Okuma Linecounter Reels

[AverysAdventure]

Coldwater or Convector?
Just wondering if anyone has fished with a Convector and how they compare to the Coldwater.
Thanks,
Rod
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[fallsfish]

I have a Cabelas Depth Master 15 and for the most part works well. Couple of disappointments being, the tension adjustment knob is easily moved without knowing and the calibration is not simple. The star shaped spindle for the tension adjustment is large and gets in the way when reeling. The only way to calibrate is to add or take off line from the spool.

The other thing that is awkward is that the balance of the reel is off set to one side. The line counter is off to one side and makes the reel imbalanced.

So hope your Okuma doesn't have these short comings.
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[tubeN2]

Both are very good reels and the balance on them is much better than other line counting reels. You will generally have a slight unbalance with most of your bigger line counter reels as the counter is set to the same side as the drag adjust and cast control.

Other than that, I prefer to use the convector over the saltwater for the corrosion resistance. I mostly fish saltwater and use my line counter to find my sweet spots as well as knowing if I am not beyond the allowable depth for that season.

The Coldwater could work just fine if you are only fishing freshwater. I have been using the Convector for close to 15 years now. The coldwater is just a newer model.

I have been fishing for Okuma for close to 17 years now and have been able to use practically all of their products from freshwater, saltwater, trolling, jigging, flyfishing, speycasting, spinning and bass. Rods and reels.

There are even special setups just for Salmon in case you decide to hit up some in your area.[cool]
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[gardenhackle]

I have the Coldwater with braided line on it. If you use it with downrigger You can't tighten up the drag enough to put tension on rod. I sent first one back and got a new one and it does same thing. I think what is happening is when I put tension on pole after its in holder the braided is pulling into spool and letting off tension. I haven't tried it yet with mono to see if that is the problem. I like the reel.
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[tubeN2]

I used to have a similar problem with the braided lines. Once I switched to the Power Pro braid, the problem went away. It is also important to have a fish one the other end of the line so that it properly tensions onto the spool as you bring it up.

If your budget allows, I would highly recommend the Trilene Trace Braid. It is much better than the Trilene Fireline and worth every penny. [cool]
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[AverysAdventure]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I've been fishing Cabela's Depth Masters for years but just find them awkward and lacking. I had a chance to fish Coldwaters last year on the Columbia and found that I really liked them. From jigging walleye to pulling gear on the dr's for Chinook they worked flawlessly (running braid but not sure of the brand, I'll find out) and just seemed to fit me. Thanks to tubeN2 comments I think I'll get a Coldwater and a Convector since I fish the salt water multiple times a year. Thanks again.
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[tubeN2]

You are most welcome my fishing brother. Where do you fish the saltwater? If you are into the "Big Game" and not worried too much about the line counter, the the Okuma Catalina would be a good choice too. I have used the Catalina in some of the deepest parts of Bear Lake as well as some areas of the Abyss in the Pacific Ocean. It works as well for some of the Macks as well as the deep Cod that are ready for the introduction to the So Cal dinner plate. [cool]
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[AverysAdventure]

We drag our boat to the WA coast once or twice a year. Salmon, ling and bass mostly. I usually make So Cal at least a few times a year. 2 day Tuna trips for me and usually some 3/4 day trips fishing sand bass with the kids. Last year I did a couple overnight trips for Yellowtails and found that to be a hoot. My Penn Senators didn't have the gear ratio needed and they just smoked the drag on my Abu C4 drag. Good times!
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[tubeN2]

Cool on the trips to Cali and not so cool on the smoked drags. lol

It sounds like you might be ready for the Okuma Solterra or the Makaira reels. They are 2 speed and intended for tuna.

Yellowtails can be brought in on almost anything. I have an AVET SX that I fish Yellowtails with otherwise I use my smaller Okuma Convector reel.[cool]
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[Metalheadgene]

I prefer the Coldwater over the Convector but that is just a preference and does not make one better than the other. Each has caught many Salmon and Steelhead.

For years my go to LC was the depth master gold but once they stopped making that I found the other versions to be junk.

One tip I learned and it works great is if you are going to use braid, use 20 to 30 lb mono for backing and the last 200-300 feet braid. You will get a much smoother drag!
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[tubeN2]

You are right. Either one is fine for a line counter reel. Compared to the Daiwa or the Shimano line counters, Okuma stand out in front of the pack. I haven't used a line counter in many years.

The modern way to get your count is to know how many feet per crank that your reel retreives. Count the turns and that gives you your count.

Since I mostly fish in the ocean, my fish finder has the depth reading on it and I go more by that. There are certain fish that suspend so all we do is drop to the bottom and count up 10 to 12 cranks depending on the depth we are at.

I like Salmon and Steelhead on the flyswater. That is just my style. Everyone has their style and method and I respect each persons approach. [cool]
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