress, the latter releasing without any noticeable inertia. The bail-arm is heavy duty, enabling manual or automatic engaging.

Mark: I was really impressed by this reel, too. Despite the very low price, the Ceymar performed really well – I hooked a couple of monsters while using it, and although I didn’t end up landing either, it was through no fault of the reel’s!

The Ceymar C30 is a nice size for this type of fishing and surprisingly firm in the grip, with no excessive flexing evident. It has a great handle too, being easy to hold over long spin sessions.

Ratio: 5:1

Line capacity, mm/m: 0.22/200

Bearings: 7BB plus 1RB

Weight: 8.2oz

Max. drag: 6kg (13lb)

RRP: $89.99

Okuma Nanomatrix 792L rod and Okuma Inspira ISX30 reel

This outfit is extremely versatile and has been Bryce’s go-to soft-bait outfit over the last year – enough said!

Okuma Nanomatrix 792L rod

Bryce: The Nanomatrix has superb casting capabilities; in addition to fishing softplastics very effectively, it’s perfect for ‘egg-rolling’ [soft egg imitations rigged on a small ball sinker], too.

Another of this rod’s big attractions is its sensitivity, the result of the blank’s design and the materials incorporated. Yet the Nanomatrix is also pretty powerful for such an apparently light rod, with a good length of butt section and practical foregrip location combining to offer fish-fighting capabilities.

With attributes like these, it’s no wonder an impressive catch record has been accumulated over the last two or three years, providing me with at least a dozen trout over 30lb [13kg] and three over 40lb [18kg].

Mark: This rod has a nice, crisp action, which, aided by its length, enables effortless casting and hook-setting capabilities.

I particularly like the butt-section’s length, something this brand gets spot on so often (for my needs, anyway). Having the right length is so important: in addition to enabling extra power to be exerted when casting double-handed, it’s great to have a rod butt that can be jammed against the upper thigh, with the foregrip positioned handily for pumping and winding. When fighting large fish for decent periods of time, this is something you’ll really appreciate!

Another positive attribute, although small, can be a real pain when done badly – the location of the hook holder. In this case it’s located snugly and out the way of flying line up against the foregrip.

Again though, the reel seat’s hard-edged threading ends up under the angler’s fingers, becoming irritating over time, especially if fish are being fought. It should be glued the opposite way around.

Length: 7’9”

Number of sections: 2

Line weights: 2-5kg

Casting weight: 3-10g

RRP: $229.99

Okuma Inspira ISX30 reel

Bryce: This is the other half of my successful fish-catching combination, so obviously I’m a bit biased about the attributes!

Although very lightweight and compact – perfect for freshwater purposes – the Inspira can punch above its weight due to the Torsion Control Armour incorporated within the body, reducing flex under pressure.

And, as tends to be the case even in the cheaper Okuma spin reels, the drag is super smooth.

Other worthwhile characteristics include a Cyclonic Flow Control Rotor, making line caught under the spool largely a thing of the past, while a centrifugal bailtrip replaces the old-fashioned bail-arm springs which were prone to wearing out.

Mark: This Okuma Inspira is another example of clever design, with sections of the rotor cut out to reduce weight without affecting overall structural strength.

Another aspect that really impressed me was that despite being responsible for catching over 700 trout, some of which were massive – and even taking on straylining baits for snapper duties at times – the Inspira still performs remarkably smoothly!

Bearings: 8BB plus 1RB

Gear ratio: 5.0:1

Line retrieved per turn: 24.2”

Line capacity, mm/m: 0.22/200

Max drag: 6kg

Weight: 209

RRP: $159.99

CD Extrasense Nano 792L rod and Okuma Helios SX reel

A super-light and sensitive combo – finesse defined – the Extrasense-Helios outfit can be fished all day for XOS trout and salmon. It also provides lots of fun in the saltwater environment, too, firing out light jig-heads and soft-baits with ease.

CD Extrasense Nano rod

This popular rod returns with a nano additive, making the blank approximately 10-15% stronger – yet the extreme lightness and sensitivity characteristics have been retained.

Bryce: This rod is super, super lightweight, enabling me to cast all day, no problem. It also has unbelievable sensitivity – perhaps the most of any rod I’ve used. Add to that some great Fuji KR Concept guides designed to avoid wind knots, along with plenty of hook-setting and big-fish-fighting power, and we’re talking a very effective fishing tool.

Mark: Measuring 2.36 metres, the Extrasense provides plenty of worthwhile advantages along its length. Most obvious is its excellent, crisp, casting capability and great line control (both in the air and on the water’s surface), aided by the lightweight, single-foot guides and effective butt length, with the latter enabling double-handed ‘power’ casting and to be placed comfortably on the upper thigh when battling big fish in current. In a similar vein, the Extrasense has good fishfighting power, too.

The other star feature for me is the reel seat. Despite being a hard, composite plastic, the clever design means it is surprisingly comfy to hold.

My only niggle is that the hook holder should be positioned so it’s less likely to occasionally catch line in windy conditions.

Length: 7’9 (2.35m)

Number of sections: 2

Line weight: 2-6kg

Casting weight: 3-10g

RRP: $314.99

Okuma Helios SX reel

Bryce: I’m a big fan of this reel. The biggest feature is its incredibly light weight, due to a C40X frame and rotor, backed up by a smooth performance aided by eight ball bearings and one roller bearing. The carbon-fibre drag system is excellent too, with no inertia or stickiness. Then there’s the Cyclonic Flow Rotor, a clever device that helps to prevent line slipping under the spool.

Mark: I think this reel’s a ripper, too. As Bryce says, the Helios is wonderfully light to hold: in addition to the lightweight but strong material predominantly used in the construction, clever design sees further weight removed via cut-outs in the rotor without any apparent compromise to the reel structurally. Other aspects to impress me include: a sturdy bail-arm, enabling anglers to choose whether they operate it manually or automatically, and a very comfortable reel-handle knob that’s comfy and secure to hold. (There’s nothing more frustrating than wet fingers regularly slipping off the handle during those first, few, crazy seconds of winding to get, or keep, some tension on the rod prior to setting the hook!)

And yes, it is a smooth performer, winding easily and with a drag system that unloads line without hesitation. There is a little flex in the reel when waggled firmly from side to side while mounted on the rod, but not much; certainly nothing to bother anglers fishing with relatively light line. Finally, at around two-hundred bucks, I believe the Helios provides great value for money!

Spool capacity mm/m: 0.22mm/200

Bearings: 8BB plus 1RB

Gear ratio: 5:1

Line retrieval rate: 24.8”

Weight: 7.3oz

Max. drag: 6kg

RRP: $199.99