Most people I know have a few things they spend way more money on than is required to get the job done. I have buddies that spend thousands of dollars on new rims and tires for their trucks, when the one's that came on it are all that is needed. Some guys put thousands of dollars in the stereo systems in their rides, pumping out thousands of watts of power and vibrating their trunk with massive subwoofers, when the system that came in their vehicle played music just fine. Still others spend thousands on top of the line guns from Kimber, Sig, or Wilson Combat, when an old Smith or Colt would get the job done.
For me, it's monster catfish gear. Could I get by with an old Abu, Penn, or Shimano? Sure I could, but I want more. I want rods and reels that perform far above what is required to get the job done for monster catfish. I feel pushing gear to it's limits will eventually cause a failure of some sort. Stripped gears, broken anti-reverse systems, level wind failure, etc. To go along with this, I feel like I should have some top of the line gear to compare other gear to.
That's where the Okuma Makaira MK10IISEa comes in. At a retail price of $479.99 each, the Mak's are way beyond what is normally spent on a catfish reel. You could get 2 or 3 new Abu's, Penn's, or Shimano's. Or outfit your whole boat with used reels for that price. You could probably get 10 Abu 6500's, or Penn 209's for that.
But like I said earlier, monster catfish tackle is my thing. By the same token a guy could outfit a whole gun cabinet with Colt's or Smith's for what a Wilson Combat costs. You pay your money and you make your choices.
I chose the Mak's because I believe they are the best fishing reels ever manufactured. For 2015 the SEa models are available in the Limited Edition black. When I found out about this, I could wait no longer. I had to make it happen, and so I did.
I'm sure you have heard the old saying that an old Penn reel could winch a barge off the bottom of the river. Well, with one of these Mak's, you would have a lot better chance of getting that done. I have no doubt at all you could winch any catfish in North America off the bottom, assuming the rest of your gear was up to the task. With 34lb. of available drag, (although I will never need or use that much), and a gear ratio of 2.1:1 in low gear, (4.7:1 in high), these reels really are made to winch.
At 26.1 oz they are a serious chunk of forged and machined 6160-T6 aluminum. The Mak 10-2's are only a few oz's heavier than the Abu 7000 is at 21.5 oz's. The big difference between these and other reels though is just how solid they feel. Like picking up a solid block of aluminum.
The Mak's are designed to handle extended runs of hundreds of yards by fish much more powerful than any catfish in North America. The Dual Force Drag system is made up of a carbon fiber drag washer sandwiched between 2 thick stainless steel plates that help dissipate heat. This reel operates by pulling the drag pressure to the handle side of the reel. This applies the force of the drag to the strongest part of the reel. The custom designed thrust bearing alleviates side load at high drag pressures. Most reels on the market become harder to turn and lose freespool as the drag pressure is increased, not the Mak.
4 ABEC-5 stainless bearings keep things spinning smoothly. The silent double dog anti - reverse system is as good as it gets for the type of system. Bullet proof for sure. The ratcheting drag lever makes adjusting drag pressure a precise affair. This can also add in casting the heavy baits and sinkers sometimes used for monster catfish. Add a couple clicks on the drag lever to cut down on the freespool. Once you know how many clicks to put on for the weight you are casting any worry of backlash should disappear. You may not be able to cast that 2lb. chunk of skipjack or 2 lb. live carp with an 18 oz sinker very far, but you should be able to do it without backlashing half a spool of line, or burning all the skin off your thumb.
I especially like the clicker sound of the Mak's. There will be no doubt when line is going out on this reel. The clicker button is also nice sized and easy to get to. It's operation is a little stiffer than most catfish reels, although over time it will most likely loosen up a bit. Although the bottom is stiff, the clicker puts just the right amount of pressure on the spool. If more is needed it's as simple as adding a few clicks of drag pressure to cope with heavy river current or a huge live bait. On a star drag reel this would mean tightening the spool control and loosening it to cast again. Making the lever drag much more versatile.
These reels are so smooth with 18 lb. of drag set fighting a 41 lb. flathead I couldn't tell when it was pulling drag in the dark. I turned the clicker back on to help with this. I know, it sounds unbelievable that a 41 lb. flathead could pull 18 lb. of drag. But it, and every other 30+ lb. flathead I caught in the river this year did just that. It's amazing how smooth line goes out against a greased carbon fiber drag washer. The grease allows for a smooth start up of the drag slipping. As opposed to a non greased washer that will cause the drag pressure to soar way above the pressure set while slipping. This will keep most catfish from pulling drag because they can't overcome the initial higher drag pressure.
There are many more features of the Mak's that could be discussed, but I have highlighted the features most important for a catfish reel. Bullet proof in every way, super smooth, with a loud clicker, smooth drag over 30 lb., and built like a brick (although not all that heavy). Sure, they are really expensive. But the next time you think about what you spend your money on, consider if you need a different kind of expensive toy, or a couple of the best reels ever made, the Okuma Makaira. For me, I will keep my car stereo stock, as well as my wheels and tires, and just look at pics of the new Wilson Combat pistols. I prefer to spend my money on Mak's.
This is just a preview of the Okuma Makaira reels. I will have more about them in late spring - early summer next year, as I got them very late in the season this year. Stay tuned for more.
Chuck.
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