Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Spinning Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => Okuma => Topic started by: joens on July 20, 2026, 08:52:42 PM

Title: Okuma GT65 History?
Post by: joens on July 20, 2026, 08:52:42 PM
I came across this Okuma GT65 reel. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the history of this model. I am not coming across much online. It is an older reel and fairly large.
Title: Re: Okuma GT65 History?
Post by: boon on July 21, 2026, 03:48:40 AM
That's an oldie by Okuma standards. Unfortunately I'd kinda classify it as coming from before when Okuma really got things together in terms of reel manufacture.

It will be a pretty simple reel. If it's still working OK I'd say go fish it until it dies. Any parts that aren't generic (i.e. bearings) will be near impossible to find.

EDIT: I'd say it's late 90s or early 2000s. Around then, my understanding is Okuma were primarily an OEM producing white-label reels for whoever wanted to put their name on one. I remember seeing one of their catalogs from around that time and it had dozens if not into the hundreds of different models. They were low-cost reels, I don't think they were particularly bad but they also weren't setting anyone's world on fire either.