makaira 10 II - field test results, 8/22/2010

Started by alantani, August 22, 2010, 11:43:42 PM

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alantani

makaira 10 II - field test results, 8/22/2010

maybe 4-5 months ago, i walked into my local tackle shop and the manager said, "hey, alan, want to meet the okuma rep?"  sure, so i walked on over to say hi.  i told him that i did a little reel repair and said that i opened up a makaira a while back and was very impressed.  he said that's great and that he wanted me to take a look at a review that was written by this guy named alan tani.  i chuckled, told him who i was and we both had a good laugh.  then he said that if there was anything he could do for me to let him know.  

a couple of months later, i'm getting ready for my long range trip and my buddy jim says that he is going to order some gear directly from okuma.  with all the talk about the makaira, and all the talk from east coast guys asking why we on the west coast never use spinners, i decided to piggyback an order with him and check out both the conventional makaira and the cedros spinner.  we got in touch with the okuma rep and i ordered up a pair of makaira 10 two speeds, a cedros 65 spinner, a cedros 80 spinner and a set of four nomad 3-piece travel rods.  even with a factory discount, this stuff ain't cheap!

when the boxes arrive, it was like christmas!  the nomad rods were very nice.  i had two coventional rods and two spinning rods.  they each came in a travel case with two tips.  the cedros spinning reels looked great as well.  i pulled all the bearings and packed them with grease,  then i pulled out the stock felt drag washers and installed greased carbon fiber.  the cedros 65 was loaded with 50# spectra and the cedros 80 was loaded with 65# spectra.  





next, the makaira 10 II's were cracked open.  the non-spool bearings were packed with grease, the spool bearings were cleaned and lubed with TSI 301, the drag washers were re-greased and the oversized 6/0 kolekar handle grips were bolted on.  both reels were then spooled up with 400 yards of 65 spectra.  the spools spun like crazy.  the procedure was exactly the same as the rebuild for the makaira 50 II. http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=750.0



one of the makaira's was loaned out to a friend on a 7 day trip and the rest of the okuma gear came with me on a san diego long range trip last week.  http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=1129.0  i grabbed a bunch of progear classic series 501's and all of my smaller accurate boss and atd two speeds, snuck in a couple of 533 newells, a couple of jig sticks, a matched set of calstar west coasters and grafighters, and hit the road.





for yellowtail fishing at cedros island, i would normally fish jigs with the newells or flyline with the accurates and calstars.  50# test and 15 pounds of drag is usually the minumum or you will get rocked or bagged.  when the bite is slow and i get desperate, i drop down as low as 30# fluoro with my progear classic series 501's and my 8 foot calstar grafighters 800L's.  yup, fishing 30# at cedros island is pretty desperate.  you're just asking to get your line cut off in the rocks or get your fish stolen by sealions.





i did manage to hook up on a nice fish on the spinner on the second cast, only to have it grabbed by a huge sealion.  i have a bum right shoulder and tennis elbow on the left.  i figured out pretty quick that i needed to hand this one off, so my nephew took over and almost got the fish back to the boat.  next time i will switch the spinners over to a right hand crank.  if that does not work, i am done with spinners.  



the makaira 10 two speed was a different story.  after losing ANOTHER fish to the sealions, i decided to finally stow the progear and give the makaira a try.  it had a 3 foot topshot of 40# seaguar fluorocarbon, it was casting better than my accurate 870 (50# topshot) but not as well as the progear.  that second afternoon at cedros island was tough fishing, but i managed to scrape up two fish on the makaira.  the low gear was very nice.  

here are the three reels.  on the left, an accurate boss 870-2 with 60# hollowcore and a 10 meter 50# fluorocarbon topshot with 15#'s of drag.  this would be my standard live bait set up setup for cedros.  in the middle is a progear classic series 501, it has a 6: gear ratio, 50# spectra, a 3 foot topshot of 30# or 35# fluorocarbon and a 10-12 pound drag setting.  the progear is the reel that i go to when i'm desperate.  on the right is an okuma makaira 10 II with 400 yards of 65 camo spiderwire braid, a 4.7: high gear, a 2.1:1 low gear and a max drag at strike of 27#'s. this last trip, the makaira was topped with 3 feet of 40# fluorocarbon and the drags were set to 14#'s.  next time i will top it with 50# spectra and 18#'s of drag at strike.  i hate losing fish to sealions.



casting distance with the makaira is less than the progear ......



