I got an excellent deal on an Okuma id-250.  I figured it would be good for fishing big shiners.

It's Chinese made, but I know the Cali big bass hunters use them and it seemed pretty solid.

Any tips?  Would hate to lose a lunker due to a reel failure.

thanks,

avid

If I am not mistaken, Mattlures exclusively uses Okuma products.

I think his results can attest to the quality.

Wayne

HeyAvid: I had an Okuma spiining reel and it worked fine. I think we all get tied up in High End stuff because it works so good. But I have been buying Good Stuff at Sale prices and i have found a few things that really work for less dollars

The mighty Fish Chris uses alot of Okuma products, and I also recomend their spinning reels. I've been using my Stingson for a while now and she is every bit as smooth as the day I got her. Never lost a bass becuase of drag or any other problem. For a graphite frame she holds up against what I put here through quite well, too this day the gears are almost silent.

Over the many trails and trials, I have named her "Ol' Trusty"

I use the Okuma Aveon 30 & 40 spinning reels and I really like them.

I took a good look at the Okuma Swimbait rod at the Sportsmans Expo.  Looks like a great rod for $99.  My only complaint is that it feels like a broomstick.  In fact, the broomstick is probably lighter.  

I had a Okuma id-250 for a couple years of pretty heavy musky fishing.  It held up great.  And that is with chucking 10" bucktails and 12" crankbaits for 10,000 of casts.  No reel failures at all.  It actually sold me on Okuma.  Every spinning reel that I have bought for the last three years has been an Okuma and I like them every bit as much as any Shimano Stradic or Quantum Energy PTi that I have.  They make a good product that I have been very lucky with.  A couple people have told me that they used to have problems with their reels, but so far so good in my experience.  Great value reels!

I use a big epixor for fishing clams and bunker chunks for striped bass in the surf. It has performed very well for the price.

I took a good look at the Okuma Swimbait rod at the Sportsmans Expo.  Looks like a great rod for $99.  My only complaint is that it feels like a broomstick.  In fact, the broomstick is probably lighter.  

I have that rod in 7"11' Heavy. Its a good rod, it doesnt bend easy but when pressure is applied it can bend over very far. (suprising for how stiff it is) Yeah its not the lightest rod around but anything that has heavy action and is over 7' isnt going to be that light. The bottom part of the split grip fits your hand perfectly and helps with the casting. I use Mattlures Bluegills on it with 30lb braid, with a Browning reel, and I can flip and pitch a very long ways. It is rated for 1-6oz so it can throw basicly any swimbait out there. For being so big, it is very sensitive. I can tell the difference between a log and stick easily.

Tight lines

Matt

I have used it a few times.

It won't win any awards for lightweight or silky smooth operation, but it feels absolutely rock solid and that is what I wanted.

It's all good.

I have a pair of Okuma "Stinson" SI30's on a pair of Fenwick HMG rods, and they are the best reel/rod combos I've ever owned...and I've owned a LOT. The Okuma "Stinson" reels are hiding their light under a bushel basket. An outstanding reel for the money...

I have the swimbait 7.6 MH that I use for  Mattlures and similar and like Avid said it is OK for the job, the Powell 7.11 EH is lighter.