By Dave Brown

By Will Doud-Martin

Call me pessimistic, but in our current fiscal environment that seems to be trending more favorably toward those who already have, it’s rare to find excellent value in items that carry worth well above their price tag. On the other hand, the characteristic of being inexpensive (those even less optimistic than myself might even say “cheap”) will surely never let loose its death grip on our economy. Indeed, the realm of inexpensive can often fill a necessary need for a lot of us. But for most consumers, landing within that Venn-like sweet spot between cost, value, and performance is a lifelong challenge; we win some and we lose some. And make no mistake, for those of us not independently wealthy, the victories—though fewer and farther between lately—are worth celebrating.

Okuma’s new X-Series baitcasting reel is worth celebrating, for it surely lands squarely within that elusive bullseye of price, value, and performance.

Living on the shores of Lake Champlain in northwest Vermont affords me an opportunity unlike many others. In other words, I can target myriad different species on any given day. Someone once quipped that the only fish not swimming in Champlain are tuna and sharks. As an angler here, one rarely knows what may bite. Thus, having well-rounded, easy to use, cost-effective, and tough, reliable gear is of the utmost importance.   

The first head-turning quality of the Okuma X-Series casting reel to stand out was its impressive 24 pounds of drag, and it didn’t take long for me to experience this quality characteristic. Heavy, hard-surging Northern pike, as well as bullish lake trout and sheepshead often inhabit similar areas to bass, and the reel handled these species with plenty of drag to spare. For such a compact reel with the capability to cast lightweight baits as easily as heavy ones, it’s rare to find one with such strength to tango with bigger fish. And believe you me, when one of these toothy critters gets ahold of my costly lure … well, by Joe, my reel better subdue these fish and return my bait.

Speaking of lure adjustment, on this temperamental body of water the wind can get nasty in a hurry and the target species can be diverse, and so being able to adjust a reel for different lures with ease is a must. In this case, the reel’s hinged side plate is easily opened (and held fast to the reel’s body) to access the Velocity Cast Control System for fine-tuning break settings. It’s worth noting again that once the side plate is opened, it remains attached to the reel housing, eliminating the embarrassing and frustrating scenario of dropping an unattached side plate to adorn the lake’s bottom.

Despite the feathery light weight of the X-Series reels—a mere 5.6 ounces in both the 7:1 and 8:1 model—the reel remains strong, yet flexible enough to fluctuate easily within its range of 24 pounds of drag when fighting larger fish. In part, this is due to the carbon fiber handle, but mostly it’s an attribute of the stiff/soft balance of an aluminum frame sandwiched between carbon side plates. This may seem counterintuitive, but a reel that flexes a bit in my hands feels more organic and less cumbersome, somehow like an extension of my extremities; yet, simultaneously, I feel confident in its ability to handle heavy, surging predatory species with relative ease.

A final attribute worth noting (and one I feel is often lost in the glitz and glamour of other snazzy features of tackle), is balance between a reel and rod. The X-series reel compliments Okuma’s rod lineup of the same name, and together they make quite the comfortable and well-balanced pair. Wrist and arm fatigue can become a noticeable factor during a long day on the water when making multiple hundreds of casts. So why not mitigate this factor as much as possible by ensuring that rod and reel balance well in one’s hand? It can be almost imperceptible unless one is actively thinking about it, but when the hand is constantly making minor tweaks fore and aft, left and right to maintain equilibrium, those movements all add up over the course of a day and ultimately equal fatigue, and occasionally pain. And thus, balance matters, with the reel’s airy weight surely helping as well.   

Oh, and for all you sensible southpaws out there, the X-Series comes in a left-handed option, too.

In conclusion, the new Okuma X-series casting reels check all the boxes for value- and performance-conscious anglers not looking to break the bank. For those in need of a well-rounded and diverse do-it-all kind of reel, you’d be remiss if the X-series wasn’t at the top of the list.             

Check out the full range of X-Series Low Profile Reels HERE.

Written by Will Doud-Martin