.... but better than the accurate 870.  all just because of the rod lenth and the overall spool mass.  



i've fished accurates and calstars for a long time.  this was the first time i fished with the makaira and i was favorably impressed.   so let's take a look at the two, side by side.  the smaller accurates have a 6.1: high gear and a 3.1:1 low gear,  there are several different models to choose from.  i have the first run b2's - a pair of 197's, a pair of 270's and a pair of 870's.  the only small makaira's are the 10 two speed and the 15 two speed (which is just a wider 10 II).  the gear ratios are 4.7:1 for high and 2.1:1 for low.  the drag is rated at 27 pounds strike and 34 pounds full for the makaira.  i could not find a rating for the accurate, but i'm certain that it's very close.  spool capacities for the b2-870N and b2-870 are similar to the makaira 10 and 15.  both reels have non-spool bearings that i have opened up and packed with grease.  both reels also have had freespool work.  for the accurate, i cleaned out the bearings and installed an bearing sleeve.  for the makaira, all i had to do was clean out the bearings.  both reels got monster handle grips.   i'm not a big guy, but the larger handle grips help me tremendously.  



the shifter on the accurate b2 has always been a problem for me.  this has been corrected on the new accurate bx two speeds.  the shift knob on the makaira is fine.  



the preset knob on the accurate does not click.  in some reels, the rubber gasket is so tight that it can be very difficult to turn.  in other reels, the rubber gasket is so loose that you can accidentally bump the preset knob and change the drag when the lever is in free. i did that a couple of times with my personal accurates a couple of years ago at guadalupe.  in the maikaira, the preset knob clicks.  it stays in place when you want and turns easily when you want.



the makaira lever will ratchet.  the accurate lever does not.  both move when you push them and stop where they are supposed to stop.  



the accurate does not have lugs.  the makaira gives you an option.  options are good.



the accurate has a cast control knob, the makaira does not.  since i am casting small sardines with these reels, my problem is usually not enough freespool.  too much freespool is never a problem.



so here's where i'm at right now.  my own personal accurates have spool bearings that are clean out and lubed with TSI301, i've cut bearing sleeves for all of them (they're "blueprinted") , the non-spool bearings have been packed with grease, and i've added a 6/0 kolekar grip.  they fish just fine.  the makaira 10's also had the spool bearings cleaned out, non-spool bearings packed with grease, and a big handle grip added.  for me, the only noticeable difference between the two reels is the gear ratio of the lower gears.  i'm just an office jockey and i found that the lower gear ratio of the makaira was much easier to crank.  i would be happy fishing with either reel, but there are some people for whom the makaira offers some significant advantages.  

meet ed watson.  he fishes all over the world.  he likes fishing the salt for bigger fish and needs gear that offers him every possible mechanical advantage.  his next trip is to the great barrier reef.  on his last trip, he hooked in a yellowfin tuna from a skiff and he landed it with his boss two speed accurate.  it was tough for him because the skiff did not have a rail and the reel did not have lugs.  



right now he is pulling against a trailer hitch with my makaira 10, 65 pound spectra and 18 pounds at strike.  



i asked him to try to turn the handle in high gear and he could not do it.  this is with an 18# drag setting.  but when i punched the reel into low gear, cranking the 6/0 kolekar handle was no problem.  that's an 18 pound drag setting and a 2.1:1 gear ratio.  the makaira offers ed a lower gear ratio than other reels.  it's basically a granny gear and that helps him.  it also has lugs.  this will allow ed to harness in at the beginning of the fight.  when the fish is straight up and down, he can pop the reel out of the harness and still have some strength left.  and ed likes the big handle grips.  it greatly decreases the fatigue factor during a long fight.  



i did a quick check of retail prices and the bx2-500 is $585 at charkbait.  the makaira 10 retails at $440.  for a guy like ed, the makaira and nomad combo offers significant advantages.  i'm going to send one of these with him on his trip so that he can check it out before he buys.  sounds like he's going to buy one anyway.  it's a great 50# rig. all we need now is a narrowed makaira 8 II for 50# spectra and a 40# topshot.  alan


send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

alantani

 i'm willing to bet the farm that someone at okuma already has specs for a "makaira 8 II" and the reel was simply killed in committee. i think that the 10 is a great 50-60# reel. i think that an 8 would make an even better 30, 35, or 40# reel. overkill? maybe, but remember that there are guys out there like ed watson. the are dripping with money. they need small reels that offer a low gear, lugs and an oversized handle.

so consider this. what gear ratio is appropriate for an indivual fisherman. obviously a college football line backer is going to have more strength than a retired millionaire businessman. how do you determine if a gear ratio is appropriate? what i do is tie the line off to a trailer hitch and then start buttoning down the drag. then i ask the fisherman to start cranking. at some point, he will not be able to turn the handle. then i pop the reel into low gear and adjust the drag again. once more, i stop when the customer can not turn the handle. in ed watson's case, he was able to easily turn the handle of the makaira 10 in low gear with 18 pounds of drag. that means that the reel is geared down low enough for him. and he's rich enough that he will buy two, three or four of these reels because he does not what to be without when he is fishing the great barrier reef.

give the college linebacker a 4/0 senator!
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

alantani

#2
matt called me a week ahead of my trip and asked if i had any reels for sale.  i said no, but that i had one he could borrow.  he was on a 7 day trip on the royal polaris at the same time that i was on my 5 day on the intrepid.  here are photos of fish that he caught with the makaira.  unfortunately, he forgot the nomad rod in his truck.  it would have been nice to fish with the combination.  here are some photos of fish caught with the mk-10II.

Quote


Hi Alan, I have attached some pictures of our trip.  Every one of these tuna was landed on the Makaira!!!












[/img]
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

mak1

what is the 3 section rod and what is it rated at

MarkT

Okuma Nomad. They come with 2 tips, 15-30 and 20-60.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

steelfish

Alan, since the mak15 is only a wider mak10

I checking the picture from taken from your comments, do you think the mak15 would look/be as wide as how the boss 870 looks versus the mak10?
(almost same height according to your pics)




I have an accurate boss 870 with me at this moments and it feels and looks pretty good handling it, looking a your pictures vs the mak10, do you think that can give me an idea on how wide the mak15 might be ?.


along with the Baja Spacial and a regular 113h, the boss 870 is bit wider than the BS and almost similar in width to a 113h (not perfect match of course)
The Baja Guy

Rivverrat


PaparockCal

#7
Have you seen the Makaira Sea Silver Lever Drag Reel(2018 NEW) 2-speed models? The Okuma website only lists models down to MK-10IISEa. After being landlocked from shortly after Spectra came on the scene I am trying to figure out what small 2-speed reel I'm going to purchase.

To give you some background; I am not into "giant fish" anymore. At 68 years old I only compete with myself having fun. I'm new to the West Coast and plan to start off with the 1-2 day boats out of L.A. and work up to the short rangers out of San Diego some day. I have been looking at all these new small 2-speed reels for what I want to. 2-speeds are not new to me as I help popularize their use off Galveston Island, Texas out of Islander Custom Tackle. I kept buying and using Penn and Shimano 2-speeds in tournaments when the locals thought I was "strange". I had Cal Sheets Customize a Penn 30 for me that after I retired the owner of Islander Custom Tackle begged me to sell him which I did.  

I have heard a lot of great things about you Alan so I thought I would join this forum. All these new West Coast small 2-speed reels are a tad confusing to me. I'm looking for one that I can cast bait with easily and will hold up to smaller school size tuna after casting live bait to them.  Being old and on a fixed budget it is not like back when I worked for living. I can't afford to make mistakes on high priced reels and rods anymore. Now I have to do a lot of research to make sure I buy what I need and not what everyone else has or says I need only to discover it does not work for me. I am 6'5' and 300lbs. unfortunately I have spent too many trips to the hospital so I am less than half the man I used to be. I'm working on coming back, losing weight, working out etc. but it is not easy.  I'm interested in the new Okuma Makaira SEa MK-10IISEa-Silver that the Okuma site says is coming in 2018.

https://www.okumafishing.com/en/product/Makaira-Sea-Silver-Lever-Drag-Reel2018-NEW/Makaira-Sea-Silver-Lever-+Drag-Reel.html

MarkT

Silver was originally a special color but is now a standard SEa color. The Mak 10 SEa has been out for some years now. What is supposed to be different for '18?  I have the 16 and 20 SEa's in silver with a 50 on the way.
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

alantani

send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

PaparockCal

#10
Any suggestions as to the best live bait 8' rod to pair one of the 2018 Makaira-10IISEa-Silver's with? I'm looking to spool the reel with 50# Spectra along with a short top shot depending on what the fish will tolerate but nothing over 40# Fluorocarbon. Suggestions please as I am NEW to this. Thanks!

See the new 2018 Silver models here> https://www.okumafishing.com/en/product/Makaira-Sea-Silver-Lever-Drag-Reel2018-NEW/Makaira-Sea-Silver-Lever-+Drag-Reel.html

Rivverrat

#11
From what your describing a rod that comes to mind is the 8' United Composites, Wahoo. , small diameter, lite weight blank with an an e-glass carbon fiber mix  . This rod is completely US made, has an easy moderate bend to about its midsection.  50 lb. line is this rods sweet spot,  40 will work great also. I have ran this rod against some others in its class & very few cast as well while being as durable. This rod is very easy on the fisherman.

Give owner of United Composites, Randy Penny a call 714-898-7500 tell him Jeff from Kansas told you about his rods. Regardless like to know what rod you pick ....  Jeff

PaparockCal

#12
Quote from: Rivverrat on December 19, 2017, 05:10:36 PM
From what your describing a rod that comes to mind is the 8' United Composites, Wahoo. , small diameter, lite weight blank with an an e-glass carbon fiber mix  . This rod is completely US made, has an easy moderate bend to about its midsection.  50 lb. line is this rods sweet spot,  40 will work great also. I have ran this rod against some others in its class & very few cast as well while being as durable. This rod is very easy on the fisherman.

Give owner of United Composites, Randy Penny a call 714-898-7500 tell him Jeff from Kansas told you about his rods. Regardless like to know what rod you pick ....  Jeff

Easy on the fisherman is what I need. I have been looking at United Composites very seriously along with the 8 foot lengths. I'm not sure if I want to go as heavy as 50# Jeff. I may end up doing that. I was primarily thinking 30-40# range for now and maybe 50# later after I recuperate some more. Thanks for the advice and I will call UC. Rocky

Rivverrat

The Wahoo will work just fine for 40 & still not shut off abruptly or be to harsh on the fisherman. For a 40-50 rod that will cast about any type stuff its a hard one to beat. Regardless I believe the rod your after will come from the Challenger Elite series. I'm all curious to see what you end up with.

Bryan Young

Quote from: alantani on August 22, 2010, 11:43:42 PMmaybe 4-5 months ago, i walked into my local tackle shop and the manager said, "hey, alan, want to meet the okuma rep?"  sure, so i walked on over to say hi.  i told him that i did a little reel repair and said that i opened up a makaira a while back and was very impressed.  he said that's great and that he wanted me to take a look at a review that was written by this guy named alan tani.  i chuckled, told him who i was and we both had a good laugh.  then he said that if there was anything he could do for me to let him know.  

Every time I read this, I get a chuckle.  I know this is not technical, but it makes me chuckle every time.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